Poor Meghan. Having made an elegant entry into the Royal Family, she’s now beset with more embarrassments from her own family with her father seemingly unable to stop talking to the media and her mouthy half-sister perhaps being lined up for a Celebrity Big Brother.

According to the Mail, Meghan did offer to bring her father over before the wedding which would have made sense and he refused.  Meghan does have tr Saturn square her Libra Moon, Saturn Jupiter in Libra backwards and forwards this year till November which would suggests family separations – and since her Moon, Jupiter Saturn are all in her 3^rd house of siblings that could point to unwelcome intrusions from Samantha Markle. Plus she has tr Pluto square her 4^th house Pluto (= controlling father) in 2018/2019 as she pulls away from her past.

Her father, Thomas Markle, 18 July 1944, Los Angeles, has a Cancer Sun which sits conjunct Meghan’s Ascendant – both will be conjunct the mid July Solar Eclipse, so there may be crises brewing in his life and for her image. The late July Lunar Eclipse will also catch Meghan’s Mercury in Leo and Thomas Markle’s (Venus) Pluto so she’ll be running around mopping up problems and getting flustered, while he may be facing an emotional upset.

Their relationship chart has a highly-energised composite Sun Mars square Neptune which is also catching the July Lunar Eclipse; and an ambitious Jupiter Pluto which is being undermined by Neptune oppositions in 2018/2019; with further jolts and upheavals in 2019/2020 with tr Uranus square the composite Sun and Mars.

Meghan and Harry do have that uncomfortable composite Moon square Saturn Pluto in their relationship chart, which does suggest heavy family duty getting in the way of feelings which makes sense of the Royal straitjacket. But obviously extends as well to entangled family dilemmas causing resentment. There’ll be a few bumps along the road with tr Uranus square the composite Moon this December and January 2019.

Harry’s relationship with his father-in-law looks in general both irritable and trapped with Thomas Markle’s Pluto falling in Harry’s 8^th along with his Mars conjunct H’s 8^th house Mercury. Their relationship chart has an edgy, high-tension composite Uranus Saturn Venus conjunction which will be jangled around 2020; with a few ripples this year.

The rest of the Royals are used enough to tricky relatives since their own extended family has more than a few wayward souls.

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has said unequivocally that the Russian government is “corrupt” in an interview with the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. Russia gave him sanctuary in 2013 after he released classified NSA documents, which were he extradited to the USA would see him facing three charges under the Espionage Act, carrying a minimum of 30 years in jail. Despite the upcoming summit between Trump and Putin he stuck his neck out to say: “The Russian government is corrupt in many ways, that’s something the Russian people realise. Russian people are warm. They are clever. It’s a beautiful country. Their government is the problem not the people.” Asked about WikiLeaks Julian Assange, Snowden said: “I’m a reformist, he’s a revolutionary. I don’t want to burn the system down, if I believe it can still be saved.”

Born 21 June 1983 4.42 am Elizabeth City, North Carolina, he has an assertive and communicative Sun Mars North Node in Gemini in his 1^st house opposition Neptune and trine an unyielding, tough-minded and angry Saturn Pluto in Libra in his attention-seeking 5^th house. The Neptune Pluto and North Node tied together would make him destined to be in the centre of the zeitgeist with heady ambitions. He’s also got Mercury in Gemini opposition an adventurous Jupiter Uranus in crusading Sagittarius.

His leaving-a-legacy 17H is strong with a Grand Trine of Mercury trine Neptune trine Mars, formed into a Kite by Neptune opposition MC; and a T square of Jupiter opposition Mars square Sun.

But he’ll pay the price for his actions with no easy way out ahead.  Tr Pluto stays trapped in his 8^th until the mid 2020s; with tr Saturn joining it from later this year for two years which will be especially discouraging. By 2020 his Solar Arc Saturn Pluto starts a four-year collision with his Jupiter Uranus which will damp his spirits further. His Solar Arc MC squares his Mars within a few weeks which could generate a shock; with several undermining, uncertain Neptune transits to midpoints this year and through till 2020.

He doesn’t have any planets Earth signs so perhaps he didn’t think through the practical consequences of what would happen after his leak. Being landed in Russia is a grim irony for someone who believes in transparency and freedom of information. And starting off in China-ruled Hong Kong wasn’t too smart either.

His relationship chart with Vladimir Putin has a fateful Yod of composite Sun (Moon) sextile Saturn inconjunct Mars; with Mars oppositions Pluto Uranus Venus – so a volcanic interface. With another Yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct North Node. Hugely stressed, with power and control a central feature. 2019/2020 look to be raising the tension between them, though there’s nothing definitive showing up until 2022/23.

Putin’s Pluto is conjunct Snowden’s IC opposition his midheaven, so anchoring him to the spot; with Putin’s pumped-up Mars conjunct Snowden’s Neptune which despite the sanctuary offered, does not make it a mutually supportive relationship.

Pic: Laura Poitras

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive, civil-rights Democrat, created “one of the biggest upsets in recent American political history” when she defeated the Democratic incumbent, Joseph Crowley, an experienced senior in the party, in the primary for New York’s 14^th district. She spent under $200k on her campaign, almost all from small contributions, in comparison to Crowley’s $3.4 million and won 57% to 42%. It is a heavily Democratic district and if she defeats the Republican, an economics professor, in November she’ll become the youngest ever elected to the House of Representatives.

Born 13 October 1989 in the Bronx, NY, she’s an assertive Sun Mars in Libra and overflowing with initiative with Jupiter in Cancer opposition the triple conjunction in Capricorn of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune square Mercury in Libra probably opposition an Aries Moon. All these Cardinal planets will make her restless and resilient. Her Jupiter is also in a confident and lucky trine to Pluto in Scorpio; and she has a crusading-for-a-cause Aquarius North Node.

She’s on lucky form exactly on election day though hitting a catastrophe almost immediately, but will bounce back to form in December, January 2019.

Actress Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn, is pregnant by her new boyfriend, which will give her three children by three different fathers. All her beaux are in the music business, with a five-year marriage to Chris Robinson, a three-year engagement to Matt Bellamy and now Danny Fujikawa.

She was born 19 April 1979 10.51 am Los Angeles and her parents separated when she was 18 months old. Her mother, Goldie Hawn, has followed a similar pattern with a four-year first marriage, then a four-year second marriage to a musician which produced Kate and her brother; then a long term relationship with Kurt Russell with a son from that; plus multiple liaisons along the way as well.

Kate has a public-career, pro-active 10^th house Aries Sun on the focal point of a T Square to Jupiter and her Cancer Ascendant opposition a 7^th house Capricorn Moon. She will be ambivalent about what she wants, always finding the grass greener somewhere else with a Sun square Moon; but needing the security of a relationship with a 7^th house Moon. She has Pluto in her 4^th opposition Mars, so she will have a determined streak and want to be in control at home. Her Neptune in the entertaining 5^th is good for the movie business but will give her romantic dreams which are not always realistic; and suggests there will be a Neptunian slant to her children – sensitive, creative, troubled or unusual in some way.

She has a very different chart from her mother apart from sharing a 7^th house Moon, but she’s clearly following in her footsteps. Goldie has a Scorpio Sun and Gemini Moon; with a power-house Mars Pluto in her 8^th square her Venus in Scorpio, and Saturn also on the cusp of her 8^th.  Always amazes me how these bubbly, ever-young women have the most staggeringly heavy charts.

I wish Kate Hudson well but her Solar Arc Neptune moving to conjunct her Moon within a year and then oppose her Jupiter and square her Sun looks a touch uncommitted. Plus she has tr Neptune opposition her Sun/Moon midpoint this year till late next which looks disappointing on the relationship front. Plus a discouraging Solar Arc Saturn conjunct her 4^th house Pluto by 2020, by which time tr Saturn has moved into her 7^th conjunct her Moon. Won’t be easy to stay the course.

The black farce of Trump’s relations with the Kremlin roll on with a summit set for July 16^th and Trump announcing that Putin has denied meddling in the 2016 elections. So that’s alright then. Didn’t happen.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with aiming for a détente with Russia but Putin’s track record isn’t one which inspires trust in either integrity or motives. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials insist that the Trump administration has been tougher toward Russia than Obama was. They cite American sanctions, arming of Ukrainian troops, expulsion of diplomats and vocal public shaming of Russia for its cyberattacks. And yet and yet –  as a former diplomat said about Trump: “what he’s been saying completely undermines the policy. It’s like he’s untethered from his own administration.”

The meet is scheduled three days after the Solar Eclipse at 21 Cancer which is conjunct Trump’s Saturn Venus in Cancer and conjunct Putin’s Uranus.

An Eclipse on Saturn is grow-up-time, face responsibilities, pay the price for past actions.  With Venus involved it may lead to an emotional crisis, leaving him feeling bereft and alone, his guardian angel having disappeared and with a dent in his self-image. The eclipse effect runs on for several months.

An Eclipse conjunct Uranus offers an opportunity for more freedom – and Putin is licking his lips with relish in the aftermath with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter, making him even more pushily confident than usual.

Trump looks bad-tempered from early July and certainly at odds with Mike Pompeo. July was always going to be the start of a run of disagreements between them, worsening through 2019.

Trump’s relationship with Putin is very enmeshed with a composite power-hungry Sun Pluto conjunction, so very much a bond with one dominant partner. If birth times are accurate there’s also a composite Yod of Sun Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Moon which would suggest a contact which will have fateful consequences for both.

There’ll be a definite burp of tension and irritation between them from July 25^th into mid August and again in October.

The concern amongst Western allies is that Trump’s bro-romance will give Putin carte blanche to do as he pleases in eastern Europe, with the US seemingly intent on pulling away from NATO.

None of the USA/Russia relationship charts look positive this year so the president may well be out on a limb.

Three Identical Strangers is a documentary film on US cinema release about identical boy triplets, deliberately separated at their adoption when six months old as a psychological experiment on nature and nurture. One went to a working-class family, one middle-class, one wealthy and the adoptive parents were not told about the missing brothers. All the children suffered separation anxiety at the time, banging their heads against cribs; two of them were in and out of psychiatric hospitals in their teens and one was up on a robbery charge connected to a murder. They only met up by chance aged 19.

Dave Kellman, Bob Shafran and Eddy Galland were born 12 July 1961 shortly after 1 am in New Hyde Park, NY to an unmarried mother who became pregnant after a one-night stand. They became close, set up a business together in their twenties though it didn’t last and Eddy committed suicide in his mid 30s.

The psychiatrist Peter Neubauer, a renowned child expert, 5 July 1913, Austria, now dead, refused to apologise for what he’d done. He visited them separately and kept records of their development.

The boys have a New Moon in Cancer in the 3^rd house which rules siblings, so the separation would have been especially painful, given Cancer’s sensitivity to letting go. Their Sun opposes Saturn in Capricorn which would leave them with low self-worth. Most significantly they have a frustrated, enraged Mars Pluto conjunction square Venus – producing a turmoil of dark feelings.

Neubauer was also a Sun Cancer in an expansive, over-confident opposition to Jupiter; with a heavily aspected, immoveable Mars in Taurus on the focal point of a Fixed T Square to Mercury in Leo opposition Uranus. His Mars was conjunct the boys’ Ascendant. He worked with Anna Freud in London who was also involved in the study of the triplets. Born 3 Dec 1895, also Austria, she had Mars, Uranus, Saturn in Scorpio so not exactly sentimental or open to argument.

The relationship chart between Neubauer and the boys has a composite Mars square Saturn with Mars trine Uranus –  Mars Saturn hints at cruelty; Mars Uranus at explosive anger.

Nuebauer’s ideas were extreme even for the time and several adoption agencies refused him permission to split other twins and triplets for his study. He did nothing to help the growing boys when they developed problems and his results were never published. Of the three brothers, one is a lawyer, the other an insurance agent. The one who suicided did not get on with his adoptive father and was most affected by the reunion and finding his real family. He had bi-polar disorder. One of the adoptive fathers said they would have been more than happy to take all three boys which makes it all the more tragic.

Joe Jackson has died, aged 89, renowned for shaping and promotion of the Jackson 5, comprising his sons Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, and later Randy who were a phenomenon in the late 1960s and 70s. But also known for his cruelty in beating his children and he was described by Alex Petridis as ‘one of the most monstrous fathers in pop.’ Michael later said he was so frightened of his father he’d sometimes vomit when he saw him and eventually fired him as manager.

Born 26 July 1929 in Arkansas, Joe Jackson was a showbizzy Sun Venus in Leo square Jupiter in indulgent Taurus; with a stubbornly possessive and materialistic Mars in Taurus perhaps opposition a Scorpio Moon squaring onto Neptune. Very intense and unyielding. His Sun, Saturn and Pluto all aspected Mars midpoints – an angry man.

He was father to 11 children, including Janet and LaToya Jackson.

Michael Jackson’s chart, 29 August 1958 Gary, Indiana on the time I have of 11.43pm would put a Sun Pluto conjunction in his 4^th which is a doubly controlling father, perhaps leading Michael in his adult life to demand total control of his own domestic life, with tragic results. Like his father he had Mars in Taurus and Saturn in self-righteous Sagittarius.

Janet Jackson also has Mars in Taurus conjunct her Sun, opposition Neptune, sextile Saturn and trine Uranus Pluto – so her experience of him would be scary. Even worse LaToya Jackson has Mars in Aquarius opposition Jupiter Pluto square Saturn in Scorpio, inconjunct Neptune which is a monstrously pushy and cruel father.

Michael’s relationship chart with his father had a central Pluto dominating the composite Sun, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter in a conjunction; with the composite Mars square the Sun and probably trine the Moon – so all anger and control.

Saudi Arabian women are moving out of purdah in moves decreed by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). They can now drive, open their own business without a male’s permission and can retain immediate custody of their children after divorce without having to file any lawsuits. The first concert featuring a female singer was held late last year and in January 2018 a sports stadium in Jeddah became the first in the Kingdom to admit women. All of this possible by new regulations restricting the powers of the religious police.

His surprise appointment as heir to the throne was decreed just after midnight on 21 June 2017 in Riyadh, fittingly enough with a Moon Venus conjunction in Taurus in place, so female-friendly. It’s an innovative chart with a Saturn trine Uranus trine North Node in Leo; with Saturn opposition Sun Mercury as he laid out his ambitious plan to move Saudi Arabia into the 21^st Century in better shape without the heavy reliance on oil and with an eye to the younger generation’s needs and interests.

It’s also fairly ruthless with a controlling 10^th house Pluto opposition a 4^th house Mars, so likely to run into resistance from the conservatives and hard-line clerics though equally unlikely to give way. There’s also a Yod of Moon Venus sextile Neptune inconjunct Jupiter. Such an apex Jupiterian yod can have an influential effect on the masses with a powerful vision of what an improved society should be like. But it can be undone by over-ambition and over-confidence. The Jupiter is further emphasised being on the focal point of a T Square to the Mars Pluto opposition, which makes it inspirational, highly-energised, tolerant, freedom-oriented though again needing to slow down to consider long term practical consequences.

MbS, 31 August 1985, is a hard-working Virgo Sun possibly opposition a Pisces Moon square Uranus in Sagittarius, which will make him a radical thinker, keen to defy traditional views, high-wire, excitable and scattered. What will balance out his tendency to go in too many directions at once is a plethora of Fixed planets, especially a Fixed Grand cross of Pluto in Scorpio opposition North Node square Jupiter opposition Venus in Leo, with Saturn Mercury in Leo square Saturn in Scorpio. He’s relentlessly determined, stubborn to the nth degree and won’t budge or give up easily, sweeping social niceties to one side to get what he wants.

Tr Uranus will oppose his Pluto from this July onwards starting a three year shake up of his Grand Cross, which will see more changes taking place in his life. With a setback by 2021 and high-hopes being dashed in 2022. But there’s little that will slow his inexorable progress.

Saudi Arabia, 15 January 1902 3.45am is undergoing staggering changes over the next three years with tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn this year and Sun Jupiter in Capricorn in 2020/2021. The never-quite-together triple conjunction of Saturn Pluto and Jupiter will cross all of those planets so the country will be changing out of all recognition with some trepidation, some painful effort but resulting in great successes as well.

He has ruffled feathers with his incarceration of other Saudi Royals and oligarchs late last year; never mind putting the clerics noses out of joint; and letting the population know their time of feather-bedding with state support is coming to an end.  But he fits the Saudi chart well and if he can rein in his military impetuosity (Yemen and Iran) he might just be the one to foster a new Middle Eastern social lifestyle more in keeping with the times.

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Actress Pauley Perrette, the forensic goth Abby Sciuto in top-rated NCIS TV series, has left after 15 seasons, letting fly with a few tweets about physical assaults.  Which turned out to be an on-set fracas with the lead (Jethro Gibbs) Mark Harmon’s dog, who bit a crew member as he was playing with him. She says she had decided to leave for other reasons but in the past two seasons has not acted with Harmon in the same scene.

Never my favourite character, she has nonetheless had an interesting life and range of talents, with a degree in criminal justice, a part-time singing career and the highest Q score of female artists (= brand familiarity and appeal rating). Her first marriage ended after 3 years with a restraining order against her ex and accusations of abuse; and in subsequent relationships she foreswore marriage until same-sex marriage are legalized in the US.

Born 27 March 1969, she has a chart split into three almost contradictory parts. Her pro-active Aries Sun is opposition a lucky Jupiter Uranus and trine Mars in crusading Sagittarius, making her lively and outgoing. She also has a self-protective and creative Water Grand Trine of Mercury in Pisces trine a Cancer Moon trine Neptune in Scorpio, formed into a Kite by Mercury opposition Pluto  as well as opposition Jupiter Uranus – not always realistic, but capable of putting her views across forcefully. She also has a notable and tricky Yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Saturn Venus in Aries. Saturn in Aries is self-reliant, quite hard-edged and as a Yod apex planet demands a good deal of maturity for it to operate well. Venus on a Yod can be influential in the arts and public relations.

Tr Uranus was opposing her Saturn Venus as she decided to leave, setting her on a new track; though it won’t be an easy adjustment with tr Pluto moving to square both in 2021/2022.