Roman Polanski, the film director, is asking that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts (the Oscars)  allow him to plead his case for reinstatement having been tossed out along with Bill Crosby over sexual misconduct. He fled the US in 1977 while awaiting sentencing for the statutory rape of a 13 year old.

Polanski was born 18 August 1933 10.30am in Paris, France and moved to Krakow in Poland when he was 3 and was forced into the Jewish ghetto when he was six at which point he saw a woman shot in front of him by Nazis. Before he was 10, his parents were both sent off to concentration camps where his mother died. He went into hiding; spent some time with a Roman Catholic family; and at other times roamed wild in the countryside where he was shot at. 90% of the Polish Jewish population was killed during the war. After the war his father returned and he had to readjust to living among people and start his education.

His earliest experiences were of constant fear, horror, unimaginable loss, loneliness and the need to survive in a dangerous world.

He has an 11^th house Leo Sun but what dominates his chart is Mars in Libra opposition Uranus in Aries squaring onto a 10^th house Moon Pluto in Cancer. Mars Pluto and Mars Uranus point to the brutality and extreme risk of his childhood, which he used to effect in his movies. Pluto in the 10^th has several meanings but the central one is an overwhelming need to be in control as a defence against a world that is trying to smother, suffocate and destroy him. That is doubled up emotionally with his Moon being conjunct Pluto.

Without generalising too much, adult men who opt for very young or underage partners, have a tremendous fear of mature women and a need to dominate. Years ago I looked over several paedophile charts and several had Pluto in the 10^th, which in normal circumstances indicates a mother who is possessive and controlling to a degree that the child is frightened of not being able to breathe and certainly feels they have no choices. A child ‘sexual partner’ will not pose the same dangers for them – though clearly it inflicts lifelong damage on the child. Either they lack empathy to a degree where they don’t understand how destructive their actions are; or they have a warped sense of their own emotional age, having been stunted in psychological development. And some will act out what was done to them (at least at a feeling level) as a kind of repetition compulsion. Treatment usually demands they are able to re-experience their own feelings of utter helplessness, shame and terror before they understand what they have inflicted on the child they attack sexually. But that rarely happens since the feelings are so corrosive, the process threatens psychic implosion.

Polanski’s background has always posed a moral dilemma, since it’s a miracle he survived his childhood to function at all, let alone as a well-adjusted human being. Not that his history or his talent excuses his behaviour.  But there’s something gothic about his life. His wife, Sharon Tate, whom he married when she was 24 and he ten years older, was murdered brutally when pregnant by the Manson cult members in 1969. It must have felt his childhood was replaying itself with his mother being sent to her death in Auschwitz. His sexual assault came 8 years after that in 1977. In 1989, he remarried to Emmanuelle Seigneur, 33 years his junior, who was 23 then and they have two children. She has a Leo Moon conjunct his Sun and a Sun Jupiter in Cancer – with an affectionate though controlling relationship chart.

A fascinating female psychopath is how Ma Anand Sheela evidently comes across in Netflix’s Wild Wild Country documentary six parter. It tells the tale of the war between an Oregon town and the Orange followers of the Indian guru Bagwan Shree Rajneesh who set up a commune there on 64,000 acres in the 1980s. Combining eastern mysticism and western capitalism, he urged devotees to explore sex as a path to enlightenment and acquired a great many Rolls Royces,

The Rajneeshees fought the war with mass poisonings, drugs, rigged elections, attempted assassinations, and an arsenal of assault weapons they practiced with on their land.

‘Bhagwan was their leader, but Sheela, his tiny cherub-cheeked, foul-mouthed secretary, was pulling the strings.’ She was a master of manipulation; overthrew his other secretary to become his righthand, and instructed a young disciple to murder Bhagwan’s doctor. The woman obeyed, though she wasn’t successful.

Bagwan was later deported, while she pled guilty to attempted murder and a bio-terror attack in poisoning local people with salmonella; and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, paroled after 29 months. She later moved to Switzerland, where she married, and purchased two nursing homes. And was later convicted by a Swiss court of “criminal acts preparatory to the commission of murder” in relation to a plot to kill US federal prosecutor Charles Turner in 1985 but served no time.

Born 28 December 1949 Baroda, India, she has a Capricorn Sun opposition Uranus square Mars in Libra – ambitious, rebellious, explosive; with a pro-active Aries Moon possibly conjunct her North Node. Not short of initiative with all those Cardinal planets or aggression. Her Jupiter Venus is in freedom-loving Aquarius with passionate and manipulative Pluto in Leo opposition her Venus.

Bagwan, 11 December 1931 5.13pm Bhopal, India had a stellium of five planets in Capricorn with Mars, Mercury conjunct and Venus, Moon Saturn in his 8^th – ambitious, indulgent, secretive, cold. His Moon Saturn was in a bleak opposition to Pluto in the 2^nd – money was his god, with sex a close second. He also had an entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Uranus trine Jupiter in flamboyant Leo trine his Sagittarius Sun.

Deeply unpleasant the pair of them and yet they enticed a whole tranche of hippy dippies to throw up their lives, hand over their money and worship at his shrine.

John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, is facing more allegations of bullying which No 10 has suggested should be referred for investigation. The Telegraph described him thus: “In the political bear pit of the Commons, he has both his supporters and detractors because, alongside his thin skin, odd behaviour, rages and childlike temper tantrums, he also has the capacity for political intelligence, charm and generosity.” Now a former Black Rod has come forward to say that “His explosive and intemperate behaviour is legendary, objectionable and unworthy of someone in such public office – conduct which may not stand up to the standards expected in public life. There were lots of people who were, frankly, terrified of the Speaker.”

Born 12 January 1963, London, he’s an ambitious Sun Capricorn conjunct Mercury in Aquarius; with a pushily-confident, rules-don’t-apply-to-me Jupiter opposition Pluto Uranus. That opposition squares onto Venus in Sagittarius, which will give him a veneer of charm for softer public relations approach at times. And a Fixed T Square of Mars in self-important Leo opposition Saturn in Aquarius square Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio – Mars Saturn can be explosively bad-tempered; a focal point Neptune slippery and squaring Saturn neurotic.

He’s got an upsetting tr Uranus square his Sun now as the allegations surfaced, moving on to square his Mercury in mid May for more shocks and outbursts; with a nasty hiccup come June as tr Uranus is trine his Mars/Pluto. All of these repeat later in the year. He’ll no doubt put up his usual bullish front. But his Speakers Term chart, 22 June 2009, has an uncertain, undermining tr Neptune opposition Saturn picking up next week, running for almost three months; and repeating into 2019 – which will dent his gravitas or at least that of his position.

His relationship with Theresa May always was hostile with a composite Mars opposition Sun square Pluto and is being undercut at the moment by tr Neptune.

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Kanye West, the most successful rapper of the 21^st Century, seems to have gone off the rails again, causing outrage among fellow musicians and civil rights activists by implying black people were to blame for their enslavement. In an interview he said: ‘Slavery – for 400 years? That sounds like a choice. It’s like we’re mentally in prison.”

He’s had a history of instability including one psychotic break with hallucinations and paranoia, suicidal impulses and opioid addictions; and has recently declared his love for Donald Trump.

Born 8 June 1977 Atlanta, Georgia with an unverified time of 8.45am, his mother was an English Professor and his father who left the family when Kanye was three was a former Black Panther. He spent some of his childhood in China where his mother was teaching. And is now married to Kim Kardashian with three children.

He’s a Sun Jupiter in Gemini opposition Neptune square a Pisces Moon; with his Sun Jupiter also trine Pluto and sextile Saturn in self-important Leo. The Neptune Pluto contact is often seen in mega-successful charts, having a hint of megalomania about it. But that Mutable T Square is very finely balanced mentally – and is being undermined by tr Neptune conjunct his Moon exactly now and squaring his Jupiter, Sun/Jupiter midpoint this year, then Sun in 2019. So perhaps loosening his grip on reality.  His determined and passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Taurus opposition Uranus is also getting the elbow from tr Uranus conjunct Mars in June and Venus in July, repeating into 2019. So he’ll be all over the place.

Will.I.Am, the musician and actor, has been leading the backlash saying it “one of the most ignorant statements that anybody who came from the hood could ever say about their ancestors”.  Born 15 March 1975 1.16 am, Los Angeles, he was a founder of hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas, has made solo albums and is a music producer. He also has a Sun Jupiter conjunction, in his case in Pisces with a fiery Moon Venus in Aries in his performing 5^th house; an influential Pluto in the 10^th square Saturn in the 8^th; and in a mini-Grand Trine trine to Mars, sextiling onto musical Neptune on his Sagittarius Ascendant. Talented and tough.

Kanye’s Saturn opposes his Mars so there will be a gritty interface.

Tom Brokaw, a highly respected TV journalist and NBC anchor has had three allegations of historical sexual harassment made against him – of groping and unwanted kissing. 65 TV industry women then signed and published a letter characterizing Brokaw as “a man of tremendous decency and integrity.” Although one subsequent report says more junior staffers felt forced to sign it.

Born 6 February 1940 3.40am Webster, South Dakota, he has a quick-witted 3^rd house Sun, Mercury in Aquarius. Though what marks his chart out as mega-talented – and quite heavyweight – is an Earth Grand Trine of Capricorn Moon trine Uranus trine Neptune, formed into two Kites. Neptune opposes Venus in charming Pisces; and his Moon opposes an 8^th house Pluto squaring onto a disciplined, but ratchety Mars Saturn in Aries. His Pluto is also trine a confident, happy-home Jupiter in the 4^th. He’s been married since 1962 to author Meredith Lynn Auld and they have three children.

Pluto in the 8^th would help to make him influential; though his Moon aspects are difficult – opposition Pluto square Mars, Saturn. Certainly not at ease with the feminine.

In recent years he suffered from cancer though it appears to be in remission. He’s got a tough three to four years ahead with tr Uranus squaring his Pluto from June, and later in the year hitting his Moon/Pluto midpoint. In 2019 tr Pluto moves to square his Mars Saturn which will be extremely challenging.

Germaine Greer has followed up her critical comments on the “whingeing” #MeToo movement by blaming women for the prevalence of sexual violence and rape on television for which they are the largest audience. She says women are drawn to dramas about the victimisation of women in murder and rape.

There’s always a nugget of truth in what Greer says but she always manages to sound bulldozingly dogmatic and as if she enjoys stirring up controversy without worrying about whose sensitivities she’s tramping on. Nuance isn’t her thing.

In 2010 Illinois University researchers did find that women were disproportionately likely to review true crime books on Amazon and watch police procedural series.

Born 29 January 1939 6 am Melbourne, AU, Greer has a Sun Aquarius conjunct her Ascendant in a controlling opposition to Pluto and square Moon Uranus in Taurus  – so a curious and cool mix of Air and Earth. She’s very Fixed and Aquarius does like to outrage and shock. Her Saturn in Aries in her communication 3^rd house is hard edged and her Mercury opposes intense and unyielding Pluto. Plus she has an ambitious and vengeful 10^th house Mars in Scorpio. So what she says comes across with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

She does have a strong leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17^th harmonic and undoubtedly made a difference in leading the feminist movement nearly fifty years ago with The Female Eunuch. But her contrarian impulses make her sound very one-sided. #metoo was long overdue and trashing it out of hand is hardly helpful.

On Sunday, Israeli fighters struck a pro-Assad military base used by Iran in Syria, destroying anti-aircraft missiles. Of the 16 dead 11 were reported to be Iranians. U.S. officials told NBC News that Israel seemed to be preparing for open warfare with Iran and is seeking U.S. support. Then with much bravado and chutzpah Benjamin Netanyahu strode onto the global stage to announce that Iran were liars and had been breaking the Obama nuclear deal. This on the basis of a treasure trove of secret documents that Mossad had captured. Except there appears, amongst the half tonne of papers stolen in one night if he is to be believed, to be no smoking gun.  Haaretz, the Israeli liberal paper described it as ‘much ado about nothing.’ But it was clearly designed to elbow Trump into killing the deal in the face of opposition from Paris, Berlin and London.

Trump may hate all things Obama but his campaign promises were all about avoiding getting dragged into foreign conflicts. James Mattis would certainly advise against it but he doesn’t seem to be winning much at the moment looking decidedly undermined with tr Neptune opposing his Sun; as well as aggravated by both Trump and Netanyahu from late May, through June and again in the autumn.

Netanyahu’s Government chart, 14 May 2015 11.05 pm looks precarious over coming months, with a real chance of collapse before the end of the summer; with disappointments galore in May and June.

His personal chart, 21 October 1949 9.30am Tel Aviv, is in a waning phase with tr Saturn now entering the nadir of his first quadrant, facing corruption charges domestically and clearly keen to create diversions. This phase is likely to throw up misjudgments, banana skins galore and failed plans. Plus he has the blocked Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Sun, exact in 4 months time.

Playing with fire.

Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic and the third-ranking official in the Vatican, will stand trial on historical sexual offences, starting May 2nd. It’s a critical announcement for Pope Francis, who has been accused of failing to come to grips with the abuse scandals enveloping the church.

Pell, born 8 June 1941, Ballarat, Australia, has a Gemini Sun at the same degree as the Vatican (7 June 1929 11 am Rome). Pell’s Sun squares onto a Mars in Pisces opposition Neptune in Virgo; and he has the heavyweight Saturn Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune. At the moment he has the swampy, panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct his Mars and from May 7th  the start of the undermining tr Neptune square to his Sun running till late 2019. With a discouraging tr Pluto trine Saturn in 2018/2019 and a disruptive tr Uranus square his Pluto in July, again in 2019; plus a tranche Pluto transits to three of his Mars midpoints in 2018/2019 which are angry, frustrated and trapped.

Pell’s Jupiter Uranus are conjunct the Vatican’s MC so he is a key figure. Tr Neptune is also moving in square to the Vatican Sun from next month, having been square the Moon and Sun/Moon midpoint already and repeating again later leading to lack of will power, indecision and drift.

Pope Francis’s Election chart, 13 March 2013 7.06 pm Rome, has been wobbling precariously through 2017 with the Solar Arc Uranus exactly square the 4^th house Pluto, detonating deep fears. Tr Saturn will soon square the 7^th house Mars for the second time, bringing setbacks, again in the autumn; and into 2019 there’s an explosive Solar Arc Mars conjunct Uranus plus tr Saturn square the Moon – not in a happy place, with sagging popularity, that’s for sure.

A bubbly actress is up on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labour which could land her with 15 years in prison minimum. Allison Mack recruited for what purported to be a female mentorship and self-help group run by Keith Raniere, now in prison awaiting trial.  Raniere allegedly blackmailed women into becoming sex slaves and had “a rotating group of 15 to 20 women” with whom he had sexual relations.

According to the FBI, he exploited his female acolytes for financial benefit and recent revelations that female followers were branded — seared with hot irons in sadistic rites meant to prove loyalty to their “masters” — finally prompted the authorities to act. He urged women to follow near-starvation diets to achieve the physique he found attractive. Women were required to give female recruiters “collateral” — naked photographs of themselves and other compromising material — that would be used as blackmail if they wanted to leave the group Nxivm. One report says; ‘shockingly, this was women-on-women barbarity. So much for the sisterhood and female empowerment.’

Allison Mack, born 29 July 1982, to an opera singer father, is a lively and showy Sun Leo trine Uranus in Sagittarius and square Jupiter Mars; with a chilly Venus in Cancer square Saturn. What marks her chart out as different is a Mars Pluto Jupiter conjunction with Pluto conjunct Saturn – which is a concentrated pile-up of crusading, dynamic and ruthless energy. Her Moon is Scorpio which can be sexualised. Venus Saturn oddly enough can be promiscuous.

Raniere, born 26 August 1960 (two days before Hassan Nasrullah the Hezbollah leader) is a controlling Sun Pluto in Virgo in a tough-minded, bleak trine to Pluto in Capricorn; with Mars in Gemini opposition Jupiter square Venus in Virgo – Mars Jupiter in hard aspects is often the sign of a chancer, an opportunist who gambles with other people’s money, and likes to appear idealistic as a cosmetic for selfish aims. With a superficially charming and indulgent Venus carrying that energy into a focal point. Virgo in the male of the species can be a good deal more sexually driven than the female.

His Libra Moon is possibly conjunct her Mars Pluto; his Jupiter is conjunct her Neptune and his Neptune conjunct her Jupiter; and his Saturn opposes her Venus. Jupiter Neptune is associated with guru-chasing and also high finance; Venus Saturn can be masochistic.

But it is their relationship chart which is the real eye-opener with a composite Sun, Venus, Mercury, Mars conjunction square Jupiter Saturn in Scorpio  – passionately enthusiastic, highly affectionate, overly-indulgent, very blocked and sadistic.

What a horror story.