Robert James Waller, author of The Bridges of Madison County, one of the best-selling novels of all time about a brief love affair, has died. He wrote it in 11 days in his fifties, having retired from a business college teaching career. The critics crucified it as sentimental, cliché-ridden and trite, for The New Yorker “the worst book in living memory”. But it sold 50 million copies globally and was made into a successful Clint Eastwood movie. So much for critics’ sense of public taste.
Born 1 August 1939 in Rockford, Iowa, he had – intriguingly – an 8 degree Leo Sun, as does JK Rowling, whose writing style the critics have also trashed. In Waller’s case, his Sun was conjunct Pluto trine Jupiter in Aries, so he wasn’t short of confidence. He had an Earth Grand Trine of Neptune in a creative trine to Uranus trine Mars in Capricorn, formed into a Kite by Mars opposition Venus in Cancer and Pluto in Leo – undoubtedly talented and suited to the materialistic world of economics and management. His Mercury in Leo opposed an Aquarius Moon squaring onto Uranus in Taurus; with an out-of-element Grand Cross of Saturn opposition a Scorpio Node square Pluto Venus opposition Mars. A complicated man, tough-minded though obviously with a romantic streak. He left his wife of 35 years for a younger bride five years after his great success and went on to write several other books.
Could Norway be invaded by neighbouring Russia? That was the plot of ‘Occupied’, the 2014 television thriller based on a Jo Nesbo novel. Too far-fetched the studio bosses said – until Russia walked into the Crimea. The Russians condemned the drama as fear-mongering; but the Scandanavian countries are all ramping up their military and naval defences, which had been allowed to slide at the end of the Cold War.
Norway, NATO’s most northernmost outpost, is monitoring increased Russian military and submarine activity inside the Arctic Circle, with worries about the maritime choke point, the Greenland Iceland UK Gap, through which Soviet naval forces would have to cross to reach the Atlantic to stop US forces heading in to reinforce America’s European allies.
A senior Norwegian defence official said: “We are a nation of only 5 million, but we lie on the threshold of the largest non-western concentration of force in Europe. The modernised Northern Fleet is Russia’s main strategic deterrent, their main nuclear bastion and contains the capabilities to deter and attack the US. It is also the area where the most sensitive testing of Russia’s strategic hardware takes place.”
Trump’s NATO-bashing and opaque Russian ties are alarming those who sit on the frontline with Russia. What is worrying is that Trump’s Mars MC line on his astrocartography runs through Scandanavia (Sweden, Finland) up into the Arctic circle, as well as further south through eastern Europe, so it is a flash point for him. And his Pluto MC runs through Norway which will bring up his power-hungry streak, though it’s likely to backfire on him.
Norway, 7 June 1905 11am Oslo, has the confused, uncertain tr Neptune square its Gemini Sun in 2018; with a blocked, bleak, Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Pluto; though also a confident, never-give-in tr Pluto trine Jupiter in 2018/19 as well. So whatever ails them, they are pushing back. 2019 and especially 2020 look more stressed, inflammatory and insecure with tr Uranus square their Moon, conjunct Venus and opposition Mars. Relations with Russia (both the 1917 and 1991 charts) look on high-alert with extreme anxiety this year, but most aggravated in 2019/2020.
Finland, 6 Dec 1917 3pm Helsinki, also has Neptunian panicky influences through 2017 till 2020 as tr Neptune squares the Sagittarius Sun, then opposes Mars in 2019/2020; with extreme concern in 2020 from Solar Arc Neptune square Uranus. Relations with Russia, are jangled this year, sinking to a low in 2018/19 and explosive in 2020.
Sweden, 7 Dec 1865 3.30pm Stockholm, again has Neptune dissolving and undermining the Sagittarius Sun through 2018; with a dead-halt and high-risk Solar Arc Mars conjunct Pluto in 2020, followed by an explosive Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Mars covering 2020/21. Relations with Russia, are sagging and hugely unsettled this year, and working up to outright rage and frustration, again with dangerous overtones in 2018/19.
Trump’s idiocy no doubt bolstering Putin’s burgeoning aggression could have unpleasant knock-on effects on places far from the safe enclave of Mar-a-Lago, unless his military brass rein him in.
What will colour EU countries attitude to the UK over Brexit will be that one stumbling block is removed to the notion of a two-speed Europe which is now being talked up. So the UK will get the blame for opening the door by those countries opposed.
A two-speed Europe would allow closer integration for a core of countries to forge cooperation on finance, tax and security, leaving a peripheral group to stay in a looser federation, which latter group would not have the power of veto. Italy is pushing the idea hard at the moment and France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are likely to support it. Poland is vehemently against it, fearing that the inner group would start to take unilateral decisions with a continent-wide effect. The head Poland’s ruling party, Jaroslaw Kaczyński, last week warned that any move toward a two-speed European Union would lead to the bloc falling apart. It would lead he said to “the breakdown, and – liquidation, of the European Union in its current sense”. Others in the Visegrad group – Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia are also alarmed. Which given that they have only recently removed themselves from the USSR straitjacket and re-asserted their national identity is hardly surprising.
The latitude for the UK exploiting such rifts amid the general mayhem of the EU attempting to mount a cohesive divorce negotiation will be considerable.
The relationships of all the Visegrad countries with the EU (for Poland see previous post) are hugely unsettled, Hungary especially, and getting more so into the early 2020s, . They’ll all feel forced into changes beyond their control.
Malta looks disappointed and irritated by the UK’s decision to exit so won’t be too supportive; Cyprus even more so, though that was always a fractious relationship at best. The EU will be fighting battles on several fronts so Brexit, at times, won’t be the major concern. Though the substantial loss of revenue will loom large, nonetheless.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry continue to step out together with relatively little fuss (comparatively speaking) apart from the odd bitchy piece a la the Daily Mail today suggesting she’ll get not-invited to Pippa Middleton’s May wedding lest she steal the limelight.
I’m still not convinced it’s a together-till-eternity match with a close composite Sun square Uranus, which favours on-off, separated-by-distance relationships. There’s certainly a passionate composite Venus Mars conjunction and a tough-it-out Saturn Pluto, though that latter probably squares the composite Moon which is bleak. And there’s also a fair amount of Neptune wreathing its illusory magic around which most often ends in disappointment, especially with Mars square Neptune.
They are totally different types of personalities – she a Sun Leo and Moon Libra, he a Virgo Sun Taurus Moon. So Fire Air with Earth Earth. Admittedly her Venus in Virgo helps as does his Venus in Libra, since they resonate with his Sun and her Moon. But maybe not enough.
There’ll be some kind of an upheaval in the relationship come April as tr Uranus opposes the composite Saturn and then moves to oppose Pluto; which may well be circumstances around them changing rather than anything dramatic at an emotional level. The degree of the composite Moon isn’t known but tr Uranus will square it sometime either this year or next, which will be a genuine upset. The year end across into 2018 will also feel separated and irritable with tr Saturn square Mars Venus, which may be just a passing moment.
Prince Harry definitely is smitten and wants a settled partnership with tr Pluto square his Venus throughout this year (and last) and his Progressed Moon going through his 7th for another year ahead. And he has tr Pluto trine his 4th house Moon in 2018/19 which is usually domestic and family changes. He’s got tr Uranus square his Sun/Moon midpoint at the moment which quite often accompanies relationship splits, but since he’s had that since early 2016, it may point to a radical reappraisal of what he wants from partnerships and from life. The Sun/Moon midpoint is the marriage of the spirit and the soul, the conscious and the unconscious. But it does suggest a degree of inner conflict perhaps about what his public duties will be in future. And that returns double-fold when tr Pluto opposes his Sun/Moon in 2019/2020.
April shows up on his chart as an emotional upheaval and that returns on and off till early 2018.
Meghan herself looks confused through chunks of this year, edgy, insecure with some highs but more challenges; and a disappointing-in-love tr Neptune opposition her Venus in April, returning later in the year and on and off through 2018.
Just as an addendum: Pippa certainly harbours no great liking for Meghan with a composite Mars square Saturn Pluto, which is very activated through mid March/April and beyond.
Meghan’s relationship to maybe-sister-in-law Kate will be turned on its head in April and jolted mightily in 2018 with tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun.
It’s a shame for Prince Harry since he clearly wants a settled family, but he’s a very different temperament to New Moon in Cancer in the 7th William.
One of the (many) mysteries of the fledgling Trump Administration is what has happened to the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. Next to POTUS it’s almost the most important post and yet Tillerson has been largely invisible, not present at foreign dignitary meetings with Trump, or giving briefings. Admittedly he inherited an understaffed department, with top staff exiting, and is under threat of budget cutbacks. But he didn’t get to be CEO of Exxon, the world’s sixth largest revenue generating business, by being a shrinking violet. So the fightback must be happening out of sight or is still in the planning stages.
He’s a Sun Aries opposition Saturn square Uranus, so pro-active, innovative, practical; with a fearsome and ruthless Mars in Scorpio square Pluto, and his Sun exactly opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint, so he’s not going to be tramped underfoot for long.
His relationship chart with Trump (minus his birth time) is friendly enough though also controlling – but doesn’t throw up too many clues about the way ahead prediction-wise. Two alpha males and only one boss. Tillerson won’t take kindly to being pushed into a cupboard.
The ones he has real issues with are Stephen Bannon and Jared Kushner, who have been sitting in on foreign meetings and plotting a parallel course to the State Department. Tillerson’s relationship chart with Bannon has an argumentative composite Sun Mercury square Mars; with a power-struggling composite Jupiter square Pluto; and a suspicious, crossed-agendas Saturn Neptune square Uranus. That chart is being jolted and jangled for the next two months with a major upheaval in September/October.
With Jared Kushner, the relationship chart is no better with an implacable-dislike composite Mars square Pluto Uranus; and a disappointing/distrustful composite Sun square Neptune. They’ll be jockeying for position this month till early June; with an impatient, seriously stuck late July to late September; and a real flare up in December.
Tillerson’s personal chart looks undermined ahead and insecure with tr Neptune opposition Mars/Uranus, on and off till late 2018; and a high-tension tr Uranus square his Sun/Mars from late April, on and off till 2018. Plus a major setback tr Pluto opposition his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint in Sept/Oct, which tends to be a career loss.
Heaven help the US if the grown ups can’t get their act together and throw their weight around effectively.
Not that Jared Kushner and Stephen Bannon get on well with a disruptive composite Sun square Uranus Pluto, which is being pounded by tr Saturn hard aspects all year; plus a dissolving, undermining tr Neptune square the composite Mars this month and on into 2018.
There’s been a fractious spat in the EU with Poland after a near universal vote to reappoint Polish Donald Tusk as European council president. Clearly he’s not popular at home. As one of the largest recipients of EU funds, Poland would hardly seem to be in a position to lay down the law, even more so considering the EU parliament last year passed a resolution condemning PM Beato Szydio’s for meddling with the Polish Constitutional Court saying it endangered “democracy, human rights and the rule of law”. But she’s come out all guns blazing saying they would not be blackmailed.
The Poland 24 Aug 1989 1.05pm Warsaw/EU relationship chart is in a flashpoint year with tr Uranus opposition the composite Uranus and Mars, hotting up in April, on and off till early 2018. With a separating tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun in 2019. So the differences won’t subside.
Poland joined the EU on 1 May 2004 along with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia. That chart is on a collision course exactly now with Solar Arc Mars conjunct Saturn, certainly bad tempered, with tr Saturn also this year in an irritable opposition to the Mars, and square the Mars/Pluto midpoint; with a dead-halt Solar Arc Pluto opposition Saturn by 2021, when there is also tr Uranus conjunct the Sun.
The possibilities of getting anywhere near a unanimous agreement on almost anything look slim whether Brexit or a two-speed EU ahead, split into the haves and the have-nots..
Another holy roller horror has emerged after a ‘wee free’ minister in Lewis, Scotland hanged himself after being confronted by his wife over several affairs, of which she found evidence on his computer. In some denominations it might raise no more than a few tut tuts, but the Free Church (a misnomer if ever there was one) is exceptionally strict and has dominated life in parts of the north west of Scotland for 170 years. On Sundays due to Church diktats, life grinds to a halt – no shops and restaurants, no play on the golf course; the council-run swimming pool is shut. Only in recent years have there been flights and ferry sailings on Sundays. Needless to say, in addition, all sins and immoralities are roundly condemned in hellfire and brimstone sermons.
The Free Church of Scotland was formed on 18 May 1843 which gives a resolute Taurus Sun conjunct the destructive Fixed star Algol, trine Saturn (Moon) in Capricorn, square Neptune Jupiter in Aquarius; with Saturn (Moon) square Pluto Venus; and Pluto Venus trine a crusading Mars in Sagittarius. All of which adds up to enduring stubbornness, a tough almost ruthlessly cruel streak and a fair amount of illusions/delusion. The Jupiter Neptune conjunction is marked being on the focal point of a mini Grand Trine to Pluto Venus trine Mars; and square Sun – Ebertin associates this with a conflict between the visualized ideal and the very different reality. How true.
There used to be an old saying about wee free ministers that around them it was best to keep both hands in your pockets – one holding your knicker elastic and the other your purse. Vulgar but apposite.
At the moment tr Uranus is opposition the Free Church Venus Pluto as the sexual scandal emerged which seems descriptive; moving on to a jolting square to the Saturn (Moon) as the year rolls on, perhaps putting a dent in all that Saturnine authoritarianism. Tr Uranus doing what it does best – rattling cages and forcefully blowing away old restrictions.
What gives with religious zealots? Outrageous and quite dizzying hypocrisy.
The British artist Howard Hodgkin has died aged 84. His vibrant, colourful oil paintings caught public attention when he was in his forties and his muse has produced prolifically since. He was famously emotive, “a man who loves and hates with a passion, and is very emotional. He will cry very easily and flares up, both in terms of colour and of temper, very quickly,” according to Nicholas Serota who gave him his first exhibition. Yet he always said he hated painting, that it was a gruelling, lonely business and did not come easily.
Born 6 Aug 1932 in London, he had a Sun and Jupiter in flamboyant Leo; and a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in emotionally sensitive Cancer sextile Mercury Neptune in Virgo. He also had the stark, depressive and inventive Pluto opposition Saturn square Uranus of his generation. His Uranus was trine Jupiter, so however much he doubted his talent, he had the courage to take risks to become a truly unique artist.
His two strongest harmonics were the creative, get-it-together 5th and the ‘superstar’ 22nd; with a stressed, inspirational 7th Harmonic as well.
Ireland already reeling from multiple allegations of sexual abuse by clergy and maltreatment in institutional homes like the Magdalene Laundries, has another horror to add to its conscience. In the region of 800 babies born to unmarried women in Ireland ended up dumped in a septic tank at the Bon Secours Home at Tuam run by RC nuns over decades. Reports over the years suggested children in the home were underfed and mistreated, often dying from poor care. But under the iron thumb of an authoritarian, supremely arrogant and cruelly uncaring Catholic Church there was little hope of any action being taken. Illegitimate children were regarded as the product of sin and therefore sinful in themselves.
Not that it is a peculiarly Irish problem, since the Poor Sisters of Nazareth who ran UK orphanages were described in one report as “ruthless, sadistic, mad, depraved.’ And the Abuse Inquiry is now hearing of the sexual abuse of tens of thousands of British children forcibly deported to Australia by the UK government and leading churches and charities, between 1947 and 1970.
Words fail me. Do-gooders and holy rollers. It’s the hypocrisy which is so mind-bending. How do they square their pious superiority with such acts of wanton cruelty? I hope when they got to meet St Peter at the Pearly Gates, they were promptly sent elsewhere.
And the issue of abortion is still stuck back in a mediaeval time warp in Northern Ireland as well. Usually when countries have a punitive attitude to women they have afflicted Moons.
The Ireland 6 December 1922 5pm chart has a Moon Pluto in Cancer square Saturn in Libra which is bleak, tough, suppressive, uncaring. Moon Pluto is also in a Water Grand Trine to Uranus and Jupiter in Scorpio, which will stick the country in a rut, locked into a fantasy-land where facing up to unpleasant realities has to be avoided. Tr Pluto is square the 4th house Saturn this year; and Solar Arc Pluto Moon will conjunct that Saturn in 2018, which doesn’t hold out much hope for a speedy remedy, at least in the near future. Though from the looks of that there may be more depressing stories creeping out into the open.
Northern Ireland, 3 May 1921 12 am, with highly restrictive laws (unlike the UK) refusing abortion unless the mother’s life is at risk, (ie. not in the case of foetal abnormality, rape or incest) has been described by the UN and judges as cruel, inhuman and degrading, violating a woman’s human rights. The NIreland Moon is conjunct Uranus, trine Pluto and opposition Saturn Jupiter, so not dissimilar to Ireland. Tr Neptune is wending its way round the NI Moon and Saturn over this year and into 2019; with a collision in 2019 so there might be a chance of a change then.
