Money and the military appear to be Trump’s answer to draining the Washington swamp as he ousts the establishment Reince Priebus in favour of moving up one of his favoured generals as Chief of Staff. John Kelly’s herculean task appears to be instilling discipline in an unruly White House wracked by palace intrigues and headed by an uncontrollable President. The only badges of honour Trump appears to recognise are millions/billions in the bank or a chest full of medals. He should be learning (clearly not) that a New York hard-ass, Gordon Gekko approach to dealing doesn’t work in Washington; and it remains to be seen whether a macho live-by-the-sword approach will work any better.

Kelly, 11 May 1950, has an impeccable record in the military and has been the public face and chief defender of Trump’s immigration policies. He has a heavyweight chart with Sun Mercury in Taurus, conjunct Trump’s midheaven, squaring onto Pluto; and trine Mars and Saturn in Virgo – so his determination, courage, endurance and stubbornness are not in doubt. His Mars does square Trump’s Sun and Moon, so it won’t all be sweetness and light. Late October into November this year will take some of the shine off their relationship, but that moves on quickly. Disappointments and miscommunications will start kicking in more obviously in 2018.

Kelly’s own chart has Neptunian dips and Plutonic aggro for the rest of this year into 2018; and then picks up a cornered and frustrated tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Mars midpoint for two years.

Kelly’s relationship charts with Scaramucci and Bannon, both of whom report directly to Trump, are marked with outright dislike; as are Scaramucci and Bannon’s and they could come to a parting of the ways this year.

The key question at this stage is – whither the Republican Party? They nailed their colours to Trump’s mast and are now counting the cost (to mix metaphors). Both the Republican 22 Feb 1856 and 28 Feb 1854 charts in relation to Trump’s are indicating increasing divergence with both relationship charts showing tr Uranus in hard aspect to the composite Sun this year (1856) and next (1854), which can indicate sudden outright splits. The 1856 relationship chart also has tr Saturn in a blocked opposition to the composite Pluto exactly now and moving on to a bad-tempered square to Mars, a confusing/disappointing conjunction to Neptune in late Oct/Nov this year and then an enthusiasm-dampening conjunction to the composite Jupiter over the New Year. The 1854 relationship chart has similar with tr Saturn conjunct Neptune and opposition Saturn/Pluto and Saturn through this fall and trine the composite Mars in Jan 2018 = increasing paranoia, uncertainty and setbacks.

The chart for Trump’s nomination as Republican candidate is interesting – 22 July 2016 12.13am Cleveland, Ohio.  the basic interface looks rife with difficulty with an aggravated Mars in Scorpio in the 8^th square Moon; a control-freaky Pluto in the 10^th; and a neurotic, worrisome Neptune opposition North Node square an 8^th house Saturn – not much love there. This August’s two eclipses are hitting the chart hard. The Lunar Eclipse is in an emotionally-shocking opposition to the Venus Mercury; and the Solar Eclipse is opposition the Moon and square Mars which will descend the red mists of fury. It is certainly rocking on its axis with tr Uranus returning to its original position from this December and even more so squaring the Sun from late April 2018. They can hardly de-nominate him. But maybe it all fits in with Trump’s hugely tumultuous 2018 as his Solar Arc Uranus approaches the conjunction to his Mars.

 

 

“The most loyal dog in Trump’s kennel gets the most savage whipping.” That’s one comment from the Republican camp up in arms at Trump’s bileful public tantrum against Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General. He remains angry over Sessions’ decision in March to recuse himself from the investigation into alleged ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, which opened the way to special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Trump’s family dealings and financial affairs. Sessions’ sin was not to understand that his loyalty lay to Trump not the rule of law or niceties of the constitution. Even far-righters like Newt Gingrich think Trump should shut up, pointing out that even the very pro-Trump Rudy Giuliani said he would have recused himself.

Sessions was the first and most constant supporter of Trump through his campaign. Senate leaders made clear they would block Trump from replacing Sessions if he tried to do so during the coming recess. And the Republicans fear the firing of an attorney general in the middle of the Russia investigations would send the country into a political and constitutional tailspin, making it difficult to confirm any replacement.

Evidently Trump’s business history indicates he dislikes firing people; his preferred method being to make life so unpleasant they resign. And that is very Pluto in the 12^th house, which in his chart is catching the Aquarius/Leo Lunar Eclipse in early August, so exacerbating his tendency to hang onto resentments and manipulate. In traditional astrology the 12^th house was known as the chart area of self-undoing where you shoot yourself in the foot and cause your own downfall. Pluto is an all—or-nothing energy, not given to moderation, and in the 12^th can produce a sackful of toxic emotions. There are positive sides to this placing but to access those it requires insight and the ability to shake off old attitudes and transform.

His relationship chart with Sessions always did look surprisingly separated this year with tr Saturn square the composite Sun opposition Venus Mercury, which picked up in February, became worse March to May, and returns early September to early October and late November.

Sessions’ own chart looks most jangled this December with tr Uranus opposition the Mars/Pluto midpoint which tends to be major catastrophe time; with career-loss tr Saturn hitting his Jupiter/Saturn at the same time.

Several of the relationship charts with Trump’s other Cabinet appointees – McMaster, Mattis, Pence, Kelly, Pompeo, Priebus and Tillerson – will be shaken up by the August Lunar and/or Solar Eclipse. So even the recess will bring no respite from rolling tensions. HR McMaster looks the most at odds with Trump in 2017/18 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars, exact now, and repeating on for 18 months.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to reports, is unhappy enough to want to quit and he’s certainly facing major losses and deep discouragement this September/October.

VP Mike Pence, valiantly trying to hold the President’s line is having the worst two years of his life in 2017/18 and losing heart in 2018/19. His relationship with Trump, more aggravated than it looks, is panicked through this summer and in November; and heading into a swamp of devastating confusion in 2018.

Trump is certainly living out the Solar Eclipse effect on his Mars, making him even more combative than usual, his temper under minimal control. It can have health implications since that amount of high-octane emotion can impact on the body, especially one as over-fed and under-exercised as Trump’s.

What will have an even more explosive effect will be his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars – moving onto the same degree in two months and exact in 10 months, which could knock him for six. His Solar Return birthday 2017 to 2018 does have split-relationship Uranus in the 7^th, an emotionally trapped Pluto in the 4^th house of family, an isolated Saturn in 3^rd, and low-energy Neptune in the 6^th.

Solar Return 2018: has an emphasised/afflicted Uranus in the 4^th – could be moving home or upsets in the family. Solar Return 2019 is the truly devastating one with Saturn Pluto in the 10^th opposition Mercury Mars in the 4^th – that could be the real career-ender.

 

 

James Bond 25 should release on November 9 2019, all going to plan, more or less on top of the Saturn Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, which doesn’t sound too upbeat. Maybe an escapist blockbuster will be what’s needed but the date itself isn’t too auspicious if they stick to it.

Barbara Broccoli, daughter of the late Cubby, is behind the Bond movies, owns the company and has been producer on the most recent 8.

Born 18 June 1960 9.55am Santa Monica, CA (astro com), she is an expansive, friendly Sun Venus in Gemini opposition Jupiter in Sagittarius in her ‘performing’ 5^th house. Saturn in Capricorn is also in her 5^th, a typical placing for organisational types in the entertainment business. She has a maverick Uranus on her Leo Ascendant so will go her own way; and an outspoken Moon Mars in Aries in her global 9^th square Mercury in Cancer.

When the next Bond releases she’s on her Second Saturn Return, always quite a pressured time; and also on her Jupiter Return with tr Jupiter moving through her 5^th, so she’ll have a double dose of attention. It’s not the easiest kick-off for her this year with her Solar Arc Pluto opposing her Mars exactly in three months’ time, so a mega-setback or two. Plus discouraging Saturn transits to her Sun Venus and Jupiter till the year end. Making movies on this scale is a gargantuan, nerve-wracking task. But she’ll buck up into 2018.

Daniel Craig, who said two years ago he’d rather slit his wrists than do another Bond after a run of injuries, is now reported to be a done deal, though not yet confirmed. Born 2 March 1968, he did go through a really tough patch in 2013/14 with tr Uranus square tr Pluto hitting on his Mars Saturn in Aries; plus in 2015 he had the uncertain, undermining tr Saturn square tr Neptune hitting his Pisces Sun. So he had a challenging, risky two years followed by a slump. He’s clear of all that now. Though still beleaguered by more confusing, low-energy influences through the next two years. This August’s Leo Solar Eclipse will conjunct his Jupiter in Leo so that should give him a lift.

His relationship chart with Barbara Broccoli is passionately enthusiastic which no doubts spills over into heated moments along the way – and is pressured through 2017 to 2019 with tr Pluto square the composite Mars Venus. Tr Uranus was conjunct the composite Venus Mars when he announced Never Again. But that has moved on.

 

 

 

Anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny is the most prominent face of Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin. He is a lawyer turned campaigner who carries out investigations into the wealth of Putin’s inner circle. He emerged as the main opposition leader in the protests before the last presidential election in 2012. Observers say he has ‘remarkable political instincts and a powerful charismatic streak. His fiery cocktail of liberalism, nationalism and populism resonates with many.’

He has now been barred from standing in next year’s elections because he is currently serving a five-year suspended sentence for embezzlement. Last year the European Court of Human Rights quashed that verdict, saying Navalny and his former business partner did not have a fair trial; and his supporters condemned the trial as politically motivated. Nearly 20 million people have viewed Navalny’s recent YouTube video making allegations about former president and now PM Dmitry Medvedev. Navalny believes that as poverty continues to blight large swaths of Russia’s population, the mood of protest will only grow. For all Navalny sounds like the darling of western liberals, he is pro-Putin’s annexation of Crimea and Ukraine and a fervent nationalist.

Born 4 July 1976 1.30pm Moscow (astro.com), he has a communicative 9^th house Sun Venus in an idealistic, though not always practical opposition to Neptune. He also has Jupiter in Taurus opposition North Node in Scorpio (conj Uranus) square Mars in Leo – so flamboyant, stubborn, with a taste for excitement. He also has his Neptune in a publicity-attracting trine to Mars in Leo, sextiling onto Pluto – so definitely determined and influential.

The early August Lunar eclipse will catch his focal point Mars, so interesting to see what comes out of that – another flare-up. The Lunar Eclipse also catches the composite Sun on his relationship chart with Putin; and the composite Venus collides with the Solar Eclipse on August 21^st – both of which will rattle the mood between them. The next 18 months look fraught with tr Pluto square the composite Mars and trine the composite Jupiter.

It’s a miracle he’s stayed alive as long as he has, given Russia’s track record for despatching whistle blowers and activists. Corruption at the top was always the tragedy of communism in Russia – the poor led lives of unrelenting slog while the wealthy few lived it up in their luxury dashas.

 

Canadian singer Justin Bieber has cancelled the remaining dates of his Purpose World Tour because of “unforeseen circumstances”. He has performed more than 150 shows across the globe on the tour since March 2016, grossing $93 million for the first half of 2017. He apologised to fans who had booked 14 dates in Asia and North America, coming up over the next three months.

He was born 1 March 1994 12.56am Stratford, Ontario (astrotheme) and is a Sun Venus in Pisces trine Jupiter in Scorpio. Despite the expansive feel of those planets, he doesn’t have an easy chart with his Sun conjunct Saturn; and Pluto Node in Scorpio conjunct his Ascendant square Mars Mercury in Aquarius – while this will give him grit and determination, it’ll also make him prone to a fair amount of mental conflict, anger and feelings of powerlessness. Plus his Libra Moon is in a highly-strung square to Uranus Neptune, so emotionally erratic. Tr Uranus has been opposing his Moon and square his Neptune Uranus this year, through until early 2018, so he’ll be pretty jangled. The August Leo Eclipse is conjunct his Progressed Moon with both opposition his Mars Mercury, which will lead to additional strain.

But most of all, if his birth-time is accurate, he has tr Saturn about to enter his 2^nd house, the lowest portion of his first quadrant, which is not a time when the physical demands of a punishing workload are easily managed. The psyche wants time for personal pursuits and less pressure, often leading to a drop in energy and ambition.

Please add below. Older posts under News on the top bar.

 

The drip drip of toxic info keeps coming about the Trump dynasty’s Russia connection. This is just background about one, now deceased, piece of a jigsaw that is slowly coming together, involving Russian money-laundering through the New York property market and through the German Deustche Bank, already under investigation for same, whom certain Trumps had significant dealings with and loans therefrom.

Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian lawyer/accountant, arrested after accusing Russian officials of tax fraud. He died a year later in custody after beatings in 2009. As a result of his death, the Magnitsky Act came into being which put banking restrictions on Russian officials implicated in human rights abuses. It’s those sanctions which Putin is keen/desperate to get lifted. The lawyer involved in last year’s meet with Don Jnr and Jared Kushner is heavily involved with the main players in the above.

 

Magnitsky, born 8 April 1972 in Odessa, Ukraine, was an Aries Sun in a rebellious/activist opposition to Uranus. He also had a communicative Air Grand Trine of Pluto trine Saturn Venus Mars trine North Node (Moon) in Aquarius with Pluto opposition Mercury – so a crusader (NNode in Aquarius), gutsy with Pluto Saturn Mars, though maybe not too practical. He also had Neptune opposition Saturn Mars Venus which formed the boundary of his Half Grand Sextile – idealistic, slightly fanatical or head in the clouds, but talented.

When he died tr Neptune was squaring his Solar Arc Uranus opposition Sun; tr Saturn was just over the conjunction to his Pluto and trine his North Node.

His reforming Uranus was conjunct Vladimir Putin’s rigid authoritarian Saturn (Sun Neptune) with Magnitsky’s Saturn Venus Mars falling in Putin’s secret 8^th conjunct his Gemini Moon so arousing anger.

This year the Magnitsky family lawyer fell/was pushed from a 4^th storey window and seriously injured.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering.

Add on: As ever with any story involving Russia, high finance and money-laundering the waters get exceeding muddy.

A slightly different view from: https://consortiumnews.com/2017/07/13/how-russia-gate-met-the-magnitsky-myth/

https://newrepublic.com/article/126760/fighting-putin-doesnt-make-saint

There are however incontrovertible facts.

1. Magnitsky was beaten in prison, denied medical treatment and died.
2. Russian money-laundering through US and indeed UK property deals is an accepted fact.
3. Deutsche Bank in May 2017 agreed to pay $41 million to settle Federal Reserve allegations that its U.S. operations failed to maintain adequate protections against money laundering, the latest in a string of fines that have cost the German lender billions of dollars. Deutsche Bank has recently reached settlements with the U.K. and New York State’s Department of Financial Services over trades that allegedly helped wealthy Russians move some $10 billion out of the country.

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Princess Diana is being thrust back into the spotlight in a documentary featuring Prince William and Harry baring their grief at her loss to mark the 20^th anniversary of her death. While it is understandable they should want to remember her in the best possible light, doing so in such a public way does seem a tad insensitive given the damage she wreaked on Prince Charles and the monarchy. And their father doesn’t get a mention.

Her Cancer Sun fell in each of their respective 7^th houses, so she would feel like a partner – and especially for William with his New Moon in Cancer conjunct her Sun; Cancerian men always being mother-oriented. He also shares her Venus in Taurus; and with Jupiter on his midheaven he would see his mother with a positive glow.

His father on the other hand has his Uranus on William’s descendant and his Pluto falls in William’s 8^th – so an erratic presence in his life and controlling at an underlying level (perhaps because of the weight of monarchical duty).

Harry’s 4^th house Taurus Moon was conjunct Diana’s Venus, so there would be a deep bond of affection and also from her Sun in his 7^th. But she was also a disturbing element in his life with her Uranus and Mars Pluto conjunction falling in his 8^th. Harry shares a Venus in Libra with Charles; their Jupiter’s are almost conjunct; and Charles’ Sun falls in Harry’s 10^th, so good for career motivation. But again a slightly defensive relationship with Charles’ Pluto and Saturn in Harry’s 8^th.

On the relationship charts, Harry looks fond of both parents with a composite Sun Venus respectively. With his father there’s also a tumultuous composite Uranus Pluto square Mars, so a tendency to rub each other up the wrong way. With Diana, there’s fondness, possessiveness and a sense of fun and adventure.

For William, his father was always going to be a difficult relationship with a composite Sun Uranus Pluto and Pluto conjunct Saturn – so anchored together while wanting to be free; and a composite Mars Neptune, which provides a tricky ego-balance, one wins and the other feels they are losing.

Will’s relationship with Diana is certainly possessive and controlling with a composite Sun square Pluto, but there’s also a wish for space with Sun square Uranus; good communication.

HM Queen must be shuddering at all this public display of emotion, never mind her ambivalence about Diana’s actions. Her relationship with Will looks highly jangled this year and disappointed in 2018; and she seems even more aggravated by Harry. With much the same going for Charles and his sons – so the gear-crunching between the generations will continue.

 

MP Jacob Rees Mogg’s name is being bandied about as a possible rival to David Davis for Theresa May’s job should he step down. It seems to be a surprise to him that he might be a consideration and indeed to the wider public who see him as a fuddy-duddy living in a time warp. Born 24 May 1969, he was Eton-educated, became a financier, is a practising Roman Catholic who voted against same-sex marriage, is for zero hours contracts, a Euro-sceptic who campaigned for Leave; and last but not least he extols the virtue of his nanny whom he took out canvassing with him and she looks after his six children as she did him as a child.

He is a Sun Mercury in Gemini with his Sun opposition Neptune and a sharp-tongued Mercury opposition Mars in Sagittarius. He does have a powerhouse Pluto Jupiter Uranus in Virgo which will have fuelled his ambitions and brought him luck.

2017 isn’t his year with tr Neptune square his Mars and Mercury/Mars midpoint until February 2018; with tr Saturn dampening his Pluto Jupiter Uranus by square till this December.

2018/19 have a couple of high points but many more serious setbacks and problems. So looks unlikely. He’d never win a general election in a million years.

 

 

Al Franken was a satirist and comedian, a staple on Saturday Night Live for 15 years before he got serious and became a Junior Democratic Senator for Minnesota. He kept a low profile for his first term as he learnt the Washington ropes, but now on his second lap he’s become the ‘breakout star’ of the confirmation hearings, skewering several of Trump’s nominees.

A CBS political corr said of him: “Perhaps the SNL writer-turned-progressive pugilist is the ideal Democratic politician for the Trump era. Like the president-elect, he excels at insult comedy. Also like Mr. Trump, he can come across as kind of a jerk, although that’s likely to be considered less of a liability than it has been in the past…. Given the sorry state of the Democrats, a newfound prominence may be unavoidable. He knows what he’s talking about, as the hearings have shown, and has a comic’s natural ability to notice and exploit weaknesses. In the Age of Trump, those will be particularly skills for any Democrat. Moreover, Franken has a sense of theatre that few politicians possess. Show business is better training for politics than we sometimes acknowledge, particularly when it’s combined, as it is in Franken’s case, with some genuine wonkery.”

Born 21 May 1951 6.15pm New York, he has a biting Sun Mars in Gemini on the cusp of his 8^th house opposition a Sagittarius Moon; with a confidently entertaining Jupiter in Aries in his performing 4^th. Plus an influential Pluto on his midheaven. And his Mercury in heavyweight Taurus sits exactly on the midpoint of his Sun Mars and Jupiter which will give him the confidence to speak his mind.

His Solar Returns show him on good form from his birthday 2018 for a year; and high-profile from birthday 2020. Though he’ll be discouraged in 2018/19 as well from tr Saturn square his Jupiter and opposition his Uranus Venus. He’s not really firing on all cylinders right now with tr Saturn moving through his 2^nd. It’ll be into his 3^rd by the 2020 election which isn’t too wonderful either. But tr Jupiter will be there as well which might help. There’s no way of telling whether he’ll stand for or get the Democratic nomination; and his stars are comme ci comme ca at in November 2020 – tr Jupiter giving him a life; and tr Neptune and tr Uranus not helping him remotely.

Another name popping up as a possible Dem candidate is the newly elected Junior  Democratic Senator from California, Kamala Harris, 20 October 1964, who made headlines after her tough questioning of Jeff Sessions during a Senate hearing. She has a hard-driving, intellectual and determined chart with an Air Grand Trine of a Libra Sun conjunct Mercury in Scorpio trine Saturn in Aquarius trine North Node in Gemini, formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Mars. And that opposition squares onto an expansive, confident Jupiter in Taurus. Her Moon is in Aries. While she has the downbeat tr Saturn square her Sun over the 2020 election, she has tr Pluto trine her Jupiter in Taurus picking up from February 2020 and exact over the 2021 Inauguration, so she’s definitely on a roll. Maybe even VP.