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Irish stand-up star and BBC TV quiz show panellist Sean Hughes has died aged 51, from a heart attack after going into cardiac arrest following a flare up of cirrhosis of the liver. He had previously spoken about his declining health after years of “extreme hedonism” with heavy drinking and amphetamine use; and said he’d would not want to grow old. He never married or had children. All that humour and all that angst, how sad.

He was born in London on 10 November 1965 but moved to live with his grandmother from the age of six in Ireland. He had an emotionally intense and dreamy (and addictive prone) Sun Neptune in Scorpio sextile an exact Uranus Pluto in Virgo. That latter opposed Saturn in Pisces square Mercury perhaps opposition a Gemini Moon. His Mars in colourful Sagittarius was square Uranus Pluto. A high proportion of Mutable planets would make him highly-strung and his Mercury squaring both Saturn and Uranus Pluto, would give him a good deal of mental turmoil and a depressive streak.

It is almost a cliché that comedians, especially stand-ups are tortured souls but a fair number of them seem to be – Robin Williams, Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter Cook, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Ruby Wax, Jack Dee, Caroline Aherne, David Walliams have all spoken of the emotional struggles against darkness inside them.

 

 

Arthur Janov has died, the American psychologist who promoted Primal (Scream) Therapy which became a cultural phenomenon of the 60s and 70s with John Lennon as an advocate. Primal therapy was used to re-experience childhood pain, expressing repressed anger or frustration through spontaneous and unrestrained screams, hysteria, or violence.

Born 21 August 1924 in Los Angeles, Janov, had a Sun Leo, conjunct a leadership North Node and forceful Pluto, with his Sun opposition Mars squaring (probably) onto a Taurus Moon – so plenty of aggression in there needing an outlet. His Mars was also trine Saturn; and his Uranus trined Pluto Venus.

He had a perfect chart for what he did – a Leo North Node putting him out as a leader; with a flamboyant Sun and a heavily aspected Mars, and a revolutionary Uranus Pluto. His technique raised a good deal of controversy and was written off as unscientific but he was at the cutting edge of alternative therapies of the time.

   

 

The Balfour Declaration, 2 November 1917, expressed the support of the British government during WW1 for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a minority Jewish population. And it added: “it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”. The British government later confirmed that the words “in Palestine” meant that the Jewish national home was not intended to cover all of Palestine. The raison d’etre for the declaration was to rally support against the Ottoman Empire. The British government acknowledged in 1939 that the local population’s views should have been taken into account, and recognized in 2017 that the declaration should have called for the protection of the Palestinian Arabs’ political rights.

In 1920 the Brits took over the mandate for Palestine, coping badly with rising tensions between the indigenous Arab population and an influx of Jewish refugees from fascist Europe. Initially the Jews in Palestine had been peaceful but under attack some turned militant; the British put down an Arab Revolt against Jewish immigrants (1936 to 39), weakened the Palestinian Arab leadership and de-weaponised them which hampered their efforts in the 1947 civil war. In 1946 Jewish terrorists blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing over 90 UK embassy staff. The Brits then exited in disarray saying they could not settle the conflict between Arabs and Jews. On 14 May 1948 at 4pm Israel was born.

The Balfour Declaration 1917 chart has Sun Mercury in Scorpio square Neptune Saturn in Leo, trine Pluto inconjunct Jupiter; with Saturn opposition Uranus – idealistic, controlling, autocratic, over-hopeful. At that point Mars had just moved out of Leo into Virgo. When Israel kicked off, the bleak Saturn Pluto conjunct was in Leo, with the Moon and Mars also in Leo and Mars Saturn squared onto an 8^th house Taurus Sun. It is a formidably stubborn, aggressive and enduring chart.

The Balfour Declaration chart showed considerable concern and disappointment in 1949/50 as it became clear that the Israeli leaders were intent on belligerent self-protection and territorial expansion, with Arab Palestinians being driven from their homes and in some instances massacred.

At present the Israel-Palestinian conflict remains one of the world’s most intractable and unsolved problems. Tr Uranus in Taurus from 2019 to 2025 will elbow the Israel chart sharply, especially  2023 to 2025. But it is tr Pluto in Aquarius beginning the long haul in opposition to the Israel Moon from 2027 and especially through the 2030s, starting on a Pluto Half Return and then tr Pluto opposing Saturn and squaring the Israel Sun and then opposing Mars across into 2040 that will force changes on Israel and change its trajectory and priorities.

It always was an impossible dilemma given the Jewish people’s long history of persecution, culminating in the atrocity of the Holocaust. But as the Saudi King Ibn Saud (evidently) remarked it was unfair that the Arab Palestinians had to pay for assuaging European guilt. There should have been international policing from the start but the USA and Europe were trying to haul themselves out of the wreckage of WW11 so looked the other way. That plus the damage that superpower meddling always leaves behind  – Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir, India v Pakistan, Ireland, Africa – a goodly chunk of the turmoil there can be blamed squarely on the British Empire.

   

 

A political blogger who triggered an early election in Malta when her investigation of the Panama Papers pointed the finger at government officials has been killed in a car bomb. PM Joseph Muscat who won despite corruption allegations (all heavily denied) condemned the act as barbaric.

Caruana Galizia was born, aptly enough, a mere month before Malta got independence on 26 August 1964. She has a Virgo Sun opposition Saturn square a confident Jupiter in late Taurus; with her Sun conjunct Uranus which was in turn conjunct Pluto Mercury all in Virgo – communicative, keen to upset the status quo; she also had a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in cancer trine an idealistic Neptune in Scorpio.

At the moment her Solar Arc Mars Venus is exactly conjunct her Uranus; with tr Pluto moving to oppose her Mars within days, with tr Neptune opposition her rebellious Uranus/Pluto midpoint – so a high-risk, insecure and explosive time for her.

The Malta chart, 21 September 1964 12am, is very troubled, nervy and uncertain with tr Neptune opposition Uranus exactly now, moving on to oppose Pluto in 2018 and then conjunct the Moon in 2019/2020; with a disruptive and edgy 2019 from tr Uranus square Mars as well as a ‘shock-collision’ Solar Arc Mars conjunct Sun. Not much going right until 2021 when tr Pluto trines the Malta Jupiter.

Muscat’s 2^nd Term, 5 June 2017 12.10pm was always going to be a lame-duck, damp-squib administration with a Gemini Sun square a 7^th house Neptune. There’s also a hidden-surprises Uranus Venus in the financial 8^th opposition Moon – all of which is being rattled up uncomfortably at the moment by tr Uranus in hard aspect, returning late March 2018 and into early 2019.

Muscat himself, 22 January 1974, is a determined Sun, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter in Aquarius; with Sun Venus Mercury in a controlling trine to Pluto; and a Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars in Taurus. He looks jangled and jolted at the moment and through 2018/19; and meeting his nemesis by 2020 when his Yod moves by Solar Arc to form a challenging-setback conjunction of Solar Arc Mars to his Saturn.

[Pic: Reuters]

 

 

Scottish actor Gerard Butler has been taken to hospital after crashing his motorcycle in LA though his injuries are apparently not serious. He came to renown after Attila and The Phantom of the Opera and played in several dragon films, as well as Coriolanus; his latest sci-fi epic Geostorm is about to release.

Born 13 November 1969 5.21am Paisley, Scotland, he’s an intense and filmic Sun Mercury Neptune in Scorpio; with Venus in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus in his 7^th square to Mars in Aquarius in his 4^th, a testament to a tricky childhood with parents splitting when he was 18 months old, and he only met his father again when he was 16. His Capricorn Moon is square a 12^th house Uranus as is a 12^th house Pluto in late Virgo. Not the easiest of emotional lives. Though he’s got an enthusiastic and charming 1^st house Jupiter along with his Venus.

He’s had a slight lull in his career with tr Saturn moving below his horizon since 2012 but is beginning to re-emerge. At the moment he’s got tr Neptune conjunct his Progressed Mars and tr Saturn square his Solar Arc Mars, which may be pointers to this accident. But what he’ll need to watch out for is his Solar Arc Mars moving to oppose his Pluto in two years’ time, which could be problematic since he tends to do athletic roles with stunts which always carry the risk of accidents. But tr Pluto sextile his Scorpio Sun in 2018/19 and tr Jupiter moving through his financial 2^nd house in 2018, suggest that he’ll be making positive and beneficial progress all the same.

   

 

Michael Fassbender has married Alicia Vikander on the Spanish island of Ibiza whom he met while filming The Light Between Oceans three years ago. He’s got a sterling track record of Inglourious Basterds, 12 Years a Slave and Steve Jobs though his recent Snowman has had poor reviews. Alicia Vikander, eleven years younger, has still managed to accumulate a handful of acclaimed performances in Testament of Youth, Anna Karenina, The Danish Girl. He’s born 2 April 1977 12.30am Heidelburg, Germany; she 3 October 1988 Gothenburg, Sweden.

It’s quiet a feisty match since he has an Aries Sun opposition Pluto on his midheaven, while she is a Libra Sun opposition Mars in Aries. He’ll be keen on control while she’ll be pro-active and impulsive. Both have Venus in Fire signs, hers in Leo and his in Aries, which is good for keeping them in tune. He’s got a Virgo Moon sextile her Pluto; while her Cancer Moon falls in his 8^th for a profound connection.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun square Saturn which hints that too much work may get in the way of pleasure; an adventurous Jupiter opposition Uranus; and a composite Venus opposition Neptune square Mars – ethereal, romantic, passionate, though with a few ego-clashes or conflicts from opposing career needs getting in the way. The composite Mercury squares Pluto and trines Mars – so discussions will get heated. Not the easiest of relationships but it won’t be boring.

From a December 29 2016 post: Actor Michael Fassbender is aiming for some downtime after a making a dozen movies over the past five years. He garnered Oscar nominations and multiple awards for several – 12 Years a Slave, Shame, Steve Jobs and MacBeth and has three in post-production for 2017. He even mentioned perhaps giving up acting in future.

All of which fits with tr Saturn moving below his Sagittarius Ascendant. 2 April 1977 12.30am Heidelberg, Germany. This is a time when old ambitions lose their enthusiasm and there is no longer the physical or mental energy to carry on at the full tilt of the previous few years. It’s a time to stop and re-think a future path, which may take a year or two.

Having said all that, he has a powerfully confident and influential chart so he’s not going to disappear down a rabbit hole. His Aries Sun Venus are in an inspirational, entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine to filmic Neptune on his Ascendant trine Saturn in Leo, formed into an even more talented and hard-driving Kite with Sun Venus opposition Pluto exactly on his Midheaven. I’d imagine he may focus on his production company for a while and perhaps more so as he gets older. Pluto on the MC likes to be in control.

Through 2017/18 he does have tr Pluto square his Mars/Jupiter midpoint which should fuel his fertile imagination and channel his energy into new projects. There’s lots ahead for him though he may wind down some acting commitments for a while.

   

 

Iraqi government forces have captured key installations outside the disputed city of Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters, in what threatens to be a new conflict in Iraq. Both sides are seen as Western allies since the Kurds were key to defeating ISIS. The Kurds recently voted for independence; the Iraqi government wants the oilfields and a unified country.

An additional complication is that Iraqi Kurds see themselves as part of Greater Kurdistan, territories of which are in Turkey, Syria and Iran, so a Kurdish victory in Iraq could de-stabilise the whole of the Middle East. The carve up of the defunct Ottoman Empire by the Brit and French super-powers of the day during WW1 took no account of ethnic identities with arbitrary lines being drawn on maps – the consequences of which are still the cause of unrest 100 years later.

Dates are hard to come by though the Iraqi Kurdistan did become a semi-autonomous region on 11 March 1970, which didn’t hold as another war broke out, and a further rebellion in the 1980s which was brutally put down. That chart looks blocked this year; but making some headway in 2018/19 with tr Pluto sextile the Sun; with a fair amount of turmoil in 2019 as tr Uranus is conjunct the Mars Saturn and opposition Jupiter, bringing setbacks and highs.

Masoud Barzani, the President of the Iraqi Kurds, 16 August 1946, has a Leo Sun on the midpoint of a Jupiter in Libra trine Uranus; with Saturn Mercury Pluto in Leo sextile Mars, Neptune, Venus in Libra – a mix of tough-minded, lucky, adventurous, lucky and stubborn. He’s not winning much for a couple of years; but could start to see results around 2020.

The Iraq 23 August 1921 6am Baghdad chart, does show this year as a crisis point with the August Leo Eclipse closely conjunct the Iraq Leo Sun; and the Solar Arc MC opposition the 7^th house Uranus, which is an apt description of rebellions and splits. It’ll be a long haul out of the present mire but 2019/2020 might give some hope with tr Pluto trine the Iraq Jupiter, though it’ll be a stop-start, one step forwards one step backwards process, since tr Pluto then moves to trine the Saturn in 2020/2021 for a tough struggle.

 

 

 

The most iconic spy of all time – Mata Hari – was executed exactly 100 years ago today. Prior to WW1 she had been a legendary ‘femme fatale’ of ‘Belle Epoque’ Paris, where her she more or less invented the striptease as a form of dance and her lovers included ministers, industrialists and generals. Then came the war and information replaced sex as the currency of the moment. Historians argue over whether she was a German spy or a double-agent and she may have died as a scapegoat, sacrificed, some say, because the French needed to find a spy to explain their succession of reverses in the war.

Born Margarethe Zelle on 7 August 1876 1pm Leeuwarden, Netherlands, at 18 she married an abusive, alcoholic officer in the Dutch East Indies and probably contracted syphilis from him which may have killed one of their two children. She ran away to Paris performed as a circus horse rider, became an artist’s model and then gained fame for her exotic dances.

She had quite a collection of Sun, Mars, Mercury and Uranus in Leo squaring onto a super-confident Jupiter in Scorpio opposition Pluto in Taurus in her 7^th. So not shy and retiring – flamboyant, wayward, attention-demanding. Her 4^th house Pisces Moon conjunct Saturn was trine Venus in Cancer, not making for a happy emotional life.

Her creative 5^th and 7^th and actresses’ 15H are all strongly aspected; as was her self-defeating 10H; and her leaving-a-mark-on-history 17H.

Evidently she dressed with style for her death, refused to be blindfolded and blew a kiss to her executioners. At that point she was on her mid-life crisis Uranus Half Return and Neptune quarter Return; with tr Neptune Saturn and Mars all in Leo. Tr Jupiter was just into her 8^th and Jupiter was also in the 8^th on her Solar Return for that year, so at 39 she was somehow at peace for this transition. Her Solar Return also had a brutal, destructive Mars Pluto in Cancer opposition the Node Capricorn. An extraordinary life.

   

 

Actor and director Tom Hanks with credits and awards galore – Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Band of Brothers, Saving Mr Banks – has now produced a collection of short stories. Untypically for Hollywood he appears to live an enviably quiet domestic with his second wife whom he married in 1988.

Born 9 July 1956 11.17am Concord, CA, he’s a Sun Cancer (like Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise) with a Water Grand Trine of Sun to Mars in Pisces trine Saturn in Scorpio, making him private, emotionally self-protective, creative and a healing presence for others. His Saturn is in an enduring square to a confident Pluto conjunct Jupiter; his Leo Moon is conjunct Uranus, suiting him for a constantly-changing career and work relationships; and charming Venus in Gemini on his midheaven trines filmic Neptune in his financial 2^nd house.

His wife, Rita Wilson, 26 October 1956, is an actress and filmmaker, though has concentrated on raising their two children and stepchildren; she had breast cancer and a double mastectomy last year.  She’s a Sun Neptune in Scorpio which squares her Moon Uranus in Leo; with Saturn conjunct her Sagittarius Ascendant square Pluto; Venus Jupiter on her midheaven; and Mars in Pisces – so she’s fairly similar to her husband and each will understand the other’s quirks and lifestyle. His Venus MC falls in her 7^th house of marriage, which is ideal; with his Sun making a deep connection in her 8^th. Her Jupiter Venus falls in his 1^st conjunct his Ascendant which is another positive relationship cross over. Their relationship chart has a mutually supportive composite Sun Jupiter conjunction in an adventurous opposition to Mars.

He’s had a pressured two years with tr Uranus and tr Pluto both in hard aspect to his Cancer Sun but he’ll finish that by this year end. Tr Saturn is now moving into his 2^nd quadrant so he’ll be harder working from here on in – comparatively speaking since he’s not been exactly idle.