The upcoming Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) on January 31^st at 11 degrees Leo/Aquarius has Venus tied in but none of the outer planets, bar mild aspects to Neptune (inconjunct and semi-sextile) so looks reasonably amiable. I’m informed that the Moon is exactly conjunct the minor planet Ceres, though I can’t verify that.

Ceres was the Roman name for Demeter, goddess of the harvest, whose daughter Persephone was carried off by Pluto to his underground lair. She was so grief-stricken and enraged by her loss, she laid the earth barren until a deal was struck to allow Persephone to come back to her for six months of the year. One version is that Pluto groomed, then raped Persephone, but she also married him and remained happily wedded for part of the year. So it can be seen as a maiden’s initiation into sexuality and mature womanhood. It’s a complex story involving agriculture and food, fierce maternal instincts and vengeful possessiveness. Mama Demeter was a worthy opponent of the masculine Pluto and struck a hard bargain. #metoo, #timesup and Women’s March all fit the picture.

The Partial Solar Eclipse (New Moon) of 15 February at 27 degrees Aquarius is square Jupiter and sextile Uranus and in a Saros Series that is concerned with the enthusiastic expression of ideas, which will flood out. Follow the new with speed should be your motto. (Bernadette Brady: The Eagle and the Lark.)

Neither eclipse looks malefic. Though it will affect those whose charts it impacts. For example, Trump’s Pluto in Leo catches the Lunar Eclipse and his Mars in Leo opposes the Solar, so both will rattle him, challenging him to change. Theresa May is also likely to get a jolt with her Venus, Pluto, Moon in Leo getting shaken. The USA chart’s Aquarius Moon will be triggered, depending on the start time, by either Eclipse; as will the UK chart and the EU, both with heavily Fixed charts.

Pluto has been grinding its way through Capricorn since 2008, pulling down old structures, financial and political, and constructing new ones. Past experience might suggest we are overdue the justice and culture which flourished on previous Pluto in Capricorns (every 230/240 years). From 2024 to 2044 Pluto moves into Aquarius ushering in a new phase. Events during previous occurrences are naturally steeped in the history of their times, and since planets never move in isolation but are affected by the other outer planets, there are unlikely to be exact matches.

1778 -1797 saw a rebellious Pluto in Aquarius since it opposed Uranus. The USA was in its early struggles after the Independence Declaration of 1776; most notably the bloody French Revolution of 1793 dominated that period, having an effect outside of France. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing having got under way during Pluto in Capricorn with James Watts’ improved steam engine revolutionising production. As to be expected under Aquarius, science made strides forward as well, especially in chemistry. And William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, which rules Aquarius. Explorers, another Aquarian strength, were also out and about with Captains James Cook and William Bligh leading the way to ‘new’ lands. It was a productive period for philosophical and social thinkers – Emmanuel Kant and Thomas Paine (Rights of Man); with cultural highpoints from Mozart and Scottish poet Robert Burns, who later established a global footprint.

1532 – 1552 was another Pluto in Aquarius opposition Uranus with Neptune in Aries. Henry V111, King of England and Wales, declared himself head of the Church in 1531 and was excommunicated in 1533 by the Pope. The RC versus Protestant schism got under way in earnest, which led to centuries of conflict.

1287 – 1307: Welsh Rebellion against the English. Edward 1 of England put John Balliol on Scottish throne with William Wallace rebellion following.

1041 – 1061: Saturn Pluto in Aquarius, Neptune in Aries opposition Uranus. Macbeth succeeds to throne of Scotland. Great schism between the Western RC church and Eastern Orthodox churches. In the aftermath came the Norman Conquest of England (Battle of Hastings 1066.)

796 – 816: Pluto square Uranus, trine Neptune Saturn in Libra. Charlemagne becomes Holy Roman Emperor in 800. He unites most of Western Europe, laying the foundations for modern France and Germany. He dies just as Pluto is about to exit Aquarius.

551 – 572: Pluto in Aquarius, Uranus in Sagittarius, Neptune in Aries. Mohammed is born.

So world-changing events during Pluto in Aquarius.

This next time round tr Pluto in Aquarius will march in time to Neptune in Aries (2025 to 2038) and initially to Uranus in Gemini (2025 to 2033) – so early on there’ll be a Uranus trine Pluto sextile Neptune after the mid 2020s – innovative and creative. Of the earlier historical happenings which might repeat, we can expect more advances in science and exploration (outer space/bottom of the sea/under Arctic ice?). For the rest – the US and France will have come full circle back to their first Pluto Return or the immediate aftermath, so significant shifts/adjustments, epochal events in both countries. Sometimes empires that rise on one Pluto cycle, fall on the next.

An add on from Hugh Fowler who commented below the previous August post (summarised): The Roman province of Britain was created by an invasion in 43 CE when Pluto was in Capricorn and Neptune in Pisces; and was completed by 61 CE, when Pluto ingressed into Aquarius and Neptune into Aries. This transition does seem to echo down the centuries for the inhabitants of Britain. If the past is anything to go by Pluto moving into Aquarius and Neptune into Aries in the mid 2020s signals some sort of transformation of English identity and its relation to the world if the 1530s is anything to go by since that is the last time it happened. Moreover it all be generated internally (ie the English nation will do it to themselves for good or ill).

Christopher Hemsworth gives his best performance yet, according to previews for his latest movie 12 Strong, a post-9/11 war drama about US special forces soldiers in Afghanistan who rode into battle on horseback, forming a close bond with an Afghan warlord.

After years of blockbuster success in Thor, and other movies, he’s in a position to make his presence felt in the decision-making process; has the full A-list paraphernalia of Sexiest Man Alive awards, gzillions of social media fans and a more than healthy bank account. He’s returned to his native Australia to give his three children the kind of carefree childhood he had, growing up part of the time in the outback where his father worked as a social-services counsellor. He and his two brothers were left to their own devices. He said in an interview: “We were rabid dogs sent out into the forest to forage for food. We were very physical, very competitive. We lived in the bush, not the suburbs – and we’d entertain ourselves by hurting each other. Or hurting ourselves.”

Born 11 Aug 1983, Melbourne, Australia, he is a Sun Leo; with a fierce and fiery Mars in Cancer in a formidably tough square to Saturn Pluto and trine Jupiter Uranus. He looks a touch downbeat over the next two or three months with Neptune transits to midpoint, but will be set for a mega-success after this in 2019 when his Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct his Jupiter. Next year he stars in Marvel’s Avengers Infinity Wars with another planned for the following year.

Catherine Zeta Jones has hastened to defend her husband Michael Douglas over allegations of sexual harassment thirty years ago. A former employee has claimed that he used sexual language in front of her, including openly discussing extra-marital affairs, while she was running the firm’s New York office, and commented about her body; and allegedly masturbated in front of her during a one-on-one script meeting in his apartment. The last is certainly way across the line; but the rest of it? For heaven’s sake, it was showbusiness. Sexual banter went on all the time and in both directions across the genders. My recollection is that he came out publicly years ago saying he suffered from ‘sex addiction’ and went into rehab to be treated for it.

Whatever Mr and Mrs are saying, they are both alarmed at this turn of events. Both are early Sun Libras with Michael having Sun Uranus in Libra and Catherine Sun Neptune square Mars in Capricorn. All of these planets are being assaulted by tr Saturn, causing a considerable setback at the moment. And Saturn will return from July to November to repeat the discouraging mood. He’s also got tr Uranus moving to oppose his Venus in Libra this March for an emotional upset; and tr Pluto will continue to square his Mars for major frustrations in Sept and October this year. Plus he has tr Saturn moving through his 2^nd house, the nadir of his first quadrant, which is often a psychologically trying time and certainly less successful.

Catherine has tr Uranus about to conjunct her IC in April, moving into her domestic 4^th house for an unsettled few years ahead. It will put a strain on their relationship with tr Saturn square the composite Sun now and tr Uranus in a disruptive trine to the composite Pluto from July onwards. They did split a few years back for a brief time but came back together, since it’s a strong relationship with a composite Sun, Venus, Jupiter in an enduring trine to Saturn; and a tied-together Saturn square Pluto. Though there are volatile sides to their connection which will be triggered by this – especially with careers at stake.

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Ellen Pompeo, the face of Gray’s Anatomy, the TV medical drama, now into its 14^th season and running for several more, being still the network’s No 2 drama generating $3 billion so far, is being trumpeted as the new face of women’s equality in pay. She’s signed for nearly $600k per episode plus plus, will become a producer and co-exec prod of a spinoff, all adding up to a cool $20 million pa.

Born 10 November 1969 1.24pm Everett, Massachusetts, she lost her mother at five from an overdose, was raised by her father and grandparents in downtown Boston and despite a few good roles was broke when she was offered Gray’s Anatomy fifteen years ago.

She has a stalwart Scorpio Sun, Neptune, Moon in the 9^th; with a packed 8^th house of Jupiter in Libra, Venus, Mercury in Scorpio. She’s intense, lucky despite her fractured childhood, able to project an aura to turn her into a superstar. She’s also got a heavily aspected Mars in Aquarius square a Saturn in Taurus opposition Venus in Scorpio so outspoken, disciplined, quite a bulldozer when she gets going, though would be lacking in self-esteem early on.

She credits Shonda Rhimes, Gray’s creator/producer for helping to empower her. Rhimes, 13 January 1970 has a fearsome Mars opposition Pluto, so not one to back down and be submissive. Her Mars is conjunct Pompeo’s Pisces North Node, so she’d put steel in her backbone. Also Ellen’s Solar Arc MC is now conjunct her Mars giving her extra confidence to demand her due. She’ll be unsettled through 2019 with tr Uranus square her Mars and conjunct her Saturn; and hitting a blockage by 201, perhaps when this run finishes. But whatever the future holds, she’s come a very long way.

French President Emmanuel Macron is striding the globe like a colossus, dispensing insults and largesse with equal vigour. He dazzled Trump with military pomp on Bastille Day; schmoozed Putin with the glories of Versailles; a horse to Xi Jinping; and the Bayeux Tapestry on loan to the UK. Fading Merkel, entangled in coalition talks, has left the field clear for his Jupiterian reign. The EU was always a Germany-France axis with the former taking the lead in recent times. Macron’s closer-integration zeal would seem to put him in the driving seat. Unless like Icarus, he flies too high and crashes and burns. Much depends on what emerges from the German electoral stalemate, which after this Sunday’s SPD conference may lead to another election.

Macron’s relationship chart with Germany looks to be his biggest headache from this June onwards with tr Uranus opposition their composite Saturn and square the composite Pluto, extending into 2019; and chills in relations now and across this autumn.

His France Presidency chart suggests his bubble of enthusiasm will start to deflate from this April with tr Neptune starting an eighteen month square to the Presidential Mars; with dents to his popularity this year and hitting his confidence in 2019.

His personal chart, 21 December 1977 10.40am, predominantly inspirational and super-confident Fire signs,  suggests a one term presidency with tr Saturn dipping below his Capricorn Ascendant before the next 2022 election. If he can muster up enough from tr Jupiter through his 1^st to make it through, he’ll have a lame duck second term. Before then he looks to be riding high, despite bubbles bursting under his feet in 2019 with tr Jupiter through his 10^th. To watch for: The late January Lunar Eclipse will hit his 7^th house Mars in Leo, which should provide an eruption or two.  Transits to his midpoints are very gritty from early this February onwards with frustrations, risk and lessening dynamism – running on till late 2019.

His relationship with the UK is deeply conflicted at the best of times with a composite Mars opposition Pluto, sextile/trine both Saturn and Uranus – and won’t improve, despite ancient treasures winging their way across.

But more pertinently he looks out of sorts with the EU, and vice versa, through this year and next, so not getting his way; with huge challenges come 2020 when the EU will be undergoing considerable turmoil. Interesting times.

Virgos are being keyed up this week, maybe in part by the Capricornian flush. But it’s astonishing how some weeks are dominated by one sign. First Michelle Williams, Keanu Reeves, then the sad Dolores O’Riordan.

Now Emily Maitlis, a high-profile UK TV news presenter is in the headlines. She has been stalked for an unbelievable and outrageous twenty years by a man she knew at university, who has already been imprisoned for breaching a restraining order and now is back inside for 45 months. She says it’s like having a chronic illness. “He is unwell and has wasted half his life. Stalking is a weirdo glamorised term for what is essentially mental ill-health and so somewhere along the lines we have to change the mechanism.” A convicted rapist was also revealed at his trial to have an unhealthy fixation for Maitlis. But mercifully he’s inside for four life sentences. She must feel jinxed.

Born 6 September 1970 in Canada, she’s a Sun Mars in Virgo with Mercury Pluto also in Virgo trine Saturn in Taurus which is in turn opposition Neptune. Her Mars is sextile Venus in Libra conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio. Her Moon is also Scorpio.

Stalkers are an increasing hazard for celebrities – losers trying to fabricate an identity for themselves by fantasising a connection that doesn’t exist. And there’s no way she set out to attract them. But two things strike me about her chart. One is that her Sun is conjunct her Mars/Pluto midpoint, making her ultra-determined and suiting her for high-risk work. The other is her Sun in aspect to her Neptune/Pluto midpoint, which can be obsessive, impressionable, sensitive to strange influences.

Mars Pluto in its negative manifestation is rape; and Neptune Pluto is prone to fantasy. Both have positive ways of being lived out which she clearly utilises; but they may be a part of the reason why she’s pulled into her orbit unpleasant personalities. The other being, she’s blonde, attractive and constantly on screen and the world is full of disturbed people. What a price to pay for a successful career.

Pic: By Gothick – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10099200

Italy is heading for an early March election with populists on Left and Right leading the polls with two thirds of voters behind them. They’ve abandoned plans to leave the euro, plotting instead ‘to subvert monetary union from the inside with parallel currencies and deficit spending in open violation of the Maastricht Treaty. All view the euro system as a racket run largely in the interests of Germany.’ (Telegraph). Italian output is still low compared to pre-2008 levels and not much improved from the mid 1990s when the lira was pegged to the deutschemark. The result is likely to be a hung parliament.

The EU will be watching with trepidation through February and more so come late March onwards as tr Saturn opposes the composite Pluto, then Uranus; with the Eclipse conjunct the composite Mars Venus, which tr Uranus then aspects into 2019 as well as opposing the composite Saturn. So there are likely to be ructions.

Where the Bank of Italy, 10 August 1893, looks in better fettle is by 2022 onwards, but there’ll be a fair few mountains to climb before they get there.

Unexpected co-operation between North and South Korea over the Winter Olympics in February, which includes marching under a unity flag, has brought a sharp backlash in South Korea. Japan has warned that Kim Jong Un is just buying time to continue his nuclear missile programme and Rex Tillerson says the USA is not easing up pressure either. It would certainly suit North Korea to unify and move the USA out altogether but that’s hardly likely to happen.

The Olympics chart, 9 Feb 2018 8pm Pyongchang, SK, isn’t too illuminating and Olympics are always fraught anyway with possibilities for mishaps in organisation rife. Though it does look reasonably bad-tempered with Moon Mars in the 3^rd; and there’s an unstable 5^th house Pluto square an 8^th house Uranus. The Aquarius Solar Eclipse at 27 degrees Aquarius falls on the 15^th which will certainly rattle up SKorea with its Sun, Saturn, Mercury in Leo in line for a shake-up. Locating the Eclipse to  P’yongch’ang it puts Jupiter on the midheaven which could be great success, though Jupiter isn’t always beneficent on these charts.

The SK/NK relationship chart does look at high tension next month with tr Uranus opposition the composite Mars; and continuing to be on edge throughout the year.

Japan, which has a bitterly toxic interface with NK, with a composite Mars opposition Pluto, will be even more uptight from March onwards, blocked in April and generally disbelieving.

The USA, off balance with this latest manoeuvre, will be on high alert after mid March with more sparks flying; and applying maximum pressure.

Kim’s leadership chart, 29 December 2011 11.57am, is facing a setback, exactly as the Winter Olympics closes in late February with tr Saturn conjunct the Sun Pluto. Across this odd turn of events next month the Solar Arc Uranus is coming to close the square to the Sun Pluto, which certainly indicates a turnaround, though usually of an unstable variety.