Junko Tabei, who has just died, was the first woman to climb Everest in May 1975, after having been nearly killed in an avalanche, which left her with a twisted back and in pain. Yet two weeks later she made it. She was born on 22 September 1939 in Japan and suffered through World War 11 with little to eat, being a frail child laid low with fevers and lung infections.

Against her parents’ wishes she married another mountaineer and had one child before attempting Everest. Later she had another child but continued climbing becoming the first woman to climb the highest mountain in each continent, including Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mount McKinley in Alaska. In an interview she said, “I’ve never felt like stopping climbing, and I never will, even when I have seen people killed in accidents in the mountains. Up on the summits I feel calm, free of cares.” Even a cancer diagnosis four years ago didn’t stop her climbing in her seventies.

She was a Sun Mercury (Moon) in Virgo; with a confidently determined and adventurous Mars Jupiter Pluto in Cancer; with her Mars in a tough-minded opposition to Saturn in Capricorn square a trail-blazing Uranus in Aries.

She certainly had guts, grit and luck – and it’s all the more noteworthy given that she came from Japan, where women were not expected to be independent and certainly not mountaineers.

The old Roman Catholic imperatives still holds sway in Ireland where the Constitution denies access to abortion, except where a woman’s life, as distinct from her health, is at risk. It is not available in cases of risk to a woman’s health and wellbeing, or in cases of rape, incest or foetal anomaly. And Northern Ireland is no different.

The Ireland Constitution which enshrines these mediaeval restrictions came into force on 29 December 1937, presumably at 12 am in Dublin, though abortion was a later amendment. This gives a Scorpio Moon trine Pluto in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces – and that is a bleak, tough, hard approach to femininity and women’s issues. The bleakest. That self-protective, overly-emotional Water Grand Trine is formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Neptune, which is both neurotic and wedded to a Neptunian vision which can put an ideal about human compassion.

There’s now a push for a referendum to change the laws either in 2017 or 2018.

There’s a fair amount of gloom descending on this chart from tr Saturn opposition Neptune, conjunct Venus in 2017; and Solar Arc Sun conjunct Saturn in 2019. Mind you that could mean the ancient ways take a battering. But what is more hopeful in terms of progress, is tr Uranus square the Pluto on one leg of the Grand Trine (and Kite) in 2018 which does suggest a major turnaround.

And that coincides with tr Uranus conjunct the Ireland 1949 Aries Sun. The Capricorn Moon on that chart is trine Saturn which isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy where feminine issues are concerned, though it’s not as deprived as the Constitution chart. There is also Neptune in the 10^th (house of mother), which again gives a hint of the notion of women and mother as ideals. Neptune running rampant can be very destructive.  In this day and age you’d hardly believe such attitudes exist in Europe.

Princess Aiko, daughter of the heir to the Japanese Throne Prince Naruhito, is known as the princess who never smiles and is evidently off school with stress and anxiety. Her mother Princess Masako, withdrew from public life for a decade suffering from stress after criticism of her producing a female child. Only male heirs can succeed in Japan.

Princess Aiko born 12 December 2001 2.43pm Tokyo, does have a troubled chart with a trapped 8^th house Sun Pluto Mercury in Sagittarius opposition Saturn Moon in Gemini, so very much tied into her mother’s depression and the suffocatingly restrictive atmosphere of her upbringing and ancestry. She also has an explosive, wants-to-be-free Uranus Mars in Aquarius square her Venus in Scorpio, but whether that is ever allowed an airing is questionable. Her Neptune in the 10^th will make her caring; her 3^rd house Jupiter is a good communicator. But she’s got a tough furrow to plough in life, there’s no doubt.

Her mother who was much travelled with a diplomat father and a keen sportswoman before her marriage was born 9 December 1963 and is also a Sun Sagittarius square Uranus Pluto and trine Jupiter in go-ahead Aries, so she’d find the closeted patriarchal Chrysanthemum Court very hard to take.

Prince Naruhito 23 Feb 1960 4.15pm Tokyo, has a dependent 7^th house Sun Pisces opposition Pluto, trine/sextile Neptune – so does have his own crosses to bear in terms of being overly controlled; with a chilly Moon Saturn in Capricorn. He does have rebellious Uranus on his Ascendant but there’s no sign of that making much impact on his environment.

Who’d ever want to be a princess?

UK singer Pete Burns and star of Celebrity Big Brother, who was addicted to cosmetic surgery and had 300 operations, some of them to repair damage from previous ones, has died aged 57 from heart failure. He was described as a cross between Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker, a wild eccentric, though he turned himself latterly into a freak show with his distorted looks.

Born 5 Aug 1959 11.30am? Port Sunlight, England (astrotheme) he had a maverick and flamboyant Sun Uranus Mercury conjunction in Leo; with a Leo Moon as well, perhaps conjunct Uranus. So he was always keen to stand out from the crowd. His autobiography was titled Freak Unique. He also had a really tough, dark Mars Pluto in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn, sextile Neptune – so he’d have his demons from a reclusive childhood with an alcoholic and suicidal mother.

His photographs looked fairly similar to the New York socialite Joyce Wildenstein, also a fan of overdone, multiple facial reconstructions. She’s sometimes known as ‘Bride of Wildenstein’ or ‘Catwoman’ for her unnaturally accentuated cheeks, slit eyes and puffed out mouth. Born 5 August 1940, she’s also a Sun Leo situated midway between Pluto and a showy Mars. With her Sun square Saturn Jupiter in Taurus; and her Mars square Uranus. Her Uranus is further emphasised being trine Neptune, sextiling onto Mercury.

So both are attention-demanding Leos and have strongly aspected ‘unconventional’ Uranus and self-critical Saturn in their chart. And both have North Node in Libra – searching for a perfect relationship but never feeling good enough to attract one.

The UK Government has given its approval for a third runway at Heathrow Airport after decades of dithering. It will in theory bring £61bn of economic benefits and create up to 77,000 additional local jobs. Plus additional employment while it is being constructed. It would lead to almost 50% more planes over London and is likely to bring major challenges from campaigners before it is voted on in Westminster in late 2017/18. If it is built, it’ll be 2025 before it is ready.

Heathrow was officially opened for civil aviation on 25 March 1946, having previously been used by the Aviation Ministry in two wars. This gives it an Aries Sun opposition Neptune and trine Pluto, which seems fitting for airport with global aspirations. Though there’s also a T square of Jupiter in Libra opposition Venus in Aries square Saturn Mars in Cancer – which is certainly designed to stand the test of time, with hints of business travel, though it doesn’t give it too friendly an air.

That Saturn Mars will be under immense pressure from tr Pluto opposition both through 2017/18, so the arguments are likely to be vicious and hostile, deadlocked at points. If it does manage to get through the Commons, then it gets a tremendous boost around 2022/23 when the Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct its Jupiter. So who knows? It could happen and earlier than scheduled. Though it looks very in the balance with a total stalemate as Solar Arc Pluto squares Mars late in 2017. Maybe it’ll be voted down and then get resurrected later on.

Alistair Urquhart, whose autobiography of his war-time experiences as a POW of the Japanese on the Burma ’death railway’ was a best seller, has died aged 97.

What is astonishing is not just that he survived an unthinkable three and a half years which killed many thousands, but that he lived, as so many of that generation seem to, to a ripe old age. He contracted cholera, malaria, beri beri and gangrene, was starved, beaten and worse. Towards the end of the war he was shipped off in a Japanese ‘hellship’ which was holed by a submarine and he ended in the sea covered in burning oil, went blind from the sun, was recaptured by Japanese and ended up working in a coal mine close to Nagaski when the atomic bomb was dropped.

After a difficult time adjusting to civilian life, he took up ballroom dancing and eventually became managing director of a plumbers’ merchant.

He was a Sun Virgo; with Saturn also in Virgo conjunct Mercury in Leo opposition Uranus (Moon) in Aquarius square North Node in Scorpio. So certainly enduring from the Fixed planets; and the Scorpio North Node has the effect of producing a total life transformation somewhere along the way, where the individual loses almost everything and emerges with a completely altered mindset. Not that it usually comes in quite such a horrific way, I hasten to add. He also had Jupiter Mars Neptune in Leo which would give him optimism as Fire always does and luck, especially with Mars Jupiter there. His Mars Neptune was exactly on the midpoint between his Sun and Pluto, so very determined.

His 8^th and 16^th Harmonics are exceptionally strong as you’d expected in someone who had amazing resilience and the ability to overcome massive obstacles. And his 5H = get-a-life-together – was also strong.

See: goo.gl/qkA8r6

I can’t find it but I think it was in Michael Baigent’s book on Working with Astrology where he talks of a Norwegian fisherman who ended up in hypothermia-inducing seas for an extraordinarily long time which astonished medics. His 16^th Harmonic was very marked as well.

The Inauguration chart (and therefore First Term chart) for whoever gets into the White House, assuming 12 noon or thereabouts, looks less aggressive than either GW Bush’s first term or indeed Richard Nixon’s. There is a risk-taking Uranus opposition Jupiter squaring onto a 9^th house Pluto – so it will be control freaky where international affairs are concerned, arousing hostility. That emphasised Pluto could also point to bitter legal battles. There is a military Saturn square Mars, but it is not particularly highlighted. Saturn in the 8^th suggests economic woes which would match the US Federal Reserve Bank chart which is showing major strain in late 2017 and through 2018. The Aquarius Sun is not well integrated into the chart being only widely square a Scorpio Moon and inconjunct the North Node – so maybe a characterless term, perhaps bedevilled by toxic clashes of opinion (gridlocked by Congress maybe or by legal actions?)

Hillary looks in good spirits from Dec 2^nd till early January with tr Pluto sextile her Sun/Jupiter midpoint and her Venus (returning at points throughout 2017), though also surrounded by a fair amount of chaos. If she does get in, she’ll be straight into a violent series of situations from March onwards, on and off till late 2018, with tr Pluto opposition her Mars/Uranus. Which does coincide with challenges on her relationship chart with ISIS. Though that can also mean operations but it will certainly be high stress.

If her birth time of 8 am is sound then she’s got tr Saturn moving through her 1^st quadrant, heading into the lowest profile phase, which generally means a less successful time for leaders, so if she is in, it may not be a memorable term of great achievements (viz David Cameron who had the same). And her Solar Arc Saturn will conjunct her Sun, exact late 2017 into 2018 which will be a real downer. On this birth time tr Pluto will move early in 2017 into her 3^rd for a hugely pressured everyday schedule; and tr Uranus into her 6^th from mid 2017 which could be health issues.

Her astrocartography isn’t worth much without an accurate birth time. Her greatest problems come in the USA and Canada.

Donald Trump does have tr Uranus trine his Sun/Jupiter midpoint from late November to late January and then tr Pluto square his Jupiter right through January 2017 – so lots of good luck, success and confidence. His chutzpah won’t be dented even if he loses. Plus his Solar Arc Pluto will conjunct his 2^nd house Jupiter, exact in 3 months’ time, which will give him a gigantic financial boost or involve him in a stratospheric scheme. Though there’s always a risk with Pluto Jupiter of getting over confident and pushing across the line and it backfiring as it did in his campaign.

Tr Saturn will be hauling him back down to earth, opposing his Uranus and Sun and conjunct his Moon from late November till mid January and again later in 2017 – maybe family problems as well as other things.

Right through 2017 he’s got the continuing run from this year of bad tempered, insecure and over-reactive transits to midpoints. And a volcanic eruption and shock when his Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct his Mars in 2018.

His astrocartography certainly indicates Russia as a positive zone for him with his Jupiter MC there. His Mars hot-spots would be Libya, Eastern Europe, China and Indonesia.

If the polls are right (and when have they been recently?) and Hillary gets in, she’ll be enjoying herself a good less than he is.

Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, is racketing around like a loose cannon, called Barack Obama ‘son of a whore’, threatening to separate from the USA and side with China, much to the horror and alarm of his own ministers, never mind US officials.

He was sworn in at noon on 30 June 2016 in Manila, which certainly gives a divisive chart where close relationships are concerned with Uranus in the 7^th in a stressed quincunx to a vengeful and determined Mars in the 2^nd, suggesting he’ll goes his own way on trade and money-making ventures, though erratically. It is a materialistic chart with an Earth Grand Trine of Pluto trine Jupiter North Node trine a Taurus Moon – but since all of those are in hidden houses, there may be a fair amount of backroom dealing (as well as a fairly mutinous domestic population). For all that it’s a strong chart since that Grand Trine forms into a Kite with Pluto opposition Sun Venus on the Midheaven. Plus the over-hopeful, wobbly Jupiter opposition Neptune square Saturn. That last will give him trouble next month when tr Saturn squares Jupiter exactly; but a good deal more so when tr Neptune opposes Jupiter come 2018/2019. That is often associated with financial high hopes being dashed.

His relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is friendly with a composite Sun Venus; and innovative though hard-edged with a composite Mars trine Saturn, sextile Uranus; and definitely opportunistic with a composite Jupiter square Mars. Both may see the political advantage in rubbing the US’s nose in it, rather than focussing on the economics. There’ll be some explosions and upsets from mid 2017 onwards.

His relationship with the US is under highly strung and confusing influences till January 2017; and again will erupt mid 2017 onwards with more heated exchanges.

He’s exerting his machismo in cocking a snook at the USA but may find China and even less palatable Big Brother in the longer term.

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Raine Spencer, stepmother of Princess Diana and daughter of romance novelist Barbara Cartland, has died. She was known for her extraordinary helmet of lacquered bouffant hair and her unhappy relationship with her stepchildren, as well as her varied social life and romantic partners. The present Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, ripped out all Raine’s renovations of Althorp, the ancestral home, when his father died and he inherited, causing Raine’s fast exit.

She was born 9 September 1929 2.21pm London with her parents divorcing when she was 7, being launched as a debutante at 18 and marriage to an about-to-be earl followed swiftly. 20 years she later she had an affair with Lord Spencer and, after a divorce, married him. The year after his death she had a brief disastrous marriage to a French count.

Raine had an ambitious, hard-working 10^th house Mars Mercury in Libra opposition an unsettled 4^th house Uranus. Her 9^th house, much-travelled Virgo Sun was in an expansive square to Jupiter in Gemini on her Descendant, hence her ease at finding partners. She also had an 8^th house Pluto and Venus in Leo (not conjunct) and a 12^th house Sagittarius Moon.

Her relationship to her mother, who claimed Raine was the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Sutherland or Prince George, Duke of Kent, needless to say, was hardly harmonious. Barbara Cartland 9 July 1901 11.40pm Birmingham, was a matriarchal Sun Cancer in a hard opposition to Saturn in Capricorn on her MC. The relationship with Raine was intense and controlling with BarbaraC’s Sun in Raine’s 8^th conjunct her Pluto. And very disruptive with BarbaraC’s Uranus opposition Pluto falling across Raine’s Asc/Desc and squaring her Virgo Sun.

Their relationship chart had an unkind, tough-minded composite Saturn opposition Pluto square Mars; as well as a needs-space composite Sun opposition Moon Uranus. Not well designed for living in the same house.

And down a generation it ran, with Raine proving a thorn in Diana’s side (though they did make up latterly.) Raine’s sharp-edged and volatile Mars in Aries opposition Uranus was square Diana’s sensitive Cancer Sun; and Raine’s Saturn fell in Diana’s 1^st house, putting a damper on D’s spontaneity.

Their relationship chart had a controlling and power-struggling composite Sun Pluto; with a cold composite Moon Saturn opposition Venus square Jupiter opposition Neptune – chilly to the point of refrigerated, suspicious, disappointing; and an explosive composite Mars square Uranus. The composite Jupiter obviously came into play much later on but it certainly wouldn’t be what motherless Diana in a dysfunctional aristo family needed as a child.