“Journalism exists to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

Andrew Norfolk, the Times investigative reporter, whose expose of sexual grooming of underage girls by men of mainly Pakistani heritage in Rotherham and Rochdale in England sparked a national inquiry, has died.

He said recently: “This story is an example of why newspapers matter. When all else failed a very brave person (a Rotherham social worker) placed their trust in journalism. Those documents I was handed revealed something shameful. Something people whose job it was to protect children had chosen to keep hidden. It was an uncomfortable story but sometimes uncomfortable truths are the ones for journalists to tell because if we don’t no one else will.” “It seemed extraordinary that the authorities knew so much and did so little.”

 After the first story appeared in January 2011, he was attacked by those who felt he was unfairly targeting a minority community. But Keir Starmer, then director of public prosecutions changed the rules so that more charges were possible.

  Professor Alexis Jay’s 2014 report in 2014 found that 1,400 girls had been groomed and abused in Rotherham since the late 1990s. Children had been trafficked to other cities. Some were doused with petrol and told they would be set alight if they told anyone. The grooming gangs were acting with “virtual impunity”. Norfolk won the Paul Foot award and the Orwell prize for his investigations and was named the 2014 Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards.

Andrew Norfolk, born 8 January 1965, avoided the story when it was first raised by Ann Cryer, MP for Keighley, in 2003 since he assumed it would be a  “dream story for the far right”. Yet his journalistic conscience overcame his reluctance in 2010 and he started digging through archive court material and local newspaper articles in libraries. He identified 17 cases in 13 places where 56 men had been convicted; 50 were Pakistani Muslims. “We found clear evidence of a crime pattern that was having the most devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable, innocent people in our society.”

  He had a Capricorn Sun in an Earth Grand Trine to Jupiter in Taurus and Uranus, Pluto, Mars in Virgo with his Jupiter opposition Neptune in Scorpio, making Neptune his driving planet. He also had a Pisces Moon, perhaps conjunct Chiron, opposition his Virgo stellium – which sounds feasible; and square his North Node in Gemini opposition Mercury Venus in upbeat Sagittarius.

  His Earth Grand Trine would make him practical, sensible, not given to flights of fancy. His Mutable Grand Cross could have made him highly strung with a tendency to get scattered, but it did hook him into the zeitgeist (spirit of the times) especially in its darker underbelly (Mars Pluto).

 When his story was published on 5^th January 2011 the transiting Chiron was conjunct Neptune and tr Pluto close to the North Node.

 On his chart tr Pluto was conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune hinting at the scale of the reaction to a devastating story; with his Solar Arc Uranus, Pluto, Mars being in Scorpio.

 Rotherham was incorporated as a borough on 6 September 1871, giving it a Virgo Sun and a tough Mars in Scorpio opposition Pluto in Taurus. When the abuse story emerged in print the Solar Arc Neptune was conjunct its Sun for an undermining moment; with there was also an uncertain, panicky tr Saturn opposition its Neptune; and a blocked, discouraging tr Pluto conjunct its Saturn.

Andrew Norfolk’s Uranus Pluto were conjunct Rotherham’s Sun for an explosive synastry.  And his Jupiter opposition Neptune sitting on the Rotherham can-be-cruel Mars opposition Pluto would shine an idealistic light on their situation. Understandably his writing would not be welcomed  with the relationship chart having a power-struggling and hostile composite Mars square Pluto which tr Saturn was triggering when the story surfaced in print.

 The political fallout is still ongoing with resistance to another national inquiry, though given how little attention is paid to the conclusions of expensive, long-running inquiries, it is a moot point whether that is the answer.  

 Maybe Andrew Norfolk’s death will bring the horror that no one wants to know about back centre-stage for a while which may help.

José “Pepe” Mujica, Uruguay’s former president, who started as a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla fighter and later became a groundbreaking social liberal has died at the age of 89. Some refer to him as Latin America’s Nelson Mandela because of his 13 years in jail. Others point to his legalising of marijuana, same sex marriage and abortion. But mainly he was famous for his frugal lifestyle, living in a tiny house on a rural smallholding, and giving away 90% of his salary. He was a fierce critic of consumer culture and the environmental damage it has caused the planet.

  During his time in prison under Uruguay’s 1972-1985 dictatorship, more than half the time he was confined in a tiny cell without books or companionship, which he was allowed to leave only a couple of times a month to exercise. He is survived by his wife, Lucia Topolansky, whom he met when they were both guerrilla fighters.

Born 20 May 1935 9.30am (from memory) Montevideo, Uruguay, he had a late Taurus Sun sextile Pluto and South Node in Cancer.  He had a hoping-for-a-better-society Saturn opposition Neptune and a 10^th house reforming Uranus. With probably a Sagittarius Moon. His Uranus was trine Uruguay’s Virgo Sun and his Neptune fell in Uruguay’s 10^th so fuelling his urge to improve his country.

  His wife Lucia Topolansky, 25 September 1944, who was often compared to Winnie Mandela for standing by her husband when he was in prison, is a Sun Neptune in Libra. She has Mars in Libra like Jose, in her case square Saturn giving her courage; and her Jupiter was conjunct his Neptune which would help her keep the faith. She had a Sagittarius/Capricorn Moon.

 Their relationship chart had a tight composite Sun Pluto conjunction with an exuberant, enthusiastic Mars Jupiter conjunction.

When he was put into prison and tortured in 1972 tr Uranus was conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune and both were conjunct the IC, the lowest point in his chart, and opposition his Midheaven His Solar Arc Saturn was also conjunct his Midheaven.

  When he was released in 1985 tr Uranus was square his Neptune and his Solar Arc Pluto for an upheaval which would be disorientating. Tr Pluto was also conjunct his SA Neptune as well as opposition his Uranus; and his Solar Arc Pluto was conjunct his Neptune – for a fair amount of confusion.

Looking at the Mandela’s charts – both interestingly had their Sun inconjunct Uranus –  Nelson had Mars in Libra square Pluto with a Saturn Neptune conjunction. Winnie had a Libra Sun at the same degree as Lucia’s; with a hard-edged, ill-treated Mars opposition Saturn. So some similarities.

Learning astrology is a long drawn out process and it requires starting with the basics.

Books I found useful at the start:

Margaret Hone 1953 Modern Textbook of Astrology, out of print but some available second hand.

Sakoian & Acker – The Astrologers Handbook. Planets in signs and houses and in aspect.

Robert Hand – Transits.

Bil Tierney: Dynamics of Aspect Analysis – excellent on major configurations, yods, unaspected planets.

Martin Schulman: Karmic Astrology – the Moon’s Nodes.

Melanie Rhinehart: Chiron

Tracy Marks: Your Secret Self: Illuminating the Mysteries of the Twelfth House

Marcia Moore: Astrology book (beginner)

Sakaion and Acker: The Minor Aspects in Astrology.

Delphine Jay: The Dark Moon Lilith.

Bernadette Brady. The Eagle and the Lark (Eclipse Saros Series and much else.  Book of Fixed Stars.

Elsbeth Ebertin: Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation.

Vivian Robson: The Fixed Stars and Constellations (1923). It’s on archive.org.

Diana’s Fixed Stars, the website for the late Diana K Rosenberg.

Rodney Collins : The Theory of Celestial Influence.

Nick Campion: History of Astrology volumes.

Richard Tarnas: “Cosmos and Psyche”.

Erin Sullivan: Retrograde planets.

Noel Tyl: Solar Arcs is one of the books in this series. Good for advancing astrologers with a good foundation.

Sue Tompkins: Aspects in Astrology. Unmatched, in depth interpretations.

Celeste Teal: Predicting Events With Astrology’ – a good  foundational text on prediction.

NEXT TIER:

Stephen Arroyo: Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water etc)

Astrology, Karma and Transformation.   He also has Chart Interpretation.

Liz Greene: Saturn especially but any of hers are excellent

Howard Sasportas ditto

RELATIONSHIPS:

Robert Hand – Planets in Composite

Sakoian & Acker – Synastry

HARMONICS:  David Hamblin

MIDPOINTS: Rheinhold Ebertin: Stellar Influences

AStROCARTOGRAPHY:

Jim Lewis & Kenneth Irving: The Psychology of Astro*carto*graphy

Erin Sullivan: Where in the World? Astro*Carto*Graphy & Relocation:

POLITICAL/COUNTRY ASTROLOGY:

Michael Harding, Michael Baigent:Working with Astrology – the psychology of midpoints, harmonics and ACG mapping techniques.

Nick Campion: World Horoscopes (countries birth dates).

Andre Barbault: Planetary Cycles is a good book if you are evaluating the value of astrology in looking at recurrent cycles in history.

Traditional and Horary Astrology: William Lilly, Olivia Barclay, Charles Carter and Deborah Houlding

Barbara H. Watters: Horary Astrology and the Judgment of Events(Valhalla 1973). It’s a workhorse of a book for students of horary.

Wessex Astrologer on the net has most of Liz Greene’s and is a good starting point in the UK.

PS. Some of these are older books since I started astrology in the late 1970s.  I am sure other astrologers will have their own favourites so do add comments. 

There are also useful astrology websites with the basics:

Café Astrology, Dark Pixie, Bob Marks come to mind.  Plus Astrology King for Fixed Stars.

Astrodienst (www.astro.com) set up by Swiss Alois Treindl who met and brought on board Liz Greene, Rob Hand and other renowned astrologers.
For magazines, recommend The Mountain Astrologer, The Astrological Journal.

For out of print books, you can check on Internet archive website, which is a virtual non profit library with millions of free texts. https://archive.org

www.addall.com/ is a good aggregator of used book sites.

The radiantly beautiful Halle Berry, a constant presence on the screen for 25 years, with an erratic romantic life, has raised eyebrows with an over-exposed outfit for the Met Gala and celebrating Mother’s Day with an Instagram post of herself naked in bed with her musician lover.

  Her charm and luminous looks along with a fair few successes have obscured just how rumbustious her personal life has been – with several very short lived marriages, descriptions of abusive relationships, financial law suits, custody suits and a domestic violence incident when a former husband had an altercation with a present boyfriend.

 Her career has seen similar highs and lows with Variety noting in 2017 about one lacklustre film: “It should be said that Berry has given some of the best and worst performances of the past quarter-century, but this is perhaps the only one that swings to both extremes in the same movie.”  She has recently moved into producing and directing.

  She was born 14 August 1966 11.59pm Cleveland, Ohio, and has a 4^th house Sun Leo with Mercury Moon in Leo and Venus in Cancer also in the 4^th house. A settled home life and privacy are important to her which makes her lifestyle all the more bizarre. Though admittedly she does have an emphasised house Uranus Pluto conjunction in Virgo with all its contradictions and attendant chaos in her romantic, emotional and dramatic 5th house.

  She has a creative, overly emotional Water Grand Trine of a passionately enthusiastic Venus, Mars, Jupiter conjunction in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces trine Neptune South Node in Scorpio, formed into a Kite with Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto. Her Leo Sun is square Neptune opposition Taurus North Node on her Ascendant. The Taurus Node has a tendency to become involved in intense tugs of war financially and emotionally, and her Neptune plus a Water Grand Trine possibly makes her less self-aware than is helpful, since she’ll live in her own self-protective bubble of reality.

  At the moment tr Pluto is crossing her final degree Capricorn Midheaven to start moving through her career 10^th for many years. Sometimes Pluto on the MC can bring a reputation breakdown and career-collapse though it can also in a less dramatic fashion start a long period of searching for a new, more meaningful career direction. Tr Uranus since 2023 has been moving through her 1^st which is often a defiant time of making a stand for individuality and not caring what others think or say. Her Solar Return at the moment has Uranus on the Ascendant so she will be more rebellious even than usual.  

 Tr Pluto is also opposition her Moon Mercury in 2025/26 which will intensify her feelings with ongoing changes within the family. I can’t imagine her children will appreciate mom throwing caution and modesty to the winds.

  Her present romance is with musician Van Hunt, 8 March 1970. His passionate Sun Venus in Pisces opposition Pluto is a good connection with her Jupiter, Mars, Venus in Cancer but not with her Saturn in Pisces. And his hard-edged, short-tempered Mars Saturn in Taurus square her Moon Mercury does not look a good-news connection.

  It’ll be interesting to see what happens with tr Pluto crossing her Midheaven.

The historic Alien Enemies Act, used only three times since its adoption in 1798, during war time, has been resurrected as an excuse for the Trump administration to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. The present acting direction of ICE, the immigration enforcement agency, Todd Lyons said he would like the agency to implement a system of trucks that rounds up immigrants for deportation in a system “Like [Amazon] Prime, but with human beings”. “We need to get better at treating this like a business.”

 The Alien Enemies Act, 6 July 1798, had a hard Sun Saturn in Cancer trine Neptune trine Mars in Pisces with Mars opposition Uranus. Not awash with sympathy or sentiment.

 The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was created on 1 March 2003 by George W. Bush following the September 11 attacks to protect from cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. It has a Pisces Sun with the tough, unfeeling, war-associated Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto (conjunct Mars).

 Tr Saturn is square the ICE Mars earlier this year and on and off till January 2026; with a change-of-direction tr Uranus square Uranus this June into 2026.

 Todd Lyons, no birth time, took up his position on March 9 2025 which gives his term a Sun Saturn in Pisces trine Mars in Cancer, sextile Uranus – again unfeeling with a hint of cruelty.

Strange how all of the above are awash with Water planets which are often erroneously deemed to be touchy-feely and soft hearted. The reality can often incline more in the direction of a strong need for self-protection which has the effect of coming across as selfish or cut off from human connection.

The Alien Enemies Act is running into trouble within a year with the Solar Arc Saturn Sun crossing the Pluto in 2026/2027. Todd Lyons term also looks to be running into a wall by 2027.

 Two astro thoughts, well three.  One: the Alien Enemies Act has its Saturn Sun in Cancer square the USA Saturn in fair-minded Libra so its stony-hearted approach will not sit easily with the USA’s basic ethos. Two: The ICE Saturn is exactly conjunct the USA 9^th house Mars and square its Neptune, hinting at the unease its measures bring.

 Secondly ICE, set up during the 2003 Saturn opposition Pluto links in closely with Trump’s chart. The ICE Saturn in Gemini being exactly conjunct his Sun with the ICE Pluto in opposition so there is something in his dark soul which embraces the war-time ethos which ICE represents. War time necessitates that certain peace-time legal niceties are dropped.

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Jack Draper, the UK tennis No 1, has admitted that “I get out of bed and I feel so angry some days” after smashing his racket during his recent win. “I’ve got to lose points, so I’ve got to go through those emotional ups and downs.” “It’s sometimes difficult to always be perfect.”

 Mars is what gives a competitive drive and it hates to lose so flare ups are difficult to avoid though some professionals manage better than others.

 Draper, 22 December 2001, has a Capricorn Sun and a peculiarly difficult Mutable T square of Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto square Mars in Pisces. Mars Pluto is do-or-die-determined; Saturn Pluto won’t give in; and Mars Saturn is fractious, inclined to blow fuses every so often. He’ll give his all but find losing impossibly difficult.

 John McEnroe, famous for his on-court meltdowns in days gone by at umpires etc, 16 February 1959, 10.30 pm Weisbaden, Germany, has an 8^th house Mars opposition Jupiter square Pluto opposition Sun Mercury. A volcanic temper was hardly surprising given his burning need to stay on top and in control.

 Another young player of the moment French Corentin Moutet, 19 April 1999, Neuilly Sur Seine, is also renowned for his explosive temperament and he has Mars in Scorpio opposition Saturn with an intense Venus opposition Pluto.

  Andy Murray, 15 May 1987, now retired, who also looked less than delighted if he played below his best has Mars opposition Uranus, Moon, Saturn.

 Mars makes for great sportsmen but it can be like holding a tiger by the tail when things go wrong.   

The cultural obsession with Princess Diana, still ongoing nearly three decades after her death, is the subject of a new book – Dianaworld. Author Edward White gives ‘a deeply-researched account of the public fascination from royalists, republicans, lookalikes and sex workers and approaches Diana’s story through the people who saw themselves in her – the doppelgangers, opportunists and superfans who found parallels between the princess’s life of extraordinary privilege and their own.’

 Were they all “parasocial relationships”, one-sided, delusional versions of love or did she have an ability to mirror the problems of everyday people through her family dramas and connect through her outreach to AIDS suffers, the homeless and landmine victims. She was an antidote to the British stiff upper lip so stalwartly adhered to by the Royal Family and her death was a watershed moment for good or ill which unleashed a hidden reservoir of overwhelming sentiment.

‘Some grieved, while others found the public spectacle coercive, seeing it as synthetic as the plastic wrapping on all those flowers.’

  When she died on 31 August 1997, there were two astro-influences of note on the UK chart. The first was tr Saturn in Aries square the 10^th house Cancer Moon, representing the ruling classes, which would bring grief for the loss of a ‘maternal’ figure who dominated the national culture.

  Even more significantly – which was my strong sense living in London at the time – was the Solar Arc Neptune exactly square the UK Pluto. Ebertin describes it as ‘manias, self-torment, obsession, confusion, a grievous loss, peculiar states of soul experience.’ Neptune Pluto accompanies events of total devastation and has connections to the supernatural. There was a feeling in London as if something not quite real was ongoing –  almost a psychological disintegration as emotional controls collapsed, which can sound healthy, but is not a good outcome if the boundary walls with the unconscious are breached.

  Princess Diana, 1 July 1961 7.45pm Sandringham, England, (birth time Debbie Frank, her personal astrologer) did have her Mars in Virgo opposition the UK 5^th house Pluto. Given that her ‘leadership’ North Node in Virgo and her ‘desperate, trapped’ Mars Pluto opposition Chiron also connected strongly with the UK Pluto her plight would arguably trigger strong feelings within the country.  I confess I tend to overlook the UK’s Pluto but since it sits on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Jupiter sextile Uranus, it clearly plays a powerful role in the country’s psyche and destiny. [All the more important to pay attention to it since tr Uranus will square it in 2026.]  

  And now that I look her relationship chart with the UK also has a Plutonic yod of Moon Jupiter sextile Mars inconjunct Pluto – perhaps one reason the ‘relationship’ with her is so hard to let go. Pluto relationships never split easily or quickly. And the composite yod makes it a peculiarly fated connection.

  Diana’s Cancer Sun also sat exactly on the UK’s Midheaven opposition the Sun and square the Libra Ascendant so she was a pivotal figure in other ways as well for the country’s direction and image.

  She died three days before a Solar Eclipse in the 18^th North Saros Series which has particular relevance for the Royal Family, not all negative . Its most recent occurrence in 2015 saw Queen Elizabeth break Victoria’s record as the longest monarch on the throne.

 In 1997 when Diana died tr Pluto was also exactly square the UK yod focal point Pluto, having just squared Diana’s Mars with the UK Solar Arc Neptune in exact hard aspect as well. So quite a pile up of devastating influences.

Helpful to revisit old events and spot other angles.

Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, has stirred up another dust storm suggesting the Trump administration is considering whether it can suspend habeas corpus, the right of an individual to challenge their detention in court. Trump has repeatedly asserted the U.S. is facing an “invasion” requiring the deportation of undocumented migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, a law that would allow the deportation of noncitizens with little to no due process. Stephen Miller has been known as far-right and anti-immigration since his student days and was a speech writer during Trump’s first term.

  He was born 23 August 1985 4.53 pm Santa Monica, California, with his great-grandparents having emigrated from Belarus to the States in the early part of the 20^th Century, not speaking any English.

 Miller has an 8^th house Virgo Sun trine Neptune in his 12th; with Mars Mercury in Leo also in his 8th, hinting at a strong intergenerational bond. His upbeat and restless Sagittarius Moon is conjunct Uranus and he has a controlling and influential Pluto on his Midheaven in a confident square to Jupiter. His conscientious, well-organized Saturn in Scorpio in his 10^th squares his Mars for a hard-edged, unsympathetic streak.  A 4^th house Taurus Node suggests that he would do better to focus less on his career and more on building realistic emotional foundations for his life.

 He’s not having a great year with three fairly negative solar arcs almost exact. SA Neptune conjunct Jupiter = disappointment, undermining great expectations. SA Saturn conjunct Neptune = uncertain, panicky, the dream is not delivering. SA Pluto conjunct Moon = emotionally fraught, divisive team relationships – which moves onto a period of significant upheaval with SA Midheaven conjunct his Uranus followed by SA Pluto conjunct his Uranus in 2026/27.  Tr Uranus will also square his 8^th house Virgo Sun with jolts, jangles and sudden surprises from this July into 2026. Through 2026/27 tr Pluto squares his Midheaven which could bring a career meltdown or at the very least intolerable pressure giving way to forced change.

 His relationship chart with Trump is not showing anything too obvious except for tr Uranus moving into the composite 8^th which may hint at subterranean forces bringing tensions to the surface.

Gertrude Stein, the controversial American novelist and playwright, an eccentric and colorful figure in the post-World War I literary scene has had her life and talents spotlighted in a well-reviewed biography After Life. She was a character of “bewildering contradictions”. Depending on who you spoke to, she was either a genius or a charlatan.

 She was born 3 February 1874 7.55am Allegheny, Pennsylvania, the youngest daughter of an upper-middle class Jewish family and became one of the first female students admitted to Harvard to  study medicine and psychology under William James, but rapidly tired of the field. A successful older brother Michael gave her a generous stipend to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Along with her brother Leo she became a central figure of the Roaring ’20s in Paris, presiding over an artistic salon. Without their patronage, Matisse and Picasso might have floundered early in their careers. She was a mentor to Fitzgerald and Hemingway so was at the cutting edge of the aesthetic revolution.

 She is described as ‘a genius, imprimatur and often quite difficult person.’

 Four years after she moved to Paris in her late twenties she  met Alice B. Toklas, part of the Paris avant-garde and it was love at first sight for both. They ended up devoted life partners, with Toklas missing Stein for 21 years after her death.

 Stein’s reputation was damaged in World War 11 by her admiration for Petain, head of the collaborationist Vichy government, responsible for the deportation of  over 75,000 Jews to Nazi Germany. Both Stein and Toklas of Jewish heritage, survived in large part thanks to the refusal of their neighbours in Bilignin to shop them to the Nazis.

 Gertrude Stein had a stellium in Aquarius of Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Sun opposition Uranus square North Node in Taurus; with her Sun Mercury square Pluto in Taurus. Fixed, enduring, stubborn, quite autocratic, unconventional, defiant. An emphasized North Node would draw her to the zeitgeist, the spirit of the time in the social order.  Her Mars in creative Pisces was opposition Jupiter for high enthusiasm though lacking in common sense. An unaspected Virgo Moon in her 7^th would give her vulnerability and sense of emotional disconnection although she desperately needed a partner being in the 7^th.

  Her writing style often met with derision but her biographer argues for an understanding of what she was trying to do. ‘You may feel baffled by the repetitions, the anchorless strangeness: but what helps the wary reader is that Stein wanted to do to language what Picasso, who owed her so much, was doing to visual representation in Cubism.’

 Alice B. Toklas, 30 April 1877, San Francisco was not an intuitively good mix with her. She had a Taurus Sun, Venus and Neptune square Mars in Aquarius which tangled fairly noisily with Stein’s Aquarius planets and her Uranus. Although Toklas’ Sun was exactly conjunct Stein’s North Node drawing them into the centre of the social action of the day. And Toklas’s Taurus Sun, Venus, Neptune trine Stein’s Moon would help with her South Node conjunct Stein’s Moon as well. Toklas’s eternally optimistic Sagittarius Moon falling in Stein’s 10^th would be helpful on the career front.

 Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction; with a power-couple Pluto opposition Jupiter square a dutiful Saturn – with Jupiter Pluto square an unconventional Uranus. Saturn Pluto would chain them together. Saturn conjunct Mars suggests one partner would have to constantly bite their tongue to fit in which presumably would be Toklas.

 Not an easy bond but it clearly worked well enough to hold them together for decades.