Mark Tully, the BBC “voice of India” over sixty years, garnered respect with his impartial and knowledgeable reporting from within his adoptive home. Rajiv Gandhi evidently refused to believe rumours of his mother Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 until Tully confirmed it on the radio. The affection for him transcended political affiliation. He was given one of India’s highest civilian honours and on his death, the nationalist PM Narendra Modi led the tributes to him.
He was born in India, like George Orwell, into a prosperous British family representative of the old Raj so it is all the more to his credit he emerged as a trusted voice in modern India. Sent to boarding school young in a ‘miserable’ England, he eventually ‘came home’ when at 29 he got a job in the BBC’s India bureau in Delhi.
For 24 years, he presented a weekly spiritual programme, on Radio 4. In between, he produced documentaries and wrote a series of books on India. ’His works constitute some of the most vivid and insightful chronicles of India’s transformation from an improbable post-colonial democracy into a major world power.’
Born 24 August 1935 10 am Kolkata, India, he had a stellium in journalistic Virgo ranging from the Sun, Mercury and spiritual Neptune to Venus in his community-minded 11th house. His Sun, Mercury, Neptune opposed a serious, sober Saturn in Pisces in his performing 5th house. His Saturn opposition Sun were in a talented Half Grand Sextile to Uranus in Taurus sextile a Cancer Moon.
His 1st house enthusiastic Mars Jupiter in Scorpio sextile his Mercury Neptune would add an adventurous streak. What is probably most significant is his Pluto conjunct the Midheaven which, used correctly, would be what gave him extraordinary influence.
The modern India chart shares his Jupiter in Scorpio and his sensible Saturn sat in the India 10th bolstering his reputation for balance and probity. His Pluto MC were conjunct the India Cancer Moon producing a strong emotional bond and giving him an interest in promoting a picture of Indian life.
Alex Honnold, an American rock climber, has succeeded in a free solo climb of the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, the tallest urban free solo climb in history. He rose to worldwide fame in 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a climb described in The New York Times as “one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever”.
Born 17 August 1985 2.19am Sacramento, California, he started climbing in a gym aged five.
In 2016, he was subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging scans that revealed that, unlike other high sensation seekers, his amygdala barely activates when watching disturbing images. The amygdala acts as the brain’s threat-detection centre and regulates fear, aggression, and anxiety, triggering rapid “fight-or-flight” responses. He confesses to feeling fear occasionally. Through imagination and practice, he has desensitized himself to most fearful situations.
He has an attention-seeking 3rd house Leo Sun square an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio; with a practical ‘worrier’ Virgo Moon. But what is most striking in his chart is his 8th house Jupiter in Aquarius in an energetic, enthusiastic and courageous opposition to Mars Mercury in Leo square North Node in Taurus – with his Jupiter in a confident square to Pluto in his performing 5th. Mars Jupiter and Jupiter Pluto are high vitality aspects but can have a tendency to over estimate abilities and bite off more than the individual can chew. Clearly it has not happened yet and he could not attempt such insane feats without these aspects but ???
His Mars is also trine Uranus which gives a love of excitement, danger and risk.
Had I been asked in advance I would have said not to attempt the latest climb since at the moment his Solar Arc Saturn is in an uncertain conjunction to his Neptune; and Solar Arc Neptune is conjunct his Jupiter which could have led to over-optimism. But he clearly does not process feelings like normal people.
He is married with two children. His mother started climbing at 60.
ADD ON: Fred Dibnah, the legendary steeplejack born 28 April 1938 who died at 66 of cancer, also has an emphasised Jupiter in Aquarius (which often occurs in the charts of top class sportspersons.) He was a Sun Uranus in Taurus; with Venus in Taurus conjunction Mars in Gemini opposition North Node square Jupiter. And similar weighting towards Fixed signs.
“It is a plain fact that astrology is a pack of lies in a literal sense … each and every horoscope … is an attack on the probity of science.”
On the frontispiece of an invaluable primer about astrology by Geoffrey Cornelius and Maggie Hyde are listed the lame and sometimes mendacious brickbats thrown at the ancient art which are systemically picked apart in the pages following.
A revised and updated version of the 1995 Astrology for Beginners with inspired and illuminating new illustrations, The Astrologers Universe is a must-have for beginners. The history is laid out from Stonehenge 3000 BC onwards – how did they calculate the 18.6 year eclipse cycles? – and on through the Egyptians and astronomically aligned pyramids, through Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, into mediaeval times and on. Informative and handy as ammunition in arguments with nay-sayers.
Thereafter working with astrology is laid out lucidly in simple terms with planets, elements (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable), modes (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and aspects; with each planet and sign explained with key words. The major configurations are graphically illustrated and made understandable.
Thence onto the tricky synthesis when the separate parts of the jigsaw have to be pulled together into a broad pattern. The authors start with a thumbnail sketch of key words for the Sun (= essence), Moon (= habit and response) and Ascendant (= appearance and identity). The example given of Margaret Thatcher is to the point – a reactive Libra Sun, tenacious and vengeful Scorpio Ascendant, and a showy Leo Moon.
Then checking down a list of elements, planets on an angle, major aspects and configurations etc. For beginners it lays out a step by step process through the maze and morass of the 2500 pieces of information contained in a birth chart. It is daunting at the start of the learning process to manage the complexities of assigning priorities and getting to grips with the overall pattern – so this will provide clarity and clear away a good deal of the fog of panic.
There are other concise outlines covering horary, financial, world affairs and relocation astrology.
For anyone who is floundering in the foothills of astrology this short book will be a blessing.
Mars, in mythology the god of war, fiery, competitive, pro-active, high vitality and aggressive, in aspect to slow-moving, cold-hearted, judgmental, stickler-for-rules Saturn is an awkward combination. Whether in natal charts, synastry, composites or in outer events it tends to accompany troubling experiences.
Mars says ‘I want’ ‘I am’ ‘I intend to do’ and dashes impulsively and often courageously ahead without thought of the consequences. Running into Saturn’s delays, setbacks, over abundance of caution and negativity, it results in blocked action.
In a natal chart, hard Mars Saturn aspects lead to frustration and futility in childhood at not being able to express self freely in direct action and in opinions. Usually the parent is the Saturnine force, ready with criticism, put downs, cutting remarks. Unfairness looms large and sometimes outright cruelty.
Destructive is a word often used about the combination, as is harshness, bitterness, self-willed obstinacy, violence. Scottish singer Lulu, with a 4th house Mars Moon square Saturn has revealed that a childhood, living with her parents’ violent relationship caused her to suffer. “I never slept properly. I was afraid my parents would accidentally kill each other. So that fear has ruled my whole life.“ Her Mars was also trine Pluto so she had an added dose of the damaging energy.
Ill treatment does crop up in charts of Mars Saturn individuals who have lived through difficult circumstances either in childhood or later. Winne Mandela, who was brutalised by South African authorities during her long fight against apartheid. Ahed Tamini, the Palestinian activist who has been thrown into Israeli prisons on several occasions. Brigitte Bardot, whose father beat her as a child. Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for girls’ education who was shot by the Taliban. All Mars Saturn types.
Mars Saturn also crops up in illegal assassinations and more recently terrorist attacks. The Manchester bombing of 2017 and the London Bridge bombing both occurred with a magnified Saturn opposition Mars in place. Other instances were Kim Kardashian’s burglary in Paris, the 2012 Italy earthquake.
Since Saturn, rules the body’s skeleton, there are connections to damaging accidents – Chris Froome, the Tour de France cyclist, crashed badly under Mars Saturn and actor Jeremy Renner was run over by a snow plough with a Mars opposition Saturn in place breaking innumerable bones.
There are, of course, ways of using any astrological aspect constructively. The military is one outlet for Mars Saturn. Mars = aggression, killing; and Saturn = disciplined, controlled, state-sanctioned. Though military types do not always make empathetic parents.
Mars Saturn tends unsurprisingly to give rise to problems with impatience and in adult years a tendency for anger to be switched off and then switched on. Periods of teeth-gritting submission to restrictive circumstances or people after a while result in irritation spilling out sometimes with force. Too little and then too much as the lid blows.
The other effect can be on sexuality since Mars’ unrestrained testosterone does not appreciate being corralled by moralistic Saturn – or sometimes worse, by the goat-god Saturn goading Mars into perverse behaviours. Mars Saturn can lead to masochistic/sadistic behaviour. The Marquis de Sade had a Mars square Saturn. Mel Gibson whose Passion of Christ movie evidently had horror movie quantities of blood and gore has a Mars Saturn in Scorpio admittedly square Pluto which doubles up on the obsession with cruelty.
Net porn also seems infested by Mars Saturn – see in Search.
Where Mars Saturn comes into its own in a positive way is its ability (honed in a difficult childhood) to push on regardless to reach its goals. It bestows incredible self discipline. All of the below had striking Mars Saturn aspects. Donald Henderson changed the world by ‘doing the impossible’ and eradicating smallpox. Henry Worsley in 2016 died just 30 miles short of his goal of a solo, unassisted crossing of the Antarctic. He covered 913 miles in 69 days, hauling a 148 kilo sledge and raised over £100,000 for injured soldiers. Ranulph Fiennes, the trans globe explorer, who holds endurance records for walking to the North and South Pole, and crossing Antarctica. Ralph Bangold, who pioneered desert exploration and walked across the Libyan desert in the 1930s.
There is a never-say-die side to Mars Saturn which can lead to extraordinary achievements against the odds.
While all of the above various manifestations of Mars Saturn occur, they won’t necessarily all affect every individual who has Mars Saturn in their chart. Recent examples of Dolly Parton as well as architects Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid indicate they can result in a long productive life.
ADD ON: Daniel Craig has a Mars Saturn conjunction in Aries giving him the required level of coiled-spring violence to play James Bond. His father was in the navy – often individuals with fathers in the armed forces have Mars Saturn.
Greg Bovino, former US Border Patrol, commander of operations for Trump’s ICE operations, now removed, has a Mars Saturn conjunct in Taurus.
Katie Price, a UK former topless model and TV celebrity, addicted to cosmetic surgery with a car-crash personal life has Mars Saturn conjunct in Leo and Mars sextile Pluto and square Uranus. She has admitted to being sexually abused as a child and raped in adult life.
As Keir Starmer sinks into a grey haze of his own making, and Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, looms as a credible replacement, the question is whether a leadership change would make much difference to the Labour Party’s fortunes ahead.
Keir Starmer’s Leadership chart, 4 April 2020 10.45am London is looking at its most unstable this year with tr Pluto square the Uranus from late March – which can indicate a topple-off- perch moment. Before then at the moment till mid February tr Pluto is conjunct the Mars which is trapped and frustrated. The Solar Arc Pluto will conjunct Saturn exact in 4 months, so unrelenting pressure will ramp up with no obvious relief in sight. Tr Pluto will return on and off till late 2027 squaring the Uranus so the wobbles will not go away.
The Labour Party, 12 February 1906 chart, looks doubly blocked at the moment with the Solar Arc Venus Sun conjunct the Pluto running for several months in effect. Late March into April tr Saturn conjunct the Mars and then square Uranus Neptune look like a run of setbacks for several weeks. Tensions will mount further from late June with tr Uranus square the LP party Saturn on and off into 2027; with a disheartening run of tr Neptune conjunct Mars and square Uranus and Neptune through 2027/28.
Andy Burnham, 7 January 1970, portrays himself as on the soft left of the Labour Party; and was former MP for nearly two decades and in Cabinet posts variously in Health, Culture and Media and Treasury. A Sun, Venus, Moon in Capricorn with Mars in Pisces, he has an up-and-down Jupiter in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus; and an intense Mercury in Capricorn trine Pluto. Tr Pluto is square his Jupiter at the moment and on and off through this year which hints at an ambitious and confident push – but since it pulls on that tricky opposition to Saturn nothing is certain. It looks a jumpy, uncertain year for him.
His relationship chart with the Labour Party is essentially easier than Keir Starmer’s with a fair amount of friendly affection and none of the irritation that plagues Starmer’s chemistry with the LP.
Starmer’s personal chart, 2 September 1962, has been under unbearable pressure in recent times with the SA Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune for devastating confusion last year and huis Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Sun Pluto this year which is calamitous. Late March into early April has a significant setback with tr Saturn square his Mars in Cancer; at the same time as tr Pluto picks up the conjunction to his Saturn in Aquarius which will make the next two years a really tough trek. As if that was not enough it will be followed in 2027/28 by failure-ridden tr Neptune square his Mars.
The man must be a glutton for punishment.
Starmer’s relationship chart with the Labour Party will be moving into ever more turbulent seas from mid February this year with tr Pluto square the Uranus, running on and off to late 2027. With a separating tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun from May this year onwards.
He must go at some point soon.
Add On: The other Labour Party chart of 27 February 1900 as I faintly recollect was when the party formed and the 1906 was the first in-parliament chart. I tested them out against events some time back and the 1906 seemed to work better against past events though both will have a validity.
The 1900 chart is due for a major shock/jolt with tr Uranus square the Mars come this March into early April followed by an uncertain and undermining tr Neptune square the Saturn late April/May on and off till March 2027. And a serious setback in 2028 with the Solar Arc Mars opposition the Saturn.
Princess Eugenie, younger daughter of the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is said to be distancing herself from her parents over the fallout from their association with Jeffrey Epstein. She is a co-founder and director of the Anti-Slavery Collective and has been active in speaking out against human trafficking and violence against women.
She was born 23 March 1990 6.58pm London, and seemingly more affected by her parents’ marriage breakdown and divorce finalising when she was 6, than her sister.
She has a hard-working 6th house Sun and Mercury in Aries and an entertaining 5th house Venus Moon in Aquarius. More noticeably in terms of family and childhood she has Neptune (Uranus) Saturn conjunct in Capricorn in her 4th plus Mars in Aquarius pointing to an atmosphere of uncertainty, confusion, arguments and unpredictability about her home life and relationship with her father. Her mother comes across as sugary-sweet and possessive with her Moon Venus square a 2nd house financial Pluto.
When her parents divorced in 1996, tr Saturn was moving through early Aries which it is about to repeat in the next 29 year cycle. Both tr Saturn and tr Neptune are this year soon moving to conjunct her Sun which would certainly indicate a separation from father. Her Sun does square Jupiter could suggest an overly-rosy view of father though it also hints at a Jupiterian father who is arrogant and entitled. Tr Saturn Neptune will also square her Jupiter this year which will put a damper on her confidence.
She has been pulling away from her childhood anyway since 2015 with tr Pluto starting to move through her 4th house. With Neptune in her natal 4th she, like Brooklyn Beckham, will find it difficult to separate her identity from her family. But this seems to be another step along the way.
Andrew’s Saturn is conjunct her 4th house Neptune and his Mars Venus in Capricorn is conjunct her Saturn so it has never been an easy association.
Her mother’s Aries Moon is conjunct her Sun Mercury which is good but her mother’s Saturn opposes her Jupiter so she’ll find her a discouraging presence. Both parents have Uranus in Leo which opposes Eugenie’s Moon Venus so will always have felt they were an erratic presence in her life.
Her relationship chart with Andrew has a composite Jupiter and Pluto trine Venus Mars which will bring intense emotional reactions including anger and that is being ramped up by tr Pluto conjunct the Mars and then Venus over the next three years with tr Saturn Neptune undermining the Jupiter. Plus a sharp change of their joint direction with tr Uranus conjunct the Midheaven from June 2026 onwards and tr Saturn Neptune into the composite 8th for a chilly connection.
Eugenie’s relationship with her elder sister Beatrice, as is usual in fractured families, is not straightforward with a competitive streak, occasional eruptions as tensions mount but chained together nonetheless. It will be rattled this year and on for several more.
Beatrice, 8 August 1988 8.18pm London, is more locked in to both parents with a Leo Sun square Pluto and her Cancer Moon Venus being trine Pluto as well. Her Moon Venus are opposition Saturn Uranus in late Sagittarius as well as Neptune and square Mars – so hugely complex and conflicted relations with both parents, especially her mother. In a gradual way she will also be backing off with some difficulty over the next three years.
What has always intrigued me is that both sisters and Sarah Ferguson have their Moon in the 5th house hinting that the family and romantic affairs will be interlinked and possibly cause problems. It also suggests that nurturing will come from children and there may be a tendency to be overly dependent on children for support.
The media are scathing across the board about Trump’s descent into ‘power addiction’.
“Nato’s future lies in the hands of a modern Caligula.”
” Can we not all finally see the evidence of a seriously diseased mind?”
“There is no point in dancing around this. The most powerful man in the world is as mad as a box of frogs. Deranged, demented, doolally.”
The photo is a Danish joke on the Greenland threat which is evidently selling like hot cakes.
What follows is initially me trying to get my head round the chaos before embarking on astrology.
For all the disjointed ramble it is not to say there is not method in Trump’s madness. According to one report, the deployment of a US naval armada to steal Venezuela’s oil on the high seas was followed up by a sale on the open market, which transferred the first $500m (£370m) to a slush fund in Qatar beyond Congressional oversight. [I’d be grateful if anyone has confirmation of this.]
Trump has entered into a cynical joint venture with the Chavista police-state regime in Venezuela, newly headed by a woman deemed a “priority target” by the US Drug Enforcement Agency but now whitewashed as a “terrific person” after she agreed to hand over Venezuela’s oil industry and minerals.
The next black magic trick is his much vaunted Board of Peace, started initially as a Gaza ceasefire initiative. Two months on, there is no mention of Gaza in the charter sent out to national capitals. That document instead portrays the board as a permanent fixture to promote peace and good governance around the world. The Guardian remarks: “Like many punters who have tried to do business with Donald Trump in the past, the UN has found itself a victim of a classic bait-and-switch, thinking it was buying one thing, but getting quite another ….. it now appears they were hoodwinked into backing a Trump-dominated pay-to-play club: a global version of his Mar-a-Lago court aimed at supplanting the UN itself.” A European diplomat reacted with astonishment and ridicule. “It reads like membership of an upscale golf club.”
‘Congress could put a stop to unfolding events – take back control of trade policy and cancel the Trump tariffs. It could bring impeachment proceedings on the impeccable grounds that the president is plainly no longer compos mentis.’
‘The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they gave Congress these powers. They were obsessed with the story of how the Roman Republic had ended. They were determined to prevent the rise of what they called ‘Caesarists’, meaning men who believed that they were bigger than the Constitution. They knew how difficult it was to remove such men once they were in office, surrounded by sycophants. They would be shocked, not by Trump, but by the failure of the system to check him.’
‘Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) has become Trump’s personal paramilitary force and secret police in all but name – not so different from the Nazi Sturmabteilung in the first year of Hitler’s reign – with a budget second only to the Pentagon. It is now invading American cities with the clear purpose of provoking civil unrest and justifying recourse to the Insurrection Act, a precursor to suspending future elections if need be.
How does one become a fascist? Slowly, then suddenly, to borrow from Hemingway.’
Other thoughts:
There are criticisms being voiced from within the Republican party over Greenland which is one of the first major signs that a growing number are willing to push back on what they see as presidential over-reach.
Mark Carney is emerging as a realistic if not cheering voice. “The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy.” “The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.” “Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. Great powers can afford to go it alone.” “We should not allow the rise of hard power to blind us to the fact that the power of legitimacy, integrity, and rules will remain strong – if we choose to wield it together.”
The economic commentators are saying that ‘the only constraint on Trump Unleashed is the global bond market. If you have a structural fiscal deficit of 6-7pc of GDP, a savings rate near zero and a reliance on the goodwill of foreigners to fund an explosive increase in debt issuance ($2.5tn a month), you might wish to treat global creditors with a little care.’
Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, is disguising the fragility of the bond market by raising money through short-term bills – now 40-50pc of the monthly issuance, against the advice of the treasury watchdog that it should not exceed 20pc. Michael Gray, from Gray Capital Management, says this is a perilous game. The longer it goes on, the greater the accumulating rollover risk. He has accused Bessent of running the treasury like a hedge fund.
“The only language Trump understands is money, so let us cut off his global credit card.”
ASTROLOGY:
The Board of Peace was agreed on 17 November 2025 in its original manifestation with a Scorpio Sun in a Water Grand Trine to swampy Saturn Neptune Scheat in Pisces trine Jupiter in Cancer; formed into two Kites by (a defiant, wilful, unpredictable) Sun opposition Uranus in final degree Taurus and Jupiter in a pushily confident (tramping over niceties) opposition to Pluto. It will get a considerable jolt when tr Uranus returns to its natal place in April.
At that point Trump’s relationship with Steve Witkoff (Board of Peace) look super-stressed. And Witkoff’s natal chart with Pluto at 28 Leo square Mars at 28 Taurus will anyway be at defcon levels of jitter from mid March to early this April with tr Uranus in hard aspect. And sagging further with failed plans from late May onwards. He also has tr Pluto leaning on his Uranus all year for an unsettled, nerve-jangled year. Not a happy man. My speed read hints it depends on enough other countries signing up which may not happen.
The USA Constitution, 17 September 1787 4pm Philadelphia, has a yod of a Virgo Sun sextile Uranus inconjunct Saturn in Aquarius (conjunct Pluto in Aquarius) which was being severely jolted at the 2025 Inauguration with tr Uranus square the apex Saturn; with a discouraging tr Saturn opposition the Venus. Tr Saturn Neptune will square the Mars at 3 degrees Cancer mid March briefly and more pointedly from late April through May, until early 2027 suggesting a panicky mood of being undermined. Significantly the Constitution Mars came under increasing pressure from the 2016 Inauguration with the SA Pluto square the Mars so this situation has been building – or eroding – since then.
The USA Congress chart, 4 March 1789 will get an almighty jolt when tr Uranus squares the Mars in final degree Aquarius in April this year; with uncertainty hanging around as the SA Neptune squares the Saturn later this year and the Sun in 2027. High insecurity followed by indecisiveness.
Trump’s relationship with Congress is under strain at the moment with tr Pluto square the composite Sun till mid February and repeating till December 2026; with raised insecurity and anxiety from this month till mid March this year. So maybe just maybe the pushback will grow.
Odds and ends:
Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secy, is in panicky, failure mode now with tr Neptune square his Mars until later this month; and with his Sun at 28 degrees Leo he is due for a short sharp shock mid March to early April. With an unsettling tr Uranus square his Uranus thereafter. His relationship with Trump, never great at the best of times with a composite Sun Mars square Saturn etc etc will be unnerved and upset towards July this year and on.
Two thoughts. One is Trump’s megalomania may peak and then fade as the Progressed Moon on his Inauguration chart closes the square to Pluto Sun (opposition Mars) after mid March this year.
Secondly, for all the blowhard bombast, what has he achieved apart from spreading chaos and fear? No peace in Ukraine or Gaza (Netanyahu won’t allow it). This is a man who ran one/two or however many casinos into bankruptcy and that takes some doing.
His relationship chart with the USA is uneasy at the moment with tr Neptune Saturn opposition the composite Neptune over coming weeks as well as a pressured tr Pluto square the composite Pluto. More cracks will show from late April with tr Neptune square the composite Sun on and off into 2027; with rising tensions and eruptions from the country from July this year onwards as tr Uranus squares the composite Saturn. America may yet fall out of love with him.
Caligula born 31 August 12 CE JC, in his brief four year reign, worked to increase the unconstrained personal power of the Roman emperor. At one point he famously planned to make his favourite horse a consul. He directed much of his attention to ambitious construction projects and notoriously luxurious dwellings for himself. He was assassinated on his First Saturn Return aged 29. He had a Mars in Leo like Trump and Venus in Cancer but not much else similar. His Sun in Virgo was square Neptune.
Add On: January 22 2026
Others pointed to wobbles on the financial markets, after Trump’s more hawkish comments on Greenland on Tuesday led to a sharp selloff on the US share markets. Global markets rebounded on Wednesday after Trump’s announced the framework deal and reneged his threat of tariffs.
“The market bounced when he said we wouldn’t use force,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide in Boston, while financial analyst Matthew Smart said “uncertainty just got priced out.”
Others noted that Trump has a history of making escalating threats, only to pull back when financial markets start falling. After he reined in his global trade war in April last year, following a rout in the markers, the Financial Times came up with the acronym “Taco” – “Trump Always Chickens Out” – to describe the phenomenon.
US publication Semafor reported that Trump appeared frustrated by the turn in the markets this week, and noted that his antagonism towards European allies came with huge risks.
“Countries like the UK, Belgium, and France hold trillions of dollars in US assets like treasuries. If they decide to sell those, it could send interest rates skyrocketing,” Semafor reported.
ADD ON: Kent State killings.
50 years ago on 4 May 1970 what were regarded as state sanctioned killings of four students at Kent State University rattled the USA right up to the White House. The students were protesting Nixon’s surreptitious expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and Laos. The Republican governor described the protestors as ‘brownshirts’ or communists and called in the National Guard, who for reasons that were never explained opened fire on unarmed students who had no idea the guns were loaded.
In 1970 the USA North/South Node axis was activated by Solar Arc Mercury conjunct the South Node – SA Pluto in opposition having been conjunct the North Node three years earlier. That is interesting since 1967 saw the Vietnam War escalating with intensified “search and destroy” operations with U.S. troop levels surpassed 485,000. Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the North Node was still in effect in 1968 which was a ‘a pivotal, bloody year in the Vietnam War. The Tet offensive while a tactical failure for the communists, became a major psychological blow to the U.S., shattering public confidence and marking a turning point that began shifting U.S. policy towards de-escalation and peace talks.’
A leadership Leo North Node and Pluto are not a happy combination.
In 1970 as well at the Kent State killings, the USA Mars in Gemini square Neptune was being pressured by Solar Arc Uranus opposition the Mars and tr Pluto in the previous two years being conjunct the Neptune as Vietnam War imploded. It is not exactly similar at the moment but that Mars square Neptune is being pressured by the Solar Arc Sun square Saturn from 2025 to 2027.
See previous post: Kent State killings – trigger happy National Guard. 5th May 2020
ADD On: USA Leo North Node
Where the USA is concerned what resonated for me at 9/11 was the USA’s North Node at 6 degrees Leo, an indication of leadership abilities, which then had tr Neptune in Aquarius exactly conjunct the South Node denting US pride severely. In the two disastrous years following with the Afghan war and then the Iraq attack the Solar Arc Neptune was square the North/South Node with the SA North Node square the US Mars. By 2003 the SA Mars was conjunct the South Node. So a huge amount of heavy activity around the nodal axis, pummelling USA exceptionalism.
Why this is important is that tr Pluto will oppose the USA North Node from late February 2027 on and of till late 2028 and across the November 2028 election. It will be significant for the soul of America.
It could indicate a tendency to double up on familiar and controlling behaviours with an equal and opposite pressure to let go of old, destructive, or outworn habits. One astrologer suggests it can be connected to a phase of purging old power structures.
For an individual, a Leo North Node is about standing alone and learning not to indulge in feeling sorrow for oneself. Difficulties include a lack of control. The Aquarius South Node perhaps indicates a fear of sliding back into team and group efforts like the UN, NATO and will provoke a dislike of the EU – since it pulls away from the Great-I-Am Leo North Node. Needs admiration, though can spend latter year alone.
Add On: Stephen Miller’s astrology is remarkably similar to Caligula, see synastry above. Both Virgo Suns, both Mars in Leo square Saturn in Scorpio, both Venus in Cancer. And extraordinarily both have North Node at the same degree Taurus. Not that Miller is likely to inherit the throne.
‘Don’t complain, don’t explain’ does not apparently appeal to the Beckham family as a rule to live by. Yet more toe-curling brickbats have emerged with an Instagram (where else??) post by son Brooklyn slinging mud in various directions mainly at mother Victoria.
It would be tasteful to throw a veil over the gripes and swipes except that family dramas are always a draw and there will be resonances for many who have trodden the path of tricky mother/daughter-in-law spats.
There are details and charts in past posts (see in search) but on reviewing them afresh one intriguing common thread throughout several is the occurrence of yods with an apex Pluto.
Much of the blame has been aimed at the Victoria-Nicola mismatch and it is true that both are forces to be reckoned with. Victoria, 17 April 1974, has a cool Air Grand Trine of a hard-edged Mars Saturn in Gemini trine an Aquarius Moon trine Uranus, with Uranus opposition her Aries Sun – emotionally detached, unpredictable, uncompromising and fairly ego-centric with a driving planet Sun.
While Nicola, 9 January 1995, has a highly-strung, can-be-fanatical Sun, Uranus, Neptune in Capricorn with a power-house and extraordinarily difficult, tough-minded and controlling T square of Mars opposition Saturn square Pluto, Venus, Jupiter.
Victoria’s Sun sextile Mars Saturn are inconjunct Nicola’s coercive Pluto forming a yod. So a relationship that will alter both of them for good and ill. Bulldozer meets brick wall.
The relationship charts between Brooklyn, 4 March 1999 7.48pm London, and both parents also have a Pluto apex yod – power and control are built into their bond. Though in truth Brooklyn’s relationship to his father looks in many ways more stressed than with his mother. His father’s Taurus Sun sits in Brooklyn’s 8th and opposes Brooklyn’s Mars in Scorpio, with David’s Mars conjunct Brooklyn’s Pisces Sun so a scratchy, fractious chemistry on both sides – competitive and impatient. David’s evasive Neptune is conjunct Brooklyn’s 3rd house overly-forceful-in-communication Pluto so that would not help to clear up muddles.
Both parents’ Pluto sits on Brooklyn’s Ascendant so he would feel they were controlling his image.
An over loaded Pluto trekking through all these relationships will make for a trapped atmosphere on all fronts with too much control and too little respect for individuality.
Not that the Brooklyn/Nicola relationship chart looks like a bundle of laughs either – with a suppressive composite Mars opposition Saturn in a Half Grand Sextile to Pluto and to a Uranus Jupiter Venus conjunction. Since it is all earlyish degrees it will be under pressure from mid 2026 through for the next two or three years.
Their wedding chart, 9 April 2022 6pm Palm Beach, repeats the same pattern as their relationship – which oddly is usually the case as if happy couple unknowingly pick a date that matches their chemistry. In this case with a bad-tempered Mars Saturn conjunction and Pluto opposition a Cancer Moon square Sun, hinting at family tensions.
I would worry marginally about Brooklyn since he seems caught between a rock and a hard place. He does have tr Saturn moving to oppose his Sun/Moon midpoint at 28 degrees Virgo within a few days. This has several possible meanings. One is coolness or separation in a close relationship. Or a shift in the way parents’ are seen with critical Saturn shining a light on flaws. In politician’s chart it can also indicate a dampening of popularity or lowered public respect.
Though he does have his Progressed Moon just into his 1st house starting a new cycle in his life which will pull him away from the past.
ADD ON: Tr Pluto is also conjunct his 4th house Neptune which will be significant. Sakoian & Acker are spot on for Neptune here: – confused family relations and chaotic domestic environment. Family secrets and mysteries regarding the home life are common. Neurotic problems arising out of difficulties with parents. Added to which Brooklyn has his Neptune square Saturn in Taurus in his 7th magnifying an overly sensitive, can-be-paranoid tendency.
The family and personal identity are deemed inseparable so separating out as an individual means abandoning the family.
Spare thought – what on earth was Victoria Beckham thinking selecting that silver nightie as an appropriate wedding outfit? Not a good look for mother of the groom.
Midpoints add a layer of understanding to the complexities of the birth chart and come in handy when birth times are suspect and houses difficult to establish with accuracy. Transits to midpoints fill in gaps when standard transits lack vital information.
In Donald Trump’s case where the natal chart is backed by his birth certificate, the midpoints still shine a spotlight, magnifying certain elements of his temperament and character.
His 12th house Pluto is an indicator of an inner raging storm which threatens his self-control at times. It can be perceptive as well, resourceful and able to bounce back from crisis. But in unreconstructed form, it has all the worst sides of Pluto – contemptuous, vindictive, vengeful.
His angry, destructive and self-destructive Mars/Saturn midpoint is conjunct his Pluto ramping up his fury and ruthless self-will. His Pluto is also conjunct his Venus/Mars midpoint for sensuality, ‘a brutal and coarse expression of feeling’, physical passions in overdrive.
Other planets in his chart which are highlighted by midpoints are:
His Saturn and Venus in Cancer which are conjunct his Sun/Mars midpoint, his Mars/Uranus midpoint and his Mars/North Node midpoint. These make him impulsive, impatient, short-fused, with an inclination towards military activities. Tending towards violent destruction and separation. Disadvantages in team work or in association with others.
The picture here is of a man who is not only the clown and conman his CV suggests. But is aggressive and capable of scorched earth policies for no reason other than to vent his spleen and express the chaos inside himself he cannot contain. Which is all too visible at the moment but the midpoints do give a deeper dimension to what may not be so obvious on the surface in his chart.
The Venus connection to the above Mars midpoints give him an interest in producing children and having passionate liaisons which are more exciting than heart-felt.
He does of course have positive midpoints allowing him to turn on the charm (Mercury conjunct Sun/Venus), exude confidence (Ascendant conjunct Mercury/Jupiter and Sun square Mars/Jupiter).
His Leo Ascendant conjunct Regulus will have given him cover, projecting a glowing successful image. But the midpoints do point to a meaner, unhinged inner drive.
Trump is only a handy example but worth looking at a few charts to track where midpoints throw light and shade on the chart, outlining a spider’s web of connections.
ADD ON:
Midpoints are also handy for event or Inauguration charts in the early years when nothing much shifts by Solar Arc with only the Progressed Moon making occasional aspects.
The 2025 Inauguration does have tr Saturn conjunct the Neptune exactly now till January 26 which is confused, neurotic and putting a damper on friendly relationships. Tr Saturn is also conjunct the Uranus/Pluto midpoint at the same time which Ebertin describes as – self-will, stubborn, egotism, hatred, separation, exposed to great pressure from others. Tr Saturn is also conjunct the Sun/Uranus midpoint -rebelling against limitations on freedom, separation, sudden losses. So it expands understanding of what is going on.
Looking slightly ahead there will be a tricky patch mid March to early April on the USA midpoints with tr Uranus square the Sun/Saturn midpoint for rising tensions, a crisis, nervy, feeling trapped – not explosive or accident prone but nerve stretched and snappy. That is followed through April by tr Uranus square the Neptune/North Node midpoint = self-willed, undermining of relationships.
Immediately after on the Inauguration midpoints tr Uranus is square the Sun/Neptune midpoint from early to late April = nervy, emotional upsets, illness, crisis. Those are only passing moments but they will add a dimension of understanding to ongoing events.
Life is constantly churning and with so many midpoints there will always be ups and downs running concurrently. But they can be on occasion be more than helpful.
