Much merriment and outrage has been voiced over Trump fan Sean Hannity, the Fox News host’s failure to disclose his relationship with Trump attorney Michael Cohen as he is named as the mysterious third client. The purists says it puts his credibility on the line since he was on air condemning the FBI raid on Cohen’s office without full disclosure of his conflict of interest.

Cohen’s other two clients are Trump and Republican National Committee Deputy Finance Chair Elliott Broidy. Broidy resigned recently after the Wall Street Journal reported he had a sexual affair with a Playboy Playmate, resulting in a pregnancy that she terminated, and that Cohen arranged a payment of $1.6 million in hush money to her. Cohen also paid off Stormy Daniels.

Stephen Colbert went to town on his late night satirical talk show, saying Cohen only has two other clients and all he does for them is pay off mistresses, which raises the obvious question about Hannity.   Hannity denies that Cohen ever dealt with any third-party matter for him.

Hannity, born 30 December 1961 10.30am Franklin Square, New York, has Sun, Mars, Venus in Capricorn as well as Mercury trine Pluto Uranus in Virgo – ambitious, money-minded, an enthusiast, a forceful speaker and a de-stabiliser. He’s also got North Node in Leo opposition Jupiter in Aquarius square Neptune in Scorpio so will be slippery at times. Neptune is further emphasised being on the pint of a mini-Grand Trine of Pluto trine Sun Mercury.

There’s nothing to indicate a fall from grace though he is shaken at the moment, has a tough slog through the rest of the year; with a major jolt in July – but will be on confident form through 2019 to 2021 with a few humps and bumps along the way as well. If his birth time is accurate tr Neptune will square his midheaven in 2019 which is lacklustre. But tr Saturn stays in his upper quadrant for another few years so he’ll just keep on going.

A long-rumoured feud between Tom Cruise and John Travolta, both high-profile Scientologists, has been confirmed and described by a former security guard as competing for the favour of Scientology chief David Miscavige.  He has naturally been discounted as an ‘apostate’.

They are certainly an ill-matched pair, both with fairly Fixed charts. Tom Cruise’s Mars in Taurus square Uranus collides with Travolta’s Pluto opposition Aquarius Sun, so an unsettling and hostile chemistry. With Travolta’s Uranus conjunct Cruise’s Sun; and Travolta’s Saturn in Scorpio conjunct Cruises’ Neptune; and Cruise’s Pluto conjunct Travolta’s Moon.

Their relationship chart has an exact power-struggling composite Mars opposition Pluto; and a deceptive, disappointing composite Sun, Mercury, Jupiter opposition Neptune in a can-be fanatical square to Uranus.

Not even a magician could make that work as a partnership.

New Orleans is celebrating the 300^th anniversary of its founding on 7^th May this year. It’s known for its distinctive French and Spanish Creole architecture and multilingual heritage, as well as for its cuisine, jazz music and the Mardi Gras. It occupies both sides of the Mississippi River.

A Taurus Sun does indicate a love of food and music and in sextile to Jupiter, an upbeat ambience. And the Sun aspects the exuberant Mars/Jupiter midpoint as well as the magical, mystical, slightly crazy Neptune/Pluto. With Mars square the rebellious Uranus/Pluto – it is known as the most unique city in the USA. The murder rate is high, perhaps reflected in the Mars in Gemini trine Saturn. It’ll surely be noisy with Mars conjunct Mercury; and a probable Earth Grand Trine of Neptune trine Pluto trine a Capricorn Moon will anchor it into earthly pleasures with a zany twist.

When the devastating Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, 80% of the city was flooded with at least 700 deaths. At that point tr Pluto was opposition the New Orleans Mars; with tr Uranus conjunct the Solar Arc Sun and both opposition Pluto in the lingering aftermath.

Barbara Bush, now 92, former first lady and mother of GWB is in “failing health” and won’t seek additional medical treatment, focussing instead on comfort care. One of her grand-daughters described her as ‘a fighter, an enforcer.’

Born 8 June 1925 7pm New York with a magazine magnate father, she met George Bush Snr when she was 16 and married him three years later, going on to produce six children, one of whom died young of leukaemia. She travelled with her husband when he spent 3 years in China; and afterwards in Washington campaigned on Equal Rights, literacy, was pro-choice on abortion and thought homosexuality should be left and a personal matter.   She did suffer from depression when GH Bush was Head of the CIA and has had Graves Disease, a thyroid auto-immune condition, for many years.

She has a communicative 7^th house Sun Mercury in Gemini.  With a formidable, battened-down and determined Mars Pluto in Cancer in her 8^th, along with Venus in Gemini. Her Moon Jupiter in hard-working Capricorn in the financial 2^nd oppose her Pluto Mars, so she would veer between optimism, appreciation for money, the chance to wield power behind the scenes and feeling trapped by circumstances beyond her control. Uranus in the 4^th points to a constantly changing domestic situation; and Saturn in Scorpio in the 12^th trine Pluto, would give her endurance and a tendency to the glooms. A strong but not easy chart.

George Bush Snr is also a Gemini with a Libra Moon – so both are fairly detached emotionally.  His Sun falls in her 7^th house of marriage and his Venus Pluto in Cancer in her 8^th making for a deep though not altogether easy connection that bound them together. Her Sun Mercury fall in his 10^th house of career, so she’d support his ambitions; and her Moon Jupiter is in his 5^th house of children, forging another point of contact.

The relationship chart points to affection from composite Venus conjunct Pluto, sextile Mars and opposition Jupiter.  But it was a marriage that demanded sacrifices with a composite Saturn opposition Mars, as one partner would feel ill-done to with their needs not being met.

Pic: David Valdez.

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Fritz Haber, known as the father of chemical warfare, won a Nobel Prize for chemistry for his method of producing nitrogen fertilizers on which the food production for half the world’s current population depends. He also pioneered weaponizing chlorine gas for use in World War 1 and was proud of his achievement though it probably led to the suicide of his pacifist wife. He also developed Zyklon-B, a cyanide-based pesticide, which was used in the concentration camps during WW11. Though he was not a supporter of National Socialism and had left Germany before he died in 1934.

Born 9 December 1868, Breslau, Poland he was a rigid Sun Sagittarius conjunct Saturn in an inspirational, attention-demanding Fire Grand Trine to North Node in Leo trine Neptune  (ruler of poisons); with Neptune perhaps opposition a Libra Moon. He also had a Yod of an inventive Pluto sextile Uranus inconjunct his Sun. A Yod focal point Sun can lead to ‘a tendency to abuse personal will and authority’. He has the same Yod as the Marquis de Sade, so driven to dominate by whatever means.

The French also manufactured chemical weapons in WW1, which were used by the Brits and Americans, though even then it was considered a war crime. The French chemist Victor Grignard, 6 May 1871 11pm Cherbourg, France, has a more obviously brutal chart with a Sun Pluto in Taurus trine Mars in Virgo widely trine Saturn in Capricorn.

Vladimir Putin’s macho-Christian-nationalist rule begins to make sense or at least have coherence reading reviews of a new book out on his philosopher-hero Ivan Ilyin. Putin had his remains repatriated and made Ilyin’s essays required reading.

Ilyin, born 28 March 1883, disliked Bolshevism and, in exile, gravitated towards Hitler and Mussolini, from whom he developed the notion of Russian fascism.  This perceived a Russia under a strong masculine leader where individualism amongst the populace would be subdued, allowing the country to speak with one voice. ‘Alien influences’, ie. anyone who disagreed or held different beliefs, would be suppressed – Muslims, homosexuals etc. The Russian spirit would therefore prevail.

‘In this culture war, disinformation was critical. The more outrageous the official lie was, the more it allowed people to demonstrate their faith in the Kremlin.’ ‘Russian power is displayed in a relativist blizzard of alternative theories, delivered in a vaguely absurdist spirit, as if no truth on earth is really provable.’ (Guardian URL below) And not only at home, Putin’s disinformation campaign abroad has been geared on the same principles towards undermining democracy – in supporting Le Pen and Farage, RT suggesting the Scottish referendum had been rigged etc, never mind Trump.

Ilyin was a Sun Aries; with Saturn midway between Neptune and Pluto in Taurus trine Uranus. Uranus would make him a reformer, and Saturn Neptune Pluto would give him a tendency to dabble in strange ideas, part mystical. Saturn Pluto is bleak, repressive; Saturn Neptune is concerned with re-ordering society; Neptune Pluto has overtones of megalomania. His Uranus also opposed Mercury in Pisces squaring onto Jupiter in Gemini – confident with grand ideas, idealistic about social order, impractical, philanthropic.

Putin shares Ilyin’s Saturn Neptune conjunction, though in his case it’s in Libra; and Ilyin’s Saturn Neptune is conjunct Putin’s confident Jupiter in Taurus, giving Putin a template for his political strategy. Their relationship chart has a powerfully connected and transformational composite Sun Mercury opposition Pluto; though also a bizarre collection of Saturn Neptune opposition Mars, sextile/trine Jupiter which will get a sharp elbow come 2019/2020.

Perhaps the guru will fall off his pedestal. Certainly explains those odd Putin as John Wayne bare-chested on a horse pics.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/15/the-road-to-unfreedom-russia-europe-america-timothy-snyder-review-tim-adams

The attack on Syrian chemical weapons research and storage facilities by US, backed by France and UK, was launched at 3.55am today. Mars in Capricorn is exactly midway between Saturn and Pluto which does point to violence. Mars Saturn is military; Saturn Pluto is war; Mars Pluto is brutality – and the last is still to come to reach the exact conjunction on the 26^th. To date there has been no indication of direct retaliation from either Russia or Iran.

Neptune is just below the Pisces Ascendant which could tie in with poison gas being the trigger. As well as to the myriad conpiracy and other theories swirling. Craig Murray appears to lean towards blaming Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia for the Skripal nerve agent attack as well as the chlorine/maybe sarin Douma atrocity, as false flags to inflame western opinion against Russia and thence against his greatest rival for Middle Eastern supremacy – Iran. Or it could be Russia actually did do a Litvinenko job in Salisbury; and Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, decided he was invulnerable and could suit himself.

Other voices say the West has done nothing about the seven year carnage of the Syrian Civil War – ’a human tragedy of near-biblical proportions. Upwards of 700,000 civilians have been killed, with an estimated 13m displaced – over half the population.’ (Guardian). But decided to get morally indignant over another form of destruction.  Though after Iraq and Libya, it was a case of damned if you do (interfere), damned if you don’t. And indeed  did little has been done about Israel’s use of questionable weapons in Gaza, ditto US with white phosphorus in Iraq, though I don’t think the latter is proscribed under International Treaty.

Trump, au naturellement, was looking for any distraction from the Mueller/Cohen/Comey debacles. Macron equally thrives on military pomp and wittingly or otherwise would find a foreign escapade diverted attention from domestic unrest.

What is worrisome is that both James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, and Joseph Dunford, Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff look unnerved and undermined. Mattis, 8 September 1950 has tr Neptune opposing his Virgo Sun starting this month, on and off till late 2019 as he fends off aggravated panic from Trump. Dunford, 8 December 1955, also has tr Neptune in hard aspect to his Sagittarius Sun, running for the same time frame.   Military men tend to be more cautious about launching into gesture attacks since they are more aware than most of the damage war causes and the risks of escalation.

What was always clear was that Bashar Assad’s Term was moving into its most dangerous few years, despite the war having been ‘won.’ Tr Pluto picked up the opposition to his Term Mars last month, sticking around till late 2019, which is cornered and very high-risk, before moving on to oppose the Sun/Mars midpoint and finally the Sun in 2021/2022. So it’s not over by a long shot.

Katie Holmes,  star in Dawson’s Creek, former wife of Tom Cruise, has had a sporadic career since exiting the high-profile marriage in 2012, allegedly over her concerns about bringing their daughter Suri up in Scientology. She has been in recent years highly praised for her role of Jackie Kennedy in a TV series, was in Soderbergh’s acclaimed Logan Lucky last year and has started directing as well as acting. She’s been together with the actor, singer, comedian Jaimie Foxx for some years.

Born 18 December 1978 9.32pm Toledo Junction, Ohio with a lawyer father, who organized her pre-nup and her quickie divorce after 5 years, with full custody of Suri, she was brought up Roman Catholic. According to reports, Cruise hasn’t seen his daughter for several years, so Katie has been single-parenting. With scientology, you’re either in or you’re out. The two adopted children with Cruise’s former marriage to Nicole Kidman, opted to stay in, so Kidman has little contact.

Katie Holmes has a 5^th house Sun in late Sagittarius conjunct Mars in early Capricorn, so is designed for the spotlight and for performing. Apart from that, her Sun isn’t well integrated into the rest of her chart. She has a 12^th house Moon Jupiter in Leo sextile Pluto and square Venus Uranus in Scorpio. With her Venus Uranus sextile Saturn in Virgo. She’ll be happy in her own company, fairly secretive and quite intense.

When she married Cruise, tr Saturn was moving just below her horizon so a less ambitious and less successful time career-wise. She’s coming out of that now and will gradually start to become more visible and find her prospects brighten.

There was a good deal of affection with Cruise with a composite Sun Venus in their relationship chart but that was also conjunct Uranus, so one or other would feel their individuality was being stifled. Plus an argumentative Mercury opposition Mars; and a see-saw up and down Jupiter opposition a suspicious, doubt-ridden Saturn Neptune. Her relationship with David Miscavige, leader of the Scientologists (the third item in their marriage) wasn’t great.

Suri, the daughter, 18 April 2006 3.26am Santa Monica, California, has a heavy chart and a troubled relationship with her out-with-her-control father. Her Aries Sun is trine Pluto which in turn opposes Mars in Cancer. Like her mother she has an emotionally changeable Venus conjunct Uranus, in her case in Pisces. Her Moon in Sagittarius is conjunct Pluto, so close to her mother.

Speaker Paul Ryan’s surprise announcement of his resignation come November to spend more time with his family has sent shivers down the GOP, already facing sagging poll numbers.

Born 29 January 1970 2.37pm Janesville, Wisconsin, he was never a good fit with Trump, but hung around to see the tax cuts through.  He has had tr Saturn moving below his Ascendant since late 2015 which always ushers in a few years of old ambitions fading as well as lowered motivation, energy and less success. Finding a better balance with personal life is always part and parcel of Saturn through the 1^st Quadrant.

He has a sharp-witted, communicative 3^rd house Aquarius Sun Venus on the point of a T Square to Jupiter in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus – does have stamina, is charming though ego-centric, fairly up and down with Jupiter Saturn in opposition. He’s also got a controlling and influential 10^th house Pluto which is square Trump’s Sun and Moon, so Ryan would find being a submissive courtier rather than an equal partner in the US political system difficult to swallow. His Pluto and Uranus in early Libra both oppose Mars in Aries, so he does have a steely backbone at times and a volatile streak. Trump’s 12th house Pluto opposes Ryan’s Sun so it would be a tussle for the upper hand with underhand tactics from the 12th house.

Tr Neptune is moving to oppose his midheaven come 2019/2020 so he’ll be directionless. Even   before then with tr Neptune square his Sun/Moon midpoint from May this year onwards into 2019 he’ll be lack lustre, less motivated to co-operate and be feeling unpopular and discontented. Tr Uranus conjunct his Saturn will give him a jolt come July onwards; though with better luck in 2019 when tr Uranus opposes his Jupiter.

His relationship chart with Trump has a mutual-dislike and unfair-treatment composite Mars Saturn conjunction which is being eroded by tr Neptune in square from 2017 to 2019; with upsets come July and more in 2019. Maybe he’ll write a spill-the-beans memoir to add to the pile.