Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter, has a birth time of 11.05 am Clinton, Iowa. That gives him a pro-active, impulsive and ambitious Aries MC with his Aries Sun Venus and heavily aspected, malefic Mars in Taurus all in the 10^th. So he’d certainly want to make a statement with his life that brought him into the public eye.

His Mars Jupiter in Taurus sit on the point of a Fixed T square to an intense 8^th house Aquarius Moon opposition Pluto. Mars Jupiter is high-energy, enthusiastic, can be fanatical, with a might-makes-right attitude, giving a love of parade, pomp and patriotism. Mars is slow burn in Taurus, but utterly unyielding, strong-willed, headstrong, stubborn to the nth degree with dogged persistence, a bulldozer type. And that triples up as a focal point, especially in a ruthless, brutal square to Pluto; with the over-pushy Jupiter square Pluto added on top. Jupiter Pluto is dogmatic, making the individual disregard social niceties and be a law unto themselves.

He’d be a good organiser and the shooting had clearly been planned meticulously overtime.

Why now?

The two T Squares which dominate his chart are in collision at the moment and have been since 2013, so there would be a slow build-up of hyper-energy that wanted expression. His 10^th house Aries Sun Venus are opposition a paranoid/neurotic Saturn Neptune in the 4^th square his Cancer Ascendant. His Pluto opposition Moon square Mars Jupiter has been moving to hard aspect the other T Square with the Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the Saturn and Neptune at the moment, which would exacerbate his tendency to paranoia and mental turmoil.

He’s also got a Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune Saturn inconjunct Mercury in Pisces in the 9^th, which wouldn’t improve his mental stability either, since Mercury can be exceptionally scattered and highly-strung. Tr Saturn is square that Mercury exactly now, which may have been a minor trigger. But I would suspect he’s been in meltdown since around 2013 since at that point as well his Solar Arc Saturn Neptune had moved to square his Mercury. So something may emerge about his life which explains what has been going on in recent times.

I would also suspect there’s also some religious element with a strong Jupiter and 9^th house Mercury in play, perhaps of a peculiarly American ‘patriotic’ variety.

An additional point of interest is that the fanatical Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto of the USA 1776 chart, which is being highly stressed this year by tr Uranus in square, falls exactly across his Asc/Desc axis. (see post Dec 26 2016). In past occurrences of this in the US there have been outbreaks of extreme behaviour. So in part he was acting out the American mood of the moment. His Uranus is conjunct the USA Sun, so he’d act as a catalyst.

A banner year is what the US conservatives are hoping for from the Supreme Court as it reviews a batch of ideological cases on migrant rights in the legal system, partisan gerrymandering of election districts, voter purges, public-sector union financing, a cake maker’s objection to gay marriage, the privacy of cell-phone records and whistle-blower protection.

The Supreme Court first met on 2 February 1790 when there was a controlling Sun Pluto in Aquarius; with Sun opposition Uranus in Leo and Pluto trine Neptune and opposition Mars Jupiter in Leo; and a Virgo Moon opposition Saturn Venus in Pisces. Quite a mix of super-confident, influential, power-hungry, yet also prone to surprising decisions at times. 2018/19 look challenging and tough with tr Pluto sextile Saturn, with the workload piling up.

Tr Uranus will trine the Mars Jupiter in Feb to April 2018 which should be a successful resolution though that’s from the Supreme Court’s point of view, so could mean anything. Where it looks unsettled is by 2019 when tr Uranus squares the Uranus.

What’s interesting is Trump’s relationship with SCOTUS. It’s not remotely harmonious with a composite Mars square Saturn Venus. It’s on a downer at the moment with tr Saturn square the composite Jupiter for a few days; is generally in a tense tug of war through 2017/18 with tr Pluto square the composite Sun and trine the composite Saturn/Pluto; agitated in March 2018; and facing more obstacles in 2019. So he won’t get all the decisions he fancies despite his appointment of Gorsuch.

Indeed he looks seriously out of sorts with Gorsuch from Aril 2018 until late 2018 with tr Uranus opposition their composite Neptune and square Sun. Gorsuch, 29 August 1967, has his Uranus Pluto in Virgo square Trump’s Uranus Sun and Moon – so he has the capacity to upset Trump’s applecart in ways he didn’t expect. Dry judges have a way of sticking to the letter of the law which will no doubt prove irksome to the great huckster.

EastEnders is the one of the UK’s most popular long-running soaps, made by the BBC, about everyday life in east London, and the most complained about for storylines, which have dealt with violence, rape, murder and child abuse. Ratings have been falling recently with a new producer being pulled in.

The first programme transmitted at 7pm on 19 February 1985 on a Pisces New Moon trine Pluto and square Saturn, giving it grit and longevity; plus an enthusiastic Venus Mars in upfront Aries. It’s been muddling along in the past year with Solar Arc New Moon square Neptune; and although it’ll get a lift in 2018 from tr Uranus square its entertaining 5^th house Jupiter, it will continue to struggle through a challenging transformation with tr Pluto opposition the Solar Arc MC in 2017 to 2019. Late in 2019/into 2020 it looks highly uncertain with Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Neptune. As with most terrestrial shows there has been a drop off in audience in recent years.

The first of the UK daily-life soaps was Coronation Street launched by ITV on 9 Dec 1960 at 7.30pm, which still continues. It has a showbiz 5^th house Sun in Sagittarius; with Jupiter Saturn in earthy Capricorn in a gritty opposition to Mars in Cancer; and a confident Pluto trine Jupiter. It is labouring as well with tr Pluto opposition Mars at the moment and conjunct Saturn before the year end; and will be in a dip in 2019 with tr Neptune square its Sun; and Solar Arc Saturn square the Sun in 2020, which might bring closure.

Both soaps have Pluto in the financial 2^nd and they have been money generators with spin offs along the way; both have confident Pluto Jupiter aspects; and both have three planets in the hard-working 6^th house for the relentless schedule of shooting;

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The Scottish National Party has thrown its support behind the Catalonian separatist movement, though they’ve dropped discussion of a second independence referendum pro tem until the Brexit negotiations conclude. Several EU countries have secessionist problems, including the UK, Belgium and Italy, so the EU will be worried about the outcome in Spain. A commentator said this week: “the Europe of regions is making a comeback.”

As far as the UK is concerned: Working off ancient country charts is dodgy since there’s always an argument as to which of several dates fits best. What is set in stone, however, is the Act of Union between Scotland and England, which came into effect on 1 May 1707 JC presumably at 12 am. That chart would point to movement towards a split picking up a head of steam from 2020 with tr Uranus square the Act Uranus, moving towards a climax around 2023. As tr Uranus moves towards the final decan of Taurus it will conjunct the 1707 Act Taurus Sun in 2023 and square the Pluto Jupiter; with the Solar Arc Pluto Jupiter square the Moon (assuming 12am); with the Solar Arc Sun approaching an opposition to the Moon as well, exact in 2025. All of which looks like a major upheaval. Even before then there are major aggravations on this chart especially through 2018/19 as tr Pluto opposes the Mars and squares the Neptune.

Just before the mid-2020s the UK 1801 chart will have lived through a dramatic series of jolting changes as tr Uranus moving into the UK financial 8^th has crossed the 8^th house Mars, squared the 5^th house Venus, opposed the 2^nd house Neptune and tr Uranus is on its final hard aspect squaring the UK 11^th house Saturn which rules the legislature. In 2024 the Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct the 8^th house Mars, so it will be a time of radical upheaval. And as tr Pluto moves into Aquarius it is trine the UK Uranus and opposition the UK Jupiter, which will bring a definite shift into a different future.

At that point the devolved Scottish Parliament, 1 July 1999 12am Edinburgh, is moving through a challenging phase of transformation with tr Pluto conjunct the Solar Arc Midheaven, which could certainly indicate more powers; with great celebration from tr Uranus conjunct the Solar Arc Jupiter; though also a major amount of enraged frustration running into that period from tr Pluto opposing Mars in 2022/23; and a not altogether easy Solar Arc opposition Pluto in 2024 which could point to financial constraints.

Whether this means a federal UK with even looser ties to Scotland, Wales and NIreland or an outright fragmentation isn’t clear. But it certainly isn’t going to stay the same.

Tom Petty, American rock musician and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, has died from an apparent heart attack. He had just finished a successful, six-month 40^th anniversary tour with The Heartbreakers; and had several projects going ahead.

Not flamboyant or a show-off, he was a musicians’ musician much respected by those in the know and but whose quiet genius was never fully appreciated.

Born 20 October 1950, he was a charming Sun Venus in Libra trine Jupiter (Moon) in Aquarius. His Jupiter was in a confident opposition to Pluto; with Pluto in turn trine Mars in Sagittarius, sextiling onto musical Neptune, communicative Mercury and creative Venus in Libra. He would have a steely core behind his unassuming front.

Kazuo Ishiguro, the Japanese-born British writer, has won the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature. He was praised by the Swedish Academy as a writer “who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world”. His most famous novels The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go were both adapted into highly acclaimed films. His novels are often melancholy with no sense of resolution, his characters’ mourning a past they can only accept but never put right.

Born 8 November 1954 in Nagasaki, he came across to the UK when he was 6 with his Oceanographer father on what the family thought was a temporary assignment, but never left. He does have an intense and downbeat Sun Saturn conjunction in Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius, so will have experienced unfairness, unkindness and grief growing up. He also has a more upbeat, lucky, inventive Jupiter Uranus in Cancer square Neptune Mercury in Libra; and a passionate Venus in Scorpio square Pluto. A soulful, complicated man.

His creative 5^th and 7^th harmonics, his genius 13^th and writers 21^st harmonic are all strongly aspected.

Tr Uranus is square his Uranus Jupiter conjunction at the moment bringing luck and surprise. He admitted to thinking initially it might be a hoax. He looks if anything slightly unnerved by the experience over coming months, though getting a confidence boost from December and through 2018/19.

Will he or won’t he? Jump, get pushed? Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, has never looked happy in the job and according to those in the know, Trump and he are increasingly exasperated by each other’s approach and methods. Tillerson’s more traditional stance on global problems has constantly been contradicted by presidential tweets; and Trump evidently finds him arrogant since he won’t kowtow to the imperial need for homage to his image rather than the country. Despite yesterday’s denials and expressions of loyalty, he could well be heading for a high noon.

Born 23 March 1952, he’s a cautious Aries Sun opposition Saturn with an innovative square to Uranus; plus a relentlessly determined Mars in Scorpio square Pluto. His relationship with Trump has its plus points but is heavy on control with a composite Sun Venus square Pluto; and worse a composite Mars Neptune – if one succeeds the other feels as if he has lost. Trump evidently resents the arguments that Tillerson has won.

Tillerson’s personal chart does have tr Pluto opposition his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint now till late October, which can be a time of job losses. And he’s certainly looking undermined from Oct 10 to early January; at a time when his relationship with Trump is at a low as well with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mars/Pluto.

Both Tillerson and Mattis have their Uranus conjunct Trump’s Mercury, so arguments were inevitable. Tillerson’s unforgiving Mars in Scorpio is also trine Trump’s Saturn which is an aggravating interface. Mattis’s Sun Saturn in Virgo and John Kelly’s Mars (Saturn) in Virgo all square Trump’s Sun Uranus and Moon – so the three ‘grown-ups’ who have lashed themselves to the mast, no doubt out of a duty to the country, are all at odds with their employer.

Mattis has the same problem as Tillerson with a composite Mars Neptune in his relationship chart with Trump, so again the president will feel diminished every time Mattis wins a policy point. Both Mattis and Kelly have chained-together composite Saturn Pluto conjunctions in their relationship charts with Trump, so will be less likely to bale than Tillerson. Though November/December this year look edgy, jangled and flummoxed on all three relationship charts with the great leader. Heaven help the US if they disappear off the scene.

Uranus, on its 84 year cycle, moves into Taurus mid May 2018 staying for 7 years, the first time since 1934 to 1941.   Uranus is inventive and experimental, with lightning eureka flashes of insight,  and Taurus is earthy and practical, so no surprises that on previous occurrences there were new discoveries. In the later 1930s there were major advances in technology in aviation, radio, and film. On a previous occasion, in the late 17^th Century, street lighting was introduced in London. There was also widespread exploration across the globe and major advances in astronomy, including the first sighting of Uranus (which was mis-named). Taurus being earthy and quite anal, no surprises either that sewage systems and toilets came to the fore.

Taurus is also acquisitive for money and possessions so from past experience trade became a pressing and not always compassionate drive. During the Uranus in Taurus of 1600 England starts trade with Asia; two Uranus in Taurus later it moves into Bengal with catastrophic results for the population; 2 million die in a famine and the East India Company raises their taxes and ships the revenues out of the country! The Same Brit company then takes over the North American tea trade, which leads, due to their punitive taxation, into the American Revolution.

The Bengal famine narrative repeated in a different location during the mid 19^th Century Uranus in Taurus in Ireland. The potato crop failed, which starved a million to death and a million emigrated, with the British overlords, who were partly the cause of the population’s reliance on one crop, continuing to send foodstuffs to the UK. And that is a wound which has never healed.

It isn’t easy to extrapolate the effect of Uranus in Taurus from other influences ongoing. The mid 19^th Century Uranus in Taurus came on the back of a Saturn Pluto Uranus conjunction in late Aries/Taurus, so was always going to be a time of upheaval and devastation.

The most similar to this one would be the 1767 Uranus in Taurus with Pluto in Capricorn about to oppose Saturn in Cancer, with Neptune in Virgo. Apart from the horrors of the Bengal famine, James Watts’ steam-engine inventions drove the Industrial Revolution into being; and the first mechanical spinning frame for fabric weaving also appeared.

The most recent 1935 to 1941 Uranus in Taurus came on the back of the Great Depression of the decade following 1929, with widespread poverty and unemployment leading to authoritarian regimes emerging in several countries, most notably German with Hitler rising to power from 1933; and Stalin’s Great Purge of 1936-38 with 600,000 being executed in Russia by the state. Territorial greed is clearly one of its manifestations; as well as inhumane methods in the pursuit of power. Though Roosevelt was pushing his New Deal in the USA to alleviate social problems so different countries had different experiences.

In 1935 Uranus was just over the square to Pluto in Cancer, so not dissimilar to now – and it ended with a Saturn Uranus conjunction trine Neptune in Virgo in 1941.

So the overall conclusion would be good and bad. Innovative yes. Power and money hungry not great.

Camilla has a fling with Charles, because her boyfriend Andrew is sneaking off with Charles’s sister Anne. Sounds like a trashy rom-com instead of being an eye-opener into how the upper classes have traditionally conducted their lives. Penny Junor’s The Duchess; The Untold Story has been shining a no-doubt unwelcome light on Royal shenanigans, as the monarchy edges towards a handover .

In the beginning, Camilla, now Duchess of Cornwall, is determined to marry the super-attractive, cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles despite his serially wandering ways, but draws the line at his dalliance with the then unmarried Princess Anne. So she embarks on a liaison of her own with Prince Charles, for whom she would at that time have been an unsuitably unvirginal bride. As a Roman Catholic Andrew was equally out of the question as a spouse for Anne and so he gets hitched to Camilla. In the way of all aristo and Royal circles everyone frequently meets socially and at race meetings and so the merry-go-round continues.

Camilla, 17 July 1947 7.10am London, has a hidden Sun Mercury in Cancer in the 12^th trine a happy-home Jupiter in Scorpio in the 4^th; with Venus Moon in Cancer also in the 12^th; and the formidable Saturn Pluto conjunct her Leo Ascendant. So quite defensive and reclusive.

Andrew Parker Bowles, 27 Dec 1939 6am?? London, is a Sun Capricorn in a confident, devil-may-care square to Jupiter in upfront Aries and opposition a Cancer Moon. His Moon certainly connects with Camilla’s Cancer planets. Though his Full Moon will give him an ambivalence about what he wants. Plus he has a seductive Venus in Aquarius opposition Pluto, which sits across Cam’s Descendant/Ascendant axis. He’d make her feel trapped, but his Venus on her Descendant is a good placing for marriage.

Charles on the other hand connects with her 4^th house Jupiter which is conjunct his Sun, so he’d bring domestic security and comfort; and with Charles’ Mars Jupiter in her 5^th also a good deal of fun.

Anne certainly chimes with Andrew, since his Pluto is conjunct her Venus MC opposition his Venus and her IC. His relationship chart with both ladies has an affectionate composite Sun opposition Venus; though there’s more anger between himself and Camilla with a composite Mars square Pluto.

There’s a good deal of aggravation and competitiveness in Andrew’s relationship with Prince Charles, with a composite Mars trine Uranus trine Neptune, and Mars opposition Pluto as well as Sun Venus opposition Uranus (Moon). Though all water under the bridge now.

What a tangled web they all weave. Marry, produce the heir and spare, then suit yourself.