Matthew Whitaker, Trump’s bizarre pick to replace the ousted Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, effectively putting him in as overseer of the Mueller Investigation, is causing consternation. Not just because his appointment without confirmation may not be constitutional, but because he is in the Washington Post’s description, a crackpot.

He was involved in a company (WPM) that scammed US military veterans out of their life savings, for which fraud they were ordered to pay authorities $26m. During his time on the company’s advisory board, WPM claimed that “DNA evidence collected in 2013 proves that Bigfoot does exist,” had a website selling Bigfoot paraphernalia and planned a celebrity event called “You Have Been Squatched!” They tried to raise money using bitcoin for time-travel research – “relive moments from your past” or “visit your future.” And punted an extra-deep “masculine toilet” for the well-endowed.

He joins a long list of gruesomely unqualified Trump appointments – his adulatory WH doctor in to run the Department of Veterans Affairs; chief scientist at the Agriculture Department who isn’t a scientist; others include  a Mar-a-Lago member, a Car Care manager, a bartender, a cabana attendant, a truck driver and Eric Trump’s wedding planner.

Born 29 October 1969 in Iowa, Whitaker is a Sun Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus ; with an opportunistic Mars in money-minded Capricorn square Jupiter Mercury; and Mars also in an ultra- determined and fairly slippery trine to Pluto sextile Neptune.

He has one minor up ahead and everything else suggests a downward trajectory with a blocked Solar Arc Sun square his Pluto now-ish or into 2019; plus some Neptunian sinkers; and worse in 2020.

He’s not a good match with Trump since his Mars opposes Trump’s Saturn Venus and his Pluto squares Trump’s Sun – could be quite a damaging connection.  His relationship chart with Trump is sagging badly in January and bumping uncomfortably along from late March onwards.

Meg Ryan, a glittering success in the 1990s with When Harry met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle, has become engaged to her on-off boyfriend heartland-rock musician John Mellencamp.

Both have had fairly complex emotional lives – he married and divorced three times, she married to Denis Quaid, affair with Russell Crowe etc. She’s been with Mellencamp, formerly Johnny Cougar, since 2010 but with separations along the way.

And I’m not remotely surprised from their astrology.

She was born 19 November 1961 10.36 am Fairfield, Connecticut, and has a 10^th house Scorpio Sun with Mercury Neptune and Venus in Scorpio conjunct her midheaven – well designed for a filmic career. Her Sun is conjunct Mars in Sagittarius square an 8^th house Uranus; with Mars also square an 8^th house Pluto – which is a bundle of emotional/psychological contradictions and challenges. She’s also got Saturn in Capricorn conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius both sextile her Sun Mars – disciplined, exuberant, but will be constantly swinging between optimism and doubt. And has an Aries Moon which won’t sit comfortably with all her Scorpio planets.

He was born 7 October 1951 in Indiana, and has his Libra Sun conjunct Neptune on one side and Mercury, Saturn in Libra on the other; with a Capricorn Moon.  She’s Water Fire; and he’s Air Earth, so very chalk and cheese pairing.

What’s fairly volcanic is his Mars falling in her 8^th conjunct her Uranus and square her Mars; and his Venus also in her 8^th conjunct her Pluto and square her Mars; with his Pluto in her 8^th conjunct her North Node and square her Sun. There will be a very deep connection but it looks of the can’t-live-with-them and can’t live-without-them variety.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Neptune trine Jupiter (Moon), sextile Pluto and square Uranus with the composite Pluto opposition Jupiter square Saturn. And that’s quite a tangle. Sun Neptune often ends in disappointment; Sun Uranus needs space and hints at no-compromise. Saturn square Pluto can end up feeling chained-together and Jupiter Pluto can end up in one-upmanship battles. It’ll be a rocky ride through the next two years with tr Uranus hitting on the composite Neptune Sun and Uranus and she looks conflicted relationship-wise in 2020.

Not an easy match.

The cultural icon Stan Lee, figurehead and artistic dynamo behind Marvel Comics, has died aged nearly 96. He created along with others The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Black Panther, the X-Men, Ant-Man, Iron Man and Thor. What he did was unique in the market in creating flawed super-heroes. He was the editor-in-chief of Marvel, later its publisher and chairman.

He said: “I used to think what I did was not very important. People are building bridges and engaging in medical research, and here I was doing stories about fictional people who do extraordinary, crazy things and wear costumes. But I suppose I have come to realize that entertainment is not easily dismissed.”

Born 28 December 1922 in New York, he started writing as a child, loved Robin Hood, went into comics early on and never looked back.  His Capricorn Sun was the driving planet of a Kite from a creative Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Scorpio trine Pluto trine a feisty Mars Uranus in Pisces; with Pluto opposition his Sun – not short of talent, confidence or the courage to take risks. His Mercury in Capricorn was widely opposition Pluto and square Saturn in Libra so he had executive and organisational ability and a serious side.

His creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics were strong; as was his writer’s 21^st Harmonic and his world-class 22H.

He was married for seventy years until his wife died in 2017; more recently there were stories of elder abuse, until a restraining order was issued earlier this year against his business manager.

Trump has called for recounts to stop in Florida’s votes for Senate and governor, handing victories to fellow Republicans Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis. He alleged without evidence that many ballots are missing and forged and that a valid tally is not possible. There is no evidence of criminal conduct according to the Florida secretary of state’s office, which is led by a Scott appointee. Military and overseas votes are still to be counted.

Bill Nelson, 29 September 1942, up against Scott, looks aggravated and held back till December 2^nd with tr Saturn square his Sun, Mars in Libra; though running at the same time he’s got a couple of helpful transits to Jupiter midpoints running through this month till December 5; and another mild Jupiter running through December and January. He’s on good form and pushing hard in 2019/2020.

Rick Scott, 1 December 1952 4.30am Bloomington, IL, if his birth time is accurate is labouring under a very sticky, prone-to-setback Solar Arc MC conjunct his Saturn now and for a few months. Even discounting the birth time he looks aggravated in the first ten days of December; and its pretty much all downhill for him in 2019/2020.

Ron DeSantis, 14 September 1978, looks blocked now from November 14^th to the 22^nd; with a highly uncertain tr Neptune opposition his Sun/Saturn midpoint till the New Year. Though he does have one mid Jupiter to buoy him up this month. 2019 is swampy for him.

Andrew Gillum, 26 July 1979, up against DeSantis, hasn’t much of note without a birth time, apart from a major amount of irritability and isn’t on good form in 2019.

The inevitable Brexit stalemate appears to be reaching a crescendo. No one wants a hard Brexit or a Brino (Brexit in Name Only). But neither UK party can make up its mind what policy to follow as they flounder around contradicting themselves. The EU are, as expected and understandably, not only bored with the whole charade they’re sticking to their principles of no cherry-picking.

Two dates to look out for are: December 2nd to 11^th this year when tr Saturn squares Theresa May’s Libra Sun and her Solar Arc Uranus, as she labours at the same time under the panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct her Mars (through this month and next).

Her own and her Government chart look flummoxed at the moment with Uranus Neptune aspects.

The other is when the UK/EU relationship chart picks up the separating tr Saturn conjunct the composite Sun this December 20^th to 28^th. Which also affects both the UK and the EU Suns individually. The TM Government chart looks excessively stuck over New Year. And the EU/UK chart is very bad tempered through January.

There’s nothing that looks remotely like a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. TMay is all downhill from now onwards but even a new Tory leader wouldn’t fix the unfixable problem; and she’ll never get even her cobbled-together plan through Westminster.

Any alternative – revoking Article 50 to push back the March 29 2019 date or granting a People’s Vote would just stretch out the agony.

The UK chart is looking surprisingly chipper from mid January for a few weeks. The only thing that’s clear is dislike/disgust of politicians with Solar Arc Moon opposition the 11^th house legislative Saturn.

For more detail see post October 18 2018.

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

Roald Dahl known as one of the 20^th century’s greatest storytellers for children – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory amongst others – has been turned down by the Royal Mint for a commemorative coin because of his anti-Semitic views. His books which have sold more than 250,000 million copies worldwide were often macabre, darkly comic and unsentimental.

He was born 13 September 1916 in Cardiff, Wales to Norwegian parents and had an extraordinary and tragedy-strewn life. His sister died at 7 (appendicitis) as did one of his own daughters (measles). His father died the same year as his sister when he was 3, and he had an unhappy public school upbringing. He went on to have a high-risk World War 11 as a fighter pilot, surviving a horrific crash; became an air attache in Washington sleeping with the wives of influential men to obtain secrets of the UK Secret Service. And  ultimately married Patricia Neal, a well-known Hollywood actress when she was on the rebound from an affair with Gary Cooper. His first child, a boy, was brain damaged in a car accident at four months old; two years later his daughter died; and three years after that his wife, Patricia Neal, took a near terminal stroke while pregnant.

He had an unaspected Sun Virgo with an outspoken Mercury in Libra trine Uranus. But what marks out his chart as reckless, dark and sometimes cruel was a Mars in Scorpio trine Pluto, and opposition Jupiter square Venus Neptune in Leo. He liked the high life, could be charming though also stubborn and was emotionally a  complex mess. Not an easy man to live with.

Patricia Neal was born 20 Jan 1926 at 4.40 am Gatliff, KY, USA. She was a Sun Capricorn conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius with a hugely complicated chart. She has a bleak, though persevering, self-protective and creative Water Grand Trine of Saturn in Scorpio trine an 7^th house Pluto trine Uranus. She also had an inspirational, confident Fire Grand Trine of Mars in Sagittarius trine an Aries Moon trine an 8^th house Neptune in Leo, formed into a Kite by Venus opposition Neptune. A Fire Earth chart is highly combustible, excitable, impulsive and is relatively common in creative/entertainment business types.

Their marriage had been a disaster since the start though they stuck it out and he bullied her mercilessly after her stroke to improve her motor skills; until after 30 years he left her for a younger model.

Their relationship chart was combative and grim with a  composite Sun, Mars, Mercury sextile Saturn; with an up-and-down Saturn opposition Jupiter; and an illusory Venus square Neptune leading to disappointment.

His creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics were strong though with a dark streak of cruelty and wayward determination.

Astonishing that he became so popular for children’s stories – modern Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Shades of Enid Blyton who wrote pleasanter kids’ tales but was a thoroughly unpleasant person.

Prince Charles, 70 this week, is stepping up the PR as he moves slowly towards the throne with a firm commitment not to meddle once he becomes monarch. A new BBC documentary following in his footsteps for a year was well received with supportive input from a warmly witty Camilla as well as the two Princes, no doubt making up for blanking him in their tribute to their mother last year.

There’s no hint of the Queen abdicating though she’s gradually handing over the reins with some thought she might agree to him becoming Regent when she’s 95 in 2021.

He looks fairly stuck at the moment with Solar Arc Saturn square his Pluto; though tr Uranus conjunct his 10^th house Moon does hint at emotional/career/family changes running into early 2019.

He should be more upbeat and sociable with his Progressed Moon now into Sagittarius and moving through his 5^th house for the next two to three years. But he’s also at the same time got tr Saturn and tr Pluto moving through his 6^th for a weighty work schedule which could have health implications, though they are a very robust family. He won’t be short of drive and confidence in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto square his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint but it’ll be a fairly bumpy ride all the same.

He looks panicky and undermined in 2020/21 with tr Neptune square his Mars; and is facing a setback in 2022 with Solar Arc Mars opposition his Saturn, which could also be a family death. 2022/2023 have similar as tr Pluto squares his Mars/Saturn midpoint.

If his birth time is absolutely accurate then 2023 looks to be a significant change in his direction as his Solar Arc MC is conjunct his Uranus then. And his Solar Return for November 2022 running till late 2023 has Jupiter Neptune on the midheaven which could be a coronation.

Prince William, who would then step up as Number Two, won’t be in a mood to take on a more onerous schedule for some years ahead with tr Saturn moving through his First Quadrant, although there are some indications of career changes this year and next. He looks rattled and in for a major turnaround in his lifestyle come 2021/22.

Alexander Skarsgard is about to become the latest Le Carre heartthrob for his starring role as the Mossad agent in BBC’s The Little Drummer Girl. He’s best known for his vampire role in True Blood and playing the abusive husband in Big Little Lies along with Nicole Kidman, for which he won several awards.

He was born 25 August 1976 at 4.47am Stockholm, Sweden with an actor father (Stellan Skarsgard, one of the father’s in Mamma Mia)and a physician mother and has five younger siblings as well as two half siblings. He started acting at 7 but gave up in his teens, joined the navy and then university in Leeds, England. He said he was embarrassed as a child by his extrovert father and the hippy anarchist crowd who were around the family.

He’s got a Virgo Sun on his Ascendant conjunct a late Leo Moon in his 12^th, so will be an upfront personality. He’s got a talented, lucky Jupiter in his 10^th square his Sun and Moon; and in a wide, talented Half Grand Sextile of Jupiter opposition Neptune sextile/trine Saturn in the 12^th and Pluto (Mars) in his 2nd.

It’s an interesting chart with a maverick Uranus in his 3^rd square Saturn. His father, 13 June 1951, a fiery, hard-edged Sun Mars square Saturn, trine Neptune sextile Pluto, was experienced by Alexander as fairly inaccessible with a 4^th house Neptune; autocratic with Uranus Saturn and impractical. His mother invested Alexander with confidence given his 10^th house Jupiter – born 3 July 1956, she’s one of the high-octane Jupiter Pluto in Leo square Saturn in Scorpio types, so no slouch.

Alexander’s career is just hitting its stride with tr Saturn heading for his 5^th, so a good deal ahead. He’s still single and living out of a suitcase but with Jupiter square his Sun/Moon midpoint, should settle at some point.

Poor California. Several monstrous wildfires are raging in different locations in the state, one close to Thousand Oaks where a gunman killed 12 earlier this week. More than 250,000 have been forced to flee their homes, including celebrities living in Malibu. Earlier this year the Carr Fire in July and August 2018 caused $1.659 billion of damage. And this on top of 2017 which was described as the most destructive wildfire season on record.

The California chart is pretty much under assault at the moment. It has had tr Pluto square the CA Saturn in Aries thro’ 2017 till mid November this year (exact now) which usually denotes hardship, deprivation and a tough slog. And this year and next there’s tr Neptune opposition the CA Virgo Sun, which is panicky and undermining; and much the same from the Solar Arc Sun conjunct the CA Neptune this year. The Solar Arc Uranus Pluto is moving to oppose the CA Saturn from this New Year till late 2019 which looks disruptive and discouraging ahead. And tr Uranus is exactly now conjunct the CA Uranus Pluto in Aries.

The previous Uranus Return (hitting on Pluto as well) came in the mid 1930s with California struggling with the Great Depression. There was a major earthquake in 1933 in Long Beach, just before the Uranus Return with over a hundred fatalities and multi-million dollars’ damage.

The Eclipses this year did have significant indicators for California – the Aquarius Lunar Eclipse in late July had Uranus on the Descendant located to Thousand Oaks squaring onto Midheaven Sun opposition IC Moon Mars North Node; the August Leo Eclipse had Pluto on the IC; and the mid July Cancer Solar Eclipse had Neptune on the midheaven and Saturn on the Descendant.

ADD ON: Gary Newsom, the Governor-elect of California will be the one overseeing what comes next after he’s sworn in on January 7th. He’s a former Mayor of San Francisco and has been Lieutenant Governor since 2010. Born 10 October 1967 5.13 am San Francisco, he was severely dyslexic as a child, and ran successful winery and restaurant business before moving into politics. He’s a national progressive figure, a prominent early advocate for same sex marriage, universal healthcare, and the legalization of cannabis.

He has a hard-working Sun Libra opposition Saturn in Aries square a Capricorn moon in the 4^th – an emphasised Moon helps in politics and also in catering/domestic businesses being in the 4^th. He’s also got a tough Mars in Sagittarius square Pluto Uranus on his Ascendant, so will be resourceful in crises.

He’ll be coping with confusing situations in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto sextile his Neptune; and worse in 2020 when tr Neptune squares his Mars and his midheaven – it’ll be a fairly roller coaster and debilitating ride ahead.

His Governorship chart has the Sun conjunct Pluto on one side and Saturn on the other – so a tough haul requiring perseverance and grit; with setbacks from Mars square Saturn Mercury; and rolling crises from an emphasised Uranus Pluto. He’ll need all his stamina and courage.