Game of Thrones, the television mediaeval-esque epic fantasy, replete with dragons, endless wars, plotting and killing, returns for season 7 next week. With high ratings, an obsessively devoted fan base and multiple awards especially for its high production values, it has become a showbusiness phenomenon. There has been criticism of too much sex and slaughter, but viewers seem to lap it up. It is based on George R Martin’s series of novels, A Song of Ice and Fire based on the War of the Roses and Ivanhoe. He has written prolifically since an early age, graduating from comics to horror, fantasy and science fiction.

George R Martin was born 20 Sept 1948 9.25pm Bayonne, New Jersey (astro.com). He has a Virgo Sun in the performing/entertaining 5^th house with creative Neptune also there, with his Sun in a confident, optimistic square to Jupiter in Sagittarius in the financial 8th which is in turn trine an Aries Moon. And Venus Pluto in Leo square Mars in Scorpio in the hard-working 6^th. Virgo is a writers’ sign and he’s more showy than some being in the 5^th house. The Mars square Venus Pluto will give him a taste for vengeance, sex and unpleasant deaths – in his fiction at least.

When the show first launched on 17 April 2011 tr Saturn was conjunct his Neptune and tr Neptune was opposition his Saturn – so maybe on tenterhooks since there was no way of knowing whether it would fly or flop. And it did take a couple of years to build an audience.

When GoT launched there was a wonderful collection of planets ranged through Aries, which is the adventuring, fantasy-romantic-dreamer sign – Uranus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Sun; with Mars Mercury in a hard-edged opposition to Saturn squaring onto Pluto. With the North Node in crusading, constant-travel Sagittarius. The Saturn Pluto would give it grit for a long shelf life; Mars Saturn has associations with armies and fighting; Mars Pluto with brutality. The emphasised Pluto would point to a tightly controlled and secretive production machine; as well as to an influential entity. The Sun Jupiter conjunction has been moving closer to exact as the series became more and more successful, culminating in 2019 when the final series is expected to be shown.

There’s a heart-rending struggle going on over baby Charlie Gard, 4 Aug 2016, suffering from a rare genetic condition which has left him unable to see, hear, move, cry or swallow, and reportedly has fits that are difficult to control. London doctors had said that his life support should be switched off because there is no chance of his condition improving. Several appeals from the parents, who have crowd-funded over £1 million for experimental US treatment, through the courts failed. Donald Trump and the Pope then stepped in to say they wanted to help. Now the hospital says it is willing to explore even this untested treatment and is returning to the High Court on Monday.

Doctors can be wrong as they were over the cancer-suffering child whose parents ‘illegally’ took him to Czechoslovakia for proton therapy treatment. His cancer has now disappeared. But it isn’t clear in Charlie Gard’s case whether the possible treatment would just stop any further deterioration, rather than reverse his condition or cure him; and any potential side effects are unknown. A paediatrician wrote: ‘It is always important to ask the fundamental question that often gets forgotten in the emotion – what is in the best interests of the child? Technology can keep human beings alive for a long time but there is more to being alive than a machine inflating your lungs and a tube feeding you into your stomach or veins. Quality of life, dignity and humanity all need to be taken into account. I have seen many children over the years where, in retrospect, all that was actually achieved was prolonging the process of dying.’

There’s nothing much the astrology can say about possible outcomes. He was born with the Sun in Leo on the focal point of a Yod to Neptune sextile Pluto – indeed his Sun is exactly opposition the Neptune/Pluto midpoint, which Ebertin describes as ‘ a sensitive physique, peculiar diseases.’ He was also born at the time of the Saturn square Neptune which can have links with illness. Neptune opposes the North Node and Mercury (maybe Moon) in Virgo squaring onto Saturn and Mars in Sagittarius. His Jupiter in Virgo does trine Pluto and squares the Mars/Pluto midpoint, so he will be a fighter (or his parents on his behalf).

It’s an impossible situation for the parents and indeed doctors. But not improved by either Trump (ironic given what he’s trying to do to Obamacare); or the Pope, who somehow overlooks the fact that left to God Charlie would be dead already.

Press TV was founded by Iranian Broadcasting, whose head is directly appointed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. It was launched on 8 July 2007 to give a pro-Shia view to western audiences. Criticism of its anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, air-time given to zealots such as KKK David Duke, and to a filmed confession induced under torture, have led to its removal from several western satellites. Part of its remit was to counter Al Jazeera which has a pro-Sunni slant, especially in its Arabic broadcasts.

Press TV kicked off when the Sun was in Cancer trine Uranus, and tied into a wide-ish Yod in sextile to Mars in Taurus inconjunct Jupiter; with Saturn Venus opposition Neptune and trine Pluto. A Yod typically gives an outsider mentality, and with Mars involved an overly aggressive and impulsive slant. Saturn Neptune is paranoid, neurotic and will foster conspiracy theories.

The Press TV afflicted Mars in Taurus is interesting since it falls close to the UK 1801 8^th house Mars in Taurus, so there will be a clash of egos and temper. The UK did meddle in Persia’s affairs, militarily and commercially, for several hundred years right through to the Reza Shah’s rule (father and son) in the 20^th Century. The Shah of Iran was deposed by Islamists in 1979 in part because he was seen as a western puppet. The relationship chart between the UK and the 1979 Revolutionary Iran 1979 chart points to a deep-rooted, toxic dislike with a composite Mars square Pluto; and uncompromising differences from Sun square Uranus; with two Yods of Uranus sextile Pluto inconjunct Moon, and Moon sextile Mars inconjunct Uranus – so excessively strained.

Because of Persia/Iran’s troubled past vis a vis the colonial British there remains an implacable hatred for the UK, which hardly matches present circumstances as the UK slides down the food chain in terms of global power. The belief that the UK fostered Wahhabism in order to split the Muslim world sits on a par with Holocaust denial.

The Al Jazeera, 1 Nov 1996 chart, is relatively similar astrologically to Press TV. A Scorpio Sun sits sextile Mars inconjunct Saturn; with Neptune Uranus sextile Saturn inconjunct Mars; and an enraged Mars square Pluto.

The other western-propaganda TV channel, funded by the Russian government, RT (Russia Today TV), was launched 15 September 2005. It is seen as a Soviet style disinformation outlet, is anti-US and the West, peddles anti-Semitic conspiracy theories; and skips over Russian atrocities such as in Chechnya, South Ossettia and Syria.

Again it has an afflicted Mars in Taurus on the focal point of an exact Yod to Jupiter sextile Pluto; with a paranoid Saturn opposition Neptune; and a controlling Sun square Pluto, trine Mars – stressed, pushy, aggressive.

Not sure what any of this proves, but all three propaganda TV charts are relatively similar. Yods most often give a strong sense of mission, perhaps with overtones of God-like powers, since it is known as the Finger of God. They tend to be extremely focussed once they click into gear though always remain outside the mainstream.

China is pushing its luck and territorial outreach to the north east of India on the borders with tiny Bhutan, which has always effectively been under Indian protection. The strategy appears to be to take control of a narrow corridor which would cut India off from part of its northern territories; and assert Chinese domination. China’s presence in the area also gives it possible access to important Indian infrastructure, including a hydro-electric project. China itself has built dams close to the border which establish its rights over the waters of the biggest river in the region, the Brahmaputra. It could turn water into a weapon should conflict arise as it can either turn off the supply or flood the lower States, the first one of which is India.

The Indian view is that China believes it is destined to lead Asia with its economic and political clout and be the only arbiter of peace in the region.

The relationship chart between China and India does look super-tense at the moment with tr Uranus trine the composite Saturn, returning on and off till early 2019; with deteriorating diplomatic relations and much suspicion from tr Neptune opposition the composite Sun now and until late 2018.

Where it looks at its most fraught and dangerous is 2019/2020 when tr Pluto opposes the composite Mars. And that is when India’s chart is on high-alert with tr Pluto opposition its Mars/Saturn midpoint, which could have military implications. Even through 2018 India’s chart looks trapped and uneasy.

China, for all its bluster and cavalier actions in the South Seas and Bhutan with the adventuring Solar Arc Mars square its Jupiter at the moment, is also sagging under Neptunian disappointments this year and until late 2018, perhaps financial ones.  Once clear of those it is certainly gung ho and in a super-confident frame of mind come 2019/2020 with tr Pluto conjunct its Jupiter. The war-like tr Saturn conjunct Pluto is exact in late 2019.

China’s aggressive-towards-neighbours Mars Pluto in the 7^th does fall in India’s 4^th house conjunct India’s Sun, Venus, Saturn, Pluto – so the chemistry between the two countries will always be toxic.

The Hajj Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca is due this year from August 30 to September 4^th at Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It brings together hundreds of thousands of people and, if badly handled, can lead to major fatalities as in 2015 when almost 2500 were killed in a stampede.

When the 2015 tragedy occurred, Mars in late Leo was square Saturn; with Saturn on the focal point of a panicky, uncertain, over-hopeful T Square to Neptune opposition Jupiter. There were also high-tension, risky and devastating aspects to the Saudi Arabia chart at that time – tr Uranus square Saturn; tr Uranus square Mars/Neptune; tr Pluto square Mars/Pluto.

Mars has returned for the first time since 2015 to late Leo, and will be on the same degree on September 4^th, when it is trine to Saturn and Uranus, so slightly similar. The Leo Eclipse occurs on August 21^st and set for Mecca, does put Pluto conjunct the MC square Uranus on the Ascendant opposition Jupiter Descendant – so the mood will be tense with the possibility that religious differences will break out.

There are also tricky midpoints for the start of this year’s Hajj, involving Mars/Saturn, Mars/Pluto and Sun/Mars – so there will be some risk. But there’s nothing much showing up on the Saudi Arabia chart, so definitely less damaging for the host nation. They came in for heavy criticism in 2015, specifically from Iran who lost several hundred citizens. In the aftermath 28 officials were supposedly beheaded as being responsible for the disaster.

There’s a new twist to the mystery surrounding legendary aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart’s disappearance in 1937 over the Pacific while attempting to circumnavigate the globe. A newly discovered photo suggests she might have died in Japanese custody. The official explanation at the time was that she lost communication, ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. An NBC documentary now says she was taken prisoner, suspected of being a spy, interned and died a prisoner of war.

Born 24 July 1897 11.30pm Atchison, Kansas, she had an alcoholic father, was an adventurous child, and intent on making her name in a male dominated field. She had a 4^th house Leo Sun and Mercury; with an extraordinary collection of Moon Pluto Venus Neptune in Gemini, with Moon Pluto square Mars Jupiter in Virgo – not short of determination or guts. Mars Jupiter in the performing and sporty 5^th would prompt her to make a name for herself. She also had Uranus Saturn in Scorpio in her 7^th – so with that and her difficult Moon aspects she was not ideally suited to a settled married life, especially of those days.

When she disappeared with navigator Fred Noonan in July 1937, her Solar Arc Sun had been conjunct her Mars Jupiter in the much publicised months before; and tr Uranus was exactly trine her Mars Jupiter. There’s no way of telling from the astrology since the chart continues on after death. But if she did survive, then there certainly were devastating influences in the aftermath with tr Pluto moving to conjunct her Solar Arc Neptune; tr Pluto opposition the Solar Arc Uranus Saturn; and her Solar Arc Neptune opposition her Sun three years later.

Her leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17^th Harmonic was particularly strong; as was her breakthrough-genius 13H.

Tension is mounting as North Korea blows a possible nuclear raspberry at the USA and Trump is facing up to Xi Jinping on a laundry list of differences (NK, trade, China’s territorial expansion). China is also muscling in on a disputed border with India. The Middle East is a hyena’s nest of myriad conflicts amongst them Russia power-playing, the debilitated but-not-dead-yet ISIS, Qatar versus the Arab autocrats, and behind it all the great Shia-Sunni schism being played out with all the ferocity of Europe’s Roman Catholic v Protestant Wars which led to several centuries of carnage.

The upcoming Leo Solar Eclipse does have a military-connection Mars trine Saturn and an explosive Mars trine Uranus; with an overly forceful Jupiter square Pluto and Jupiter in a religious/culture clash opposition to Uranus. So it is fraught. Though it is not as stark as the solar eclipse before the Korean War of 1950 with the New Moon opposition Mars square Uranus; or World War 11 with the eclipse  Mars again in hard aspect to Pluto and Saturn in 1939; or World War 1 with the eclipse Mars in hard aspect to Saturn Pluto and trine Uranus in 1914. Or even 9/11 where the preceding solar eclipse had Saturn opposition Pluto and Pluto conjunct Mars, with Mars sextile Uranus.

The Saros Series eclipse which oversaw 9/11 repeats in 2019, which doesn’t mean a replay of 9/11 will happen, since it has only occurred once and these cycles repeat every 18.5 years approximately. But the eclipses from mid 2018 onwards do begin to look harsher as the Saturn Pluto conjunction approaches and Mars is in play in the July 2018 eclipse, both eclipses in 2019 and in a peculiarly unpleasant square to Pluto Jupiter and widely Saturn in mid 2020.

Trump is the only world leader with a birth time and his Mars Descendant line runs to the west of Korea with his Pluto Descendant at maximum impact through Beijing; so both are hot spots for him. His Mars MC line runs through Poland where he is today giving a rousing clash-of-cultures speech and down through Libya and central Africa. GW Bush’s Mars MC line ran straight through Afghanistan. Trump’s Pluto MC line runs through Germany where he’s likely to run into considerable opposition.

Trump’s Admin chart is nothing like as stark as GWB’s First Term January 2011 which had Mars on the Descendant in vengeful Scorpio opposition Saturn square Uranus. In Trump’s Term chart there is a Mars in Pisces square Saturn, which will give rise to bad-temper and some military sabre-rattling, but (cross fingers) won’t be the game-changer that GWB’s term was.

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As the world sinks into chaos, there’s always celebrity trash and the obscenely wealthy ready and willing to grab the limelight. If disgraced billionaire’s daughter Chloe Green was cavorting with ‘hot felon’ Jeremy Meeks on daddy’s yacht on the Med strictly for the cameras and a publicity stunt, she was making a credible job of looking besotted.

And it could even be a genuine coup de foudre since their relationship chart has a composite romantic Sun Venus in a fiery opposition to Mars. Though the Solar Eclipse bouncing off both ends of that may lead to a crisis or two.

She, 2 March 1991, is a Sun Pisces square Mars in Gemini which does rather collide with his Uranus, 7 Feb 1984 – though Uranian relationships can be very sparky, for a short while. Her highly strung Uranus Neptune are conjunct his socially ambitious Venus in Capricorn – so she’ll prove an elusive catch. Her Venus and his Moon do chime, being both in impulsive Aries.

Meeks is married with an LA wife who stood by him in prison, three kids and an eye-popping rap sheet of past offences. Despite which – or because of it – he’s now embarking on a lucrative, high profile career as a male model.

What is intriguing is that Meeks has a fearsome collection of Pluto Mars Saturn in Scorpio, the latter two squaring his Aquarius Sun. And Chloe’s father Philip Green – a former businessman in fashion retail, much criticized for tax avoidance, workers’ rights and abandoning his final business with heavy pension losses which he was forced to repay, for which sin he may lose his knighthood – also has Mars, maybe Moon in Scorpio, with Mars square Pluto. Green also has Venus in Aquarius and Jupiter in Aries – so he may have a twinge of fellow feeling for his daughter’s lowlife holiday fling. And she’ll certainly recognise the similarity.

Kim Jong Un has thumbed his nose at the USA, China and the rest of the world by firing what he said was an intercontinental ballistic missile which landed in the Sea of Japan. North Korea, his officials proclaimed, was now “a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful inter-continental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world”. Though experts doubt whether NK has the capability or technology to back his wild (Trumpian) assertions.

But for all he’s testing patience in several directions which will bring consequences. The NK/USA relationship chart does have the composite Mars in conjunction with the August Solar Eclipse which can only inflame relations; with high tensions this Sept/Oct when tr Uranus retrogrades to trine the Mars. China looks exasperated and is distancing itself through the rest of this year.

Kim Jong Un’s leadership chart, 29 Dec 2011 11.57am Pyonggang, is moving towards its most precious phase with the Solar Arc Uranus square the Sun, exact in six months time, followed by a square to the Pluto a few weeks after. The August Eclipse will oppose the leadership Neptune leading to delusions and self-deception; and the trapped/cornered tr Pluto trines the Leadership Mars come January 2018.

The North Korea 9 Sept 1948 5.27pm chart, is being jolted into heightened anticipation at the moment with tr Uranus trine the Saturn; plus a false-happiness/delusionary Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Jupiter which generally leads to a sharp fall. It looks thoroughly demoralised in 2018 with tr Neptune opposition the Virgo Sun (difficult to see how it could get worse); and really knocked sideways with a risky and explosive tr Uranus opposition Mars in 2019.

South Korea has been on extreme tenterhooks over the past year with a fearful, trapped tr Pluto square Mars. That returns from next week, July 16^th to early September, and again late October to early December. Their Saturn Mercury in late Leo and the composite Saturn Sun with North Korea will catch this August’s Eclipse head on; with this November and next February looking on a knife edge with their northern neighbour. South Korea – 15 Aug 1948 12pm Seoul.