Big Ben, the iconic symbol of London, is to fall silent for four years from noon tomorrow for repairs. Health and Safety have managed to accomplish what five years bombing by the Nazis failed to do in WW11. It was the first subject addressed by Theresa May as she arrived hot-foot from a month’s vacation. ‘Won’t do’ she said, backed by the long-time clock-tender who said stopping it wasn’t necessary; and a population sinking into shell-shock from the inept chaos of the Brexit negotiations regarding the loss of its familiar bells with superstitious horror. And they could be right. I faintly recollect the Queen’s swans dying en masse when they flew into a bridge in fog and thinking at the time it was a bad omen. Her Annis Horribilis followed.

The clock tower was rebuilt after a fire and completed on 31 May 1859 giving it a Sun Uranus in Gemini, maybe New Moon, with Mars Jupiter also in Gemini. Traditionally London was supposed to be Gemini, so that all fits. There’s also a stubbornly enduring Pluto Venus Mercury in Taurus square a wannabe-important Saturn in Leo.

On the UK 1801 chart, tr Mercury moves exactly now into the hidden 12^th house, though it moves out at the start of this October. The likelihood is a solution will be found. The Solar Arc MC is exactly square the 8^th house UK Mars right now as well, which fairly reflects a stunned nation. And the transiting North Node (Eclipsed) is conjunct the 11^th house Saturn in Leo. The 11^th house represents the legislature (House of Commons) – and an Eclipse conjunct Saturn will force our benighted politicians to get a grip, face their responsibilities and be realistic (hopefully). Saturn always brings the bill for past choices. There is a price to pay and that moment is now (and over the next few months).

Bruce Forsyth, the British television presenter and entertainer and national treasure whose career spanned 75 years has died. He started at 14 with a song, dance and accordion act and became the best known face on TV with the London Palladium and game shows, latterly Strictly Come Dancing.

Born 22 February 1928 3.30 am London, he had a 3^rd house, quick-witted New Moon Mercury in Pisces, with a lucky, adventurous Uranus Jupiter in Aries also in the 3^rd, so he’d thrive on a helter-skelter, varied everyday life. He had an ambitious Mars Venus in Capricorn in his 2^nd house of finances; and a surprisingly defensive Saturn on his Sagittarius Ascendant (if his birth time is accurate). His Pluto fell in his 8^th, fitting for a personality who became an icon. He was married three times and had six children.

Deep political analysis of the ousting of Steve Bannon mainly suggests a win for the New York inner Trump faction (Ivanka, Jared etc) over populism; and a win for Chief of Staff John Kelly brought in to restore peace. The truth is Bannon dissed his chances in February when he appeared on the cover of Time as the great manipulating puppet-master who had created Trump and portrayed himself as Darth Vader. No one but no one gets to take away the centre spotlight from the great narcissist.

The Trump/Bannon relationship chart has a power-struggling composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction – initially this can operate as a mutually back-slapping, adventurous combo but it almost inevitably ends up in a game-playing, who’s-going-to- get-the-last-word scenario. There’s a composite Sun Mercury Saturn conjunction which is workmanlike and cool, but that’s been undermined this year by tr Neptune in opposition, which continues on till late 2018. Plus a passionately enthusiastic composite Mars Venus, which has tr Saturn in square for the final time at the moment into October.

In his I’m-not-going-quietly interview yesterday Bannon said: “I feel jacked up. Now I’m free. I’ve got my hands back on my weapons. Someone said, ‘it’s Bannon the Barbarian’. I am definitely going to crush the opposition. There’s no doubt. I built a f***ing machine at Breitbart. And now I’m about to go back, knowing what I know, and we’re about to rev that machine up. And rev it up we will do.”

Nothing in the crazy, conspiracy-ridden world in which Bannon and Trump operate is simple. Bannon and his billionaire patron Robert Mercer evidently still support Trump and his agenda, so presumably see him as a hostage to ‘swamp’/globalist forces now surrounding him in the White House.

Mercer (see post June 28 2017) is a full-blown paranoid, reportedly believing the Clintons have had opponents murdered, that nuclear radiation from the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Japanese citizens healthier, and that African Americans were better off before the Civil Rights Movement (New Yorker).

Bannon’s overly aggressive Mars in Libra on the point of an explosive T Square to Uranus opposition a Capricorn North Node will be at full throttle for the next few months. Since his Uranus is also square Neptune, he has a tendency towards fanaticism, an irrational disinclination to face facts even when pushed in his face. The Leo Solar Eclipse is, of course, conjunct his Pluto and maybe Leo Moon and his Solar Arc Jupiter, giving him a shock and a spur to power. But 2018 will see his plans dissolving and his life going through one of its periodic upheavals. His career backwards has been one of ruptured business relationships, bombastic and war-like claims and failures.

Even his relationship to Robert Mercer looks less than amiable as this year wears on and will be on a downhill slide through 2018.

Mercer himself, 11 July 1948, looks less than ecstatic at the moment with his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Venus in Leo and both meeting the Leo Eclipse had on; with Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Neptune bringing uncertainty; with more disappointments and failed plans as the year goes on. He’ll be bullish at points with tr Pluto square his Jupiter, but there’ll be more downs than ups.

Please add below, remembering that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.  Older posts under News on the top bar.

The madhouse drama that is Trump’s administration continues to eject flames and debris in all directions. His latest toddler tantrum against being bullied into decent, grown-up behaviour has led to alarm amongst a wide range of hitherto quiescent supporters – and even better has caused several large charities to pull their functions from Mar-a-Lago, which will cost him bucks. No doubt his hotels will see the same fall-out.

James Murdoch, CEO of 21^st Century Fox (son of Rupert who is CEO of Fox News and a great Trump supporter) has spoken out sharply against Neo-Nazis and Klansmen and given a donation to the Anti-Defamation League. His relationship chart with Trump was never great to start with, given a composite Mars square Saturn in their relationship chart; and tr Saturn square the composite Mercury Sun Mars across this summer has exacerbated his dislike. Though it may cause friction with Murdoch Senior since the Senior/Junior  relationship chart has a tr Saturn square the composite Mars late Sept/early October. Though even Rupert may follow some of his Fox TV presenters in distancing himself from the toxic Trump brand, from late September, with definite ruptures come 2018.

There’s a good deal of aggravation with Steve Bannon who has been shooting his mouth off in Mooch style. He’s got an infuriated, aggravated, trapped tr Pluto square his Mars (unless he was born pre 7 am) through this Sept/Oct. Even without that, he’s being frozen by Trump at the moment with tr Saturn square the composite Mars Venus till mid October.

Gary Cohn, chief economic adviser to Trump, is at loggerheads with Bannon and privately ‘disgusted’ with Trump’s post-Charlottesville remarks. The Trump/Cohn relationship chart was always a munitions dump ready to blow with an explosive composite Uranus, Mars, Sun in a deeply suspicious and blocked square to Neptune Saturn; and a power-struggling Pluto square Jupiter. That’s being detonated at the moment by tr Uranus square the composite Sun, with a tranche of escalating difficulties following into 2018.

Former four-star general John Kelly, Trump’s Chief of Staff, looked in pain as Trump went on his rampaging off-page speech. I feel sorry for these guys and the military chiefs who are no doubt staying in place for the sake of the country and having to swallow their bile and their pride to ensure the lunatics aren’t left in charge.

Kelly, a stalwartly persevering Sun Mercury in Taurus square Pluto, trine Mars, is ploughing on in discouraged mood through Sept/Oct, highly irritable at points and sinking at others, with more aggro come November, and worse in 2018.

The latest incumbent in a communication hot seat is former model Hope Hicks, 21 October 1988, who replaces Scaramucci. She’s a Sun Libra sextile Uranus Saturn in Sagittarius; with her Mercury in Libra trine Jupiter square Neptune. Her Jupiter in Gemini falls in Trump’s 10^th so she’ll boost his image; and her Sun and Pluto fall in his 3^rd so she will be his voice-piece. Though her Saturn Uranus conjunct his Moon and opposition his Sun don’t look a great mix. Her life is certainly changing radically with tr Uranus opposition her Sun now and into 2018; heading for the pressured Saturn return later this year; and will be in for a bumpy ride across the New Year with tr Saturn square her Mars and conjunct her Neptune. 2018 looks a sinking year, with worse in 2019.

Her relationship chart with Trump has an affectionate composite Sun Mercury Venus though that squares Neptune – so illusions, delusions and disappointment. There’s a constantly-changing composite Uranus opposition Pluto, which is catching downbeat and jolting tr Saturn squares from late September; and is generally proving to be a let down with tr Neptune square the composite Mars now till late 2018.

Trump has tr Saturn conjunct his Moon at the moment till late September, then gets the face-reality tr Saturn opposition his Sun late Sept/early October. October sees tr Uranus trine his Mars, which will tempt him to prove his machismo with yet more wild and intemperate gestures. Dec 2017 and Jan 2018 see tr Uranus square his Sun/Mars midpoint which is highly insecure and explosive; square his Mercury/Pluto bringing mental strain; and square his Venus/Saturn making him feel unloved.

Tr Saturn in hard aspect to his Full Moon, also impacts on his Sun/Moon midpoint, so I’d imagine relations with Melania are even less ecstatic than usual.

At least 13 are dead and more than 100 were injured in a van attack in Barcelona yesterday for which ISIL claimed credit; with five terrorists shot dead hours later in a Spanish seaside resort 70 miles away. The initial attack occurred at 4.50 pm on Las Ramblas, a busy tourist street. It’s the worst atrocity on Spanish soil since the Madrid train bombings by Al-Quaeda inspired terrorists on 11 March 2004, which killed 192 and injured more than 2000.

This attack happened when the Moon in late Gemini formed a Kite onto the Fire Grand Trine of an exact Sun North Node conjunction in Leo trine Saturn trine Uranus, with the Moon opposition Saturn. There was also a pushily confident, rule-breaking and emotionally intense 8^th house Venus in Cancer opposition Pluto square Jupiter. Mars in Leo (conjunct the Sun Node), was also on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune, so hyper-aggressive.

Next Monday’s Solar Eclipse has the Leo New Moon on the axis conjunct the Descendant; and the Lunar Eclipse of August 7^th had Mars in Leo and the Sun conjunct the Descendant.

At the Madrid bombings, Pluto was also inconjunct Mars, so obviously a highly stressed and brutal time; and Pluto was square a Pisces Sun. Pluto was at 22 degrees Sagittarius and at the moment tr Saturn is at 21 Sagittarius – but there’s nothing on the modern Spain country chart that resonates to that.

The 22 Nov 1972 12.45pm Spain chart does have tr Pluto heading to oppose the destructive Mars/Saturn midpoint within days, which makes sense.

Civil wars do leave their mark, sometimes for centuries. The English Civil War 1642-1651 pitted authoritarian Royalists against democratic progressives. Though underlying it, was the bitter Roman Catholic v Protestant battle which had been waged since Henry V111 baled on Rome (Vatican) a century before. And that antipathy carried on into the 20^th Century with the Irish troubles and general, lingering anti-Catholic prejudice in the UK. So power and identity politics.

Taking the 11 May 973 JC AD chart for England: When civil war broke out it was on a Uranus Return and tr Pluto was trine the North Mode; so similar to the USA Civil War (see previous post). Neptune was also around in quantity with the devastating Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Pluto; and the undermining tr Neptune opposition the England Taurus Sun, Mars, Mercury and square Pluto.

The last civil war in Portugal was in 1828 which again saw progressive constitutionalists versus authoritarian absolutists arguing over royal succession. The absolutists alarmed by liberal reforms and the French Revolution (1789), controlled the rural areas, combining the aristocracy with a peasantry galvanized by the Church; they lost. There are two charts for old Portugal – 24 June 1128 and 5 October 1143. The 1128 shows the kinds of influences you’d expect with a civil war with tr Pluto square the Cancer Sun and opposition Neptune Saturn. But the 1143 chart has much clearer indications of Nodal pressure with tr Pluto trine the Leo Node, and being conjunct Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Saturn; with the transiting North Node conjunct the Libra Sun. There seems to be less residual hostility from this civil war, perhaps because it did not have the toxic identity/reiligous politics underlying it.

Aspects to the Nodes do seem to point to significant moments in a country’s history. The UK vote for Brexit happened in the aftermath of the tr Pluto square tr Uranus hitting on the UK 1801 Aries North Node in the 7^th house of partnerships and the Sun/Moon midpoint. When Henry V111 split with the Roman Church in 1534 tr Pluto was trine the England 973 North Node.

When Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa, post-apartheid, tr Pluto was opposition the South Africa 1910 Taurus North Node; and it was on its First Uranus Return. When Mandela was released from 27 years in prison in 1990 tr Pluto was just over the square to the South Africa Solar Arc North Node with the tr Node in opposition to the Solar Arc Node.

Other stray thought is how much religion is tied into, not just conflict, but ideas of superiority – the Bible Belt’s notion that the white man was created superior isn’t that different from King Charles 1’s firmly held belief of his divine right to absolute power. In South Africa, the Dutch Reform Church believed that the Apartheid laws were God’s will; races should be kept apart; mixed marriages and relationships are discouraged so races remained ‘pure’. Reverend Ian Paisley’s views on Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland were hair-raising. “They breed like rabbits and multiply like vermin” . Which isn’t too different from some of the Confederates’ views on slaves.

The USA Civil War of 1861 was fought over slavery and the independence of individual states from the national government. It cost of 625,000 lives and was the most destructive conflict in the Western world between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the onset of World War I in 1914. It pitted neighbour against neighbour, split families and by the end of four brutal years with two and a half million men fighting, it left the south devastated and left deep scars in the American psyche. It was precipitated by the election of the anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 who held that all men were created with an equal right to liberty. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1 January 1863 freed millions of slaves held in the south.

The war started on 12 April 1861 at Fort Sumter, South Carolina at 4.30am. What’s most interesting about this not very startling chart in relation to the USA 1776 chart are three things. 1 The USA was on its First Uranus Return. 2 Tr Pluto was hovering round the square to the US Leo North Node. 3. The transiting North Node was opposing the USA Cancer Sun (exactly in the June 1861 Eclipses).

The nodal connections suggest a significant moment in the country’s history and destiny. When tr Pluto had moved a quarter of a zodiac in 1941 to conjunct the US Node, Pearl Harbour happened. Tr Pluto on the next square in 1986 oversaw the Challenger space rocket disintegrate, the Iran-Contra Affair blew up, and more helpfully Reagan was descaling the Cold War with Gorbachev. (Just as a point of interest tr Neptune was exactly opposite the USA Node when 9/11 occurred.)

The next tr Pluto hard aspect to the US Leo Node, in opposition from Aquarius, doesn’t happen till 2027/2028. What is worrisome about that is the next Uranus Return also occurs in 2028. Both of those aspects were around at the height of World War 11 in 1943/44.

Uranus Returns come round every 84 years and affect every country differently. But they do carry great significance. Russia 1917’s First Uranus Return accompanied Putin’s accession to the top in 1999/2000, where he’s remained ever since.

In the UK the Uranus return in the late 1960s oversaw the start of the Irish Troubles, Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech, and the Race Relations Act was passed which criminalised racial discrimination. The previous Uranus return around 1885 saw colonial Britain in the ’scramble for Africa’, the Siege of Khartoum, and Irish terrorists in London.

For the USA, the Uranus Return was the Civil War and then World War 11.

I would suspect this nasty spat with Trump and the Alt-Right versus the civilized world is more to do with tr Uranus square the USA Mercury opposition Pluto (see previous posts Aug 13 2017, Nov 12 2016) – and that will subside into next year. But it has exposed glaring fault lines in American society that have been there from square one and won’t go away in a hurry.

Actor Tom Cruise is thought to have broken his ankle in two places after smashing into the side of a building when a roof top leap went wrong as he was filming Mission: Impossible 6 in London. He is famous for insisting on performing all his own stunts and according to reports has gone back the US for treatment, pushing back filming on the shoot by months.

Born 3 July 1962 New York with a putative, unsourced time of 3.06pm, he’s a Sun Cancer in a creative, though not always realistic Water Grand Trine to Jupiter in Pisces and Neptune. That apart his chart is substantially Fixed giving him endurance and perseverance. His Leo Moon and North Node oppose Saturn squaring onto Neptune – so he’s very Neptunian, suited to the film business and also to strong spiritual beliefs, especially with his Sun in the 9^th. Plus he has Mars in ultra-determined Taurus square Uranus – and it is that latter which is interesting since the Leo Solar Eclipse next week is conjunct his Uranus tugging on that accident-prone square. Plus he has tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint exactly now which is also disaster-prone and highly frustrating, repeating this November. He’ll come roaring back with great vigour and confidence from January 2018 and that will carry him through the year.

His birth time is too iffy to go by. However he will have quite a significant change come 2020 when tr Uranus opposes his Neptune and squares his Saturn, which will be unnerving and fairly discombobulating. Though his Solar Arc Jupiter catching up to aspect that T square in 2022 will give him a renewed boost.

“She died doing what was right,” were the words of Heather Heyer’s mother, the Virginia paralegal, who died when a car rammed into a group of people protesting against a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Heather’s Facebook cover photo read: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention”; she was active in fighting racism and police brutality.

Born 29 May 1985 (net obit), she was a Sun and Mars in Gemini opposition Uranus, so feisty in defending what she believed in. Her Mercury in Taurus opposed a conscientious Saturn in Scorpio; and she had Jupiter in can-be humanitarian Aquarius; with probably a Libra Moon. Heather’s Mars was conjunct Trump’s Sun with her Uranus conjunct his Moon and in opposition to his Sun Uranus. So a clash of opposites.

James Alex Fields Jr, 26 April 1997, has been arraigned on second degree murder charges and denied bail. He had allegedly been abusive of his wheelchair-bound mother, has neo-Nazi views and perhaps a history of schizophrenia. He’s a Sun, Mercury, Venus in Taurus square a highly-strung Uranus Neptune. With his Mars in Virgo trine Venus and inconjunct Jupiter, as well perhaps as being square a Sagittarius Moon. His Jupiter is like Heather’s in Aquarius, which as well as being idealistic can be fascist, certainly suggests adherence to a cause. He’s also got a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries in a bleak trine to Pluto. Heather’s interface with Fields had a composite Jupiter Pluto which is always a struggle for the upper hand.

Given that Heather’s tragic death has become a pivotal factor in dragging Donald Trump’s image even lower, what are disturbingly suggestive are the cross-overs between the charts. What is eerily precise is Heather’s ‘relationship’ chart with Fields, whom she’d never met but there’s always a karmic link between victim and perpetrator no matter how random the crime. Their composite Sun falls on Trump’s midheaven and their composite North Node is exactly conjunct Trump’s Saturn in Cancer. So it really was a catalytic event in the trajectory of Trump’s slide from approval. The composite Mars in the Heather/Trump relationship chart is also conjunct Trump’s Saturn Venus; with the composite Pluto Saturn Uranus squaring Trump’s Sun and Moon. All combining to knock him right off track.

David Duke, former KKK leader, has already made his views known about even Trump’s first prevaricating response to the violence (see post Aug 13 below), which he has since – two days too late – firmed up into a condemnation of evil racist thugs and criminals. Born 1 July 1950 11.37am Tulsa, OK,  Duke is facing multiple setbacks and collisions over the next two years with his Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Saturn in 2018, followed by Solar Arc Mars square his Saturn in 2019. And his relationship with Trump is infuriated at the moment and this November, and diverging further towards the New Year.

Interesting thought. If Steve Bannon is ousted which signs are he may be; and goes into full alt-right vengeful mode; then a goodly chunk of Trump’s core fan base will be at odds with him. Bannon’s Breitbart hosts a fair amount of the white supremacist propaganda, so it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that he’ll get attacked from all sides.