Is the German powerhouse slowing down? Retail sales are falling sharply, industrial production slumping, construction is sluggish and the government seems lacklustre about finding solutions. The EU has been talked up in recent times as turning a corner into better times but that is largely a result of money being thrown into the system and interest rates kept low. The French figures are no better and a summer of strikes will hit tourism hard. Without a strong Germany which accounts for 23pc of the zone’s GDP, the EU can’t grow.

Two astrological pointers of note. One is the state of the EU chart. On the EU chart the Solar Arc Pluto is creeping closer to a conjunction to the 2^nd house Neptune by later in 2019, which is seriously bad news. Pluto Neptune tends to be devastation with major confusion. With 2019 also seeing tr Uranus, into an erratic few years through the EU’s 8^th house of joint finances, opposing the EU Neptune – which suggests a high-wires sense of nerviness and panic.

The other is the Germany/EU relationship chart which is showing considerable strain from now onwards with tr Saturn opposition the composite Pluto now and conjunct the Sun in 2019, both of which are coldly critical and separating influences. With tr Uranus in an upsetting square to the composite financial Venus from mid May into 2019; and in 2019 opposition the composite Mars for major arguments and upsets.

The Bundesbank (German Central Bank) chart was overly confident six months back, and is now into a panicky, uncertain, jolting year ahead; with 2019 undermining financially; and 2020 worse.

Nothing certain ahead.

James Comey, former head of the FBI whom Trump sensationally fired last year is on a revenge mission with a new book ‘A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership.’ Even before its April 17^th publication, it’s top of the Amazon bestseller list. The book promises “never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career”. And Comey has framed it as a showdown with Trump, in March tweeting. “Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not.” The publicity will also brings his own actions under scrutiny.

Born 14 December 1960, his Sagittarius Sun is conjunct Trump’s Moon and opposition his Sun, which could suggest a reasonable resonance. But his Uranus in late Leo is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant, so he will act as a disruptor and destabiliser.

Comey has had his Solar Arc Jupiter opposing his Pluto in recent months stoking up his confidence, though there’s always a risk of going over the score with that. Tr Uranus moving into Taurus mid May will oppose his Sun/Pluto, then his Sun/Node in June both of which suggest major upsets, dramatically changing circumstances. Since Uranus is nothing if not a trickster planet  its effect go both ways. What is certain is that by July he’s looking chipper with tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter/Uranus midpoint which brings good luck and relief from tension. And that repeats in 2019.

Comey’s relationship chart with Trump has a power-struggling for the upper hand composite Jupiter square Pluto and a suspicious Saturn Neptune square Uranus, so was always going to be an uneasy mix. Tr Pluto is crunching down on the composite Uranus square Saturn Neptune from last month, on and off till late 2020 – with upheaval, grinding pressure and discouragement this year and devastation (or smears and scandals) next and possibly brought forward to this year as well. With a shock come mid May as tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Venus, repeating in the autumn and early 2019  – so the book will make an impact.

PS: From a January 21 2017 post on the Trump Tower:  The Tower is facing great uncertainty and major disruption come 2018/19 with tr Uranus opposition Pluto and the following year Saturn; with the Solar Arc Neptune square Saturn in 2019. I have utterly no idea what that might mean, except it won’t be a happy atmosphere, that’s for sure.”  Maybe the fire – in which one person was sadly killed which Trump managed to omit mentioning as he trumpeted how great the building was – is a message from the universe?

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Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial artist and boxer is facing criminal charges in New York after attacking a bus containing another competitor’s team. Several people were injured. He could face an upgraded felony charge of recklessness which would increase the chance of his serving jail time and jeopardize his ability to fight in the United States. Or he could avoid any criminal charge with a good plea deal.

Born 14 July 1988, he has a Sun, probably Moon in Cancer square a turbo-charged Mars in Aries which in turn is square Saturn, Uranus in late Sagittarius, Neptune in Capricorn and Mercury in Cancer. His Mars is focal point in a Cardinal T square suggesting he is strong-willed and aggressive, overly impulsive and disruptive. Tr Pluto is opposing his Sun now  if born before 7 am, and if a later birth then in 2019/2020 – which is highly pressured. Tr Pluto has been conjunct his Mars/Pluto midpoint firing up his aggro factor last month, returning in June and on and off till late 2019; and is in an over confident square to his Sun/Jupiter at the moment.  He will get a lucky break later this month into early May, which might be relief at getting off with a slap on the wrist.  But he’s not generally in a great year with tr Saturn conjunct his Neptune and opposition his Mercury till late on and a couple of tr Neptune sinkers as well.

The Menendez brothers both serving life sentences without parole for killing their parents in 1989 are together in the same prison for the first time in almost thirty years.   Their defence attorney claimed they were abused by their father, though the judge or jury through a complicated set of trials saw them as spoilt rich kids who wanted their father’s money and mother was collateral damage.  The murder happened during the chaotic and highly-strung triple conjunction in Capricorn of Saturn Uranus Neptune.

Lyle, 10 Jan 1968 12.10 am New York, has an Earth Grand Trine of a Sun Capricorn trine Pluto Uranus in Virgo trine a Taurus Moon, with the Moon opposition Neptune in Scorpio –materialistic but driven by a dream/delusion. He also has the chancer/gamblers’ something-for-nothing Mars opposition Jupiter square his Venus in adventurous Sagittarius.  His Solar Arc Mars had moved to oppose his Pluto at the time of the murders which would wind him up.

Erik, 27 Nov 1970 11.23 pm Livingston, NJ, is a spaced-out Sun Neptune in Sagittarius with Moon Jupiter and Venus in Scorpio with Venus Jupiter opposition a singleton and ungiving Saturn in Taurus. Tr Pluto was conjunct his Solar Arc Mars in 1989, similar to his brother, which would press his ruthless buttons as well.

What was always exceeding strange is that the most hostile relationship in the family was between Lyle and Erik themselves. The relationships with Jose, the father, 6 May 1944, were not sweetness and light but there was and is huge aggravation between the brothers. Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Mars square Pluto on one side and trine Saturn on the other. With a Yod of composite Pluto sextile Venus Neptune inconjunct Saturn.

One wonders what weird psychological dynamic prompted them to kill their parents rather than each other – which wouldn’t have been beyond the bounds of possibility with those aspects.

Caught up in the latest round of US financial sanctions against Russian oligarchs close to Putin and “the Kremlin’s malign agenda” is Oleg Deripaska. Known to Brits for his chumocracy at one point with Peter Mandelson, then in the EU, and George Osborne, former Chancellor, he more recently paid former Trump campaign director Manafort millions to create a confidential strategy plan for the Putin regime. Treasury’s sanctions announcement described Deripaska as a thug, repeating allegations that he had “bribed a government official, ordered the murder of a businessman and had links to a Russian organized crime group.”

The new sanctions were mandated by veto-proof legislation passed last year by representatives and senators from both parties who didn’t entrust the matter to the discretion of Trump, who signed the measure reluctantly. The sanctions freeze any assets the sanctionees hold in the U.S. and bar Americans from dealing with them.

Deripaska born 2 January 1968, was brought up in tough conditions by farming Cossack grandparents, started work at 11, had an aptitude for maths and physics, graduated with honours from Moscow University and after the collapse of the Soviet Union started a metal trading company and bought shares in an aluminium company.

A business magazine described the ‘aluminium wars’ of the late 1990s as ‘a bloody period in the country’s post-communist asset grab from which a few dozen oligarchs emerged – and several potential oligarchs lost their lives.’ It is estimated 100 people were killed and Deripaska rose to the top of the pile. ‘With allegations of organised crime and multiple murders apparently dogging his every move, his wealth grew over the next ten years into one of the largest fortunes in Russia.’

He has an ambitious Sun Mercury in Capricorn square a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries; and Sun trine Jupiter in Virgo.  He has Pluto (Uranus) in Virgo sextile Neptune and inconjunct Mars in Aquarius. Mars Pluto will make him no slouch when it comes to will-power, ruthlessly applied with Pluto involved, aggressively self-determined and uncompromising with Mars in Aquarius.

He looks seriously unhappy from here on in through to late 2019 with tr Neptune conjunct his Mars/Saturn and opposition his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint; with a major irritation come July, returning into 2019. He’ll rebound by 2020 but won’t be in good humour till then.

Pic: Dzinko

Craig Murray was former Brit ambassador to Uzbekistan and since he was ousted from the Foreign service has been active as a human rights campaigner, political activist, blogger and author. While still a diplomat he spoke out about the undemocratic regime In Uzbekistan which imprisoned and tortured political opponents; and the UK and USA’s use of confessions extracted there by torture. Later it was revealed Uzbekistan was used as a base for the US Extraordinary rendition programme during the Afghanistan campaign. He always insisted it was US pressure which led to his being ultimately sacked. Since then he has been praised and awarded for his campaigning work.

Born 17 October 1958, Norfolk, England, he’s a Sun and North Node in Libra on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine sextile Saturn (Moon) in Sagittarius sextile Uranus – a reformer by instinct, reasonably ego-centric. That he is angry is not in doubt with a Mars in Gemini square Pluto, giving him the drive to tilt at very large windmills and take on dangerous opponents. His Mercury in Scorpio is conjunct Neptune Jupiter, which may point to an interest in money (Jup Nep) with gold mining and energy interests in Ghana.

Most whistle-blowers are oddballs and outsiders, often driven by rage against authority figures –  which is often justified, though it can push them to overstate their case at times. He is a bit of a loose cannon, publishing confidential memos on his website from his time in the FO; and being rejected by the SNP as a candidate for ‘lack of discipline to group commitment’. He supported Assange but was criticised for naming one of his alleged victims on television.

It’s understandable that he is allergic to the intelligence services and distrusting of anything they say, and he does perform a useful function, balancing out certain stories. But I’d worry marginally about his Mercury Neptune fuelled by Mars Pluto.

He’s in a very up and down year with high-tension this month; success in May; insecurity in July – and it runs on like that into 2019 which looks fairly devastating with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune, followed in 2020 by Solar Arc Mars square his Neptune. With tr Pluto square his Sun in 2019/2020 as well. He’ll be under huge pressure and did get suicidally depressed in his latter days at the Foreign office when under multiple investigations. He will be thrown off balance.

Trump is living out his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars now – wilful, headstrong, argumentative, self-willed – though it’ll also probably coincide with events around the exact aspect in 10 weeks’ time and beyond for a few months. It’s generally uncompromising, leads to macho gestures to prop up dented self-esteem and over hasty decisions that can backfire.

The July 13^th Cancer Solar Eclipse will also rattle his chart affecting both his Saturn and Venus in Cancer. An Eclipse conjunct Saturn is a time of facing up, shouldering responsibilities (unlikely) and learning some harsh lessons. It can feel like hitting a wall, perhaps leaving him discouraged and worn out unless he is willing to change (doubly unlikely).

An Eclipse conjunct Venus usually brings a painful emotional crisis with a sense of being isolated, lacking support or popularity and thus denting his self-esteem.

Mike Pence looks lacklustre, lacking in courage and will power from early May till late July as tr Neptune starts an 18 month undermining square to his Gemini Sun. He’s also got  a major-upset Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Uranus approaching (anywhere from 6 months ahead to 18 mths, since we don’t know his birth time). June looks unsettled with tr Uranus trine his Pluto, returning into 2019. He looks poleaxed by events from mid July to late August and again November to mid December with tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn midpoint. He’ll have one blip of luck in July but otherwise it’s a downhill year.

His relationship chart with Trump, which is pretty hostile underneath a submissive exterior, is at odds this month, severely shaken in May and devastated through June to mid July.

His wife’s chart isn’t too informative, though his relationship chart with her gives indication of high stress levels leading to changes late this month and even more major challenges in May; with another shift in July as tr Uranus is trine the composite Pluto.

I’m not sure of the procedures with Mueller but some of it hinges on Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General – with the possibility that both could get fired along the way. RR certainly looks to be facing losses this month, though his confidence seems to be staying high. The July Eclipse will oppose his Capricorn Sun which tends to be a major challenge to ego and image.  His relationship chart with Trump is generally chilly this year though with a sense of relief from tension come June – maybe one or other departs the scene?

There’ll be a fresh outbreak of hostilities between Trump and Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General from mid May through June with tr Uranus square the composite Saturn and then opposition Mars.

Mueller has a sinker of tr Neptune squaring his Mars, bringing a panicky sense of failure from May to late July; and his Pluto, Sun, Venus in Leo will all be shaken  by the Solar and Lunar Eclipses across June/July.

Make of that what you will. The roller coaster ride continues.

See also previous post: March 17 2018

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been sentenced to five years in jail for poaching rare and worshipped antelope back in 1998. One of India’s biggest stars, he has appeared in more than 100 films and has a huge fan following. He’s no stranger to criminal lawsuits but has managed to avoid guilty verdicts or convictions up till now. He can appeal but if he doesn’t get bail then several hefty film investments are at risk.

He was born 27 December 1965 in Indore, with various birth times given. He’s a Sun Capricorn; with Saturn in Pisces opposition Uranus Pluto square Mercury in Sagittarius, so he’ll live at a frenetic pace, be highly-strung and not always well-organised.  He has Mars Venus and Moon in Aquarius; with Moon perhaps square Neptune and trine Jupiter.  His Mars in uncompromising Aquarius is sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) to his Uranus and Pluto, which acts like a mild square,  making him headstrong. Uranus Pluto is also square his Jupiter prompting him to be overly confident at times and take risks.

Tr Saturn is conjunct his Sun in late June/early July and again in November, which will be discouraging, though it’ll pass quickly. Tr Pluto is also trine his Uranus Pluto this year, suggesting change with difficulty and is also in a confused sextile to Neptune.

On his midpoints he looks frustrated and trapped come mid July to late August, and again November through to mid-December, with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Mars. On the whole it’ll be a nervy year for him. He’ll bounce more enthusiastically in 2019/2020 though facing losses as well.

Since heavy Mars is the topic of the week and following on from Michael Savage’s motormouth Mars in Gemini (see below), Boris Johnson has an equally afflicted Mars in Gemini on the focal point of a T square to Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto. He’s got a short attention span, a reputation for not reading his briefs in detail and shoots off with careless opinions at the drop of a hat. Viz Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the Iranian-British woman languishing in a Teheran jail – not only did he not get her out, he made her situation dramatically worse by suggesting she was training journalists, when she wasn’t.

Over the Skripal affair, he was so delighted to get a platform on his foreign affairs ticket that he managed to shoot the government’s case firmly in the foot, when Theresa May had been very careful in her comments.

His Mars squares the UK’s Pluto with his Saturn conjunct and Uranus Pluto in opposition, so he’s generally bad news for the country’s welfare and any earlier residue of good feeling for jovial Bojo has now disappeared down the drain.

On his relationship chart with the UK, there’s an enraged, frustrated tr Pluto trine the composite Mars at the moment extending till late 2019; with a separating tr Saturn square the composite Sun this year; and tr Neptune moving in 2019/2020 to undermine his rapport with the voters.

On his chart, 2pm birth time being sound, he has tr Uranus opposing his Scorpio Moon from mid May which will see an emotional upset, running into 2019. His Martian T square has also moved by Solar Arc to catch tr Uranus hard aspects at the moment; and a blocked/trapped tr Pluto opposition Mars in 2019/2020.

Whether the hapless PM will dump him is questionable. With such a Neptunian Term chart, she seems incapable of taking decisive steps.