The US Republican Party have a real problem on their hands. Their rallying cry in recent times has been to dismantle an over-expensive and as they see it intrusive government machine. But the policies they so dislike, health care amongst them, are popular with voters reliant on them, who would not be sanguine about losing their support systems just to fund tax cuts favouring the rich.

Now the GOP has been landed with, (perhaps the only reason they won), a president handing them a narrative about improving the lives of the forgotten poor – and stamping on minorities/immigrants. He’s as keen on tax cuts as the Republicans, but the money has to come from somewhere.

So the Republicans have met with a serious reality check when their right-wing ran into collision with voter-friendly moderates. And Trump’s famed deal-making skills met with another hard stop. Where do they go from here?

There are two possible start dates for the GOP: 28 Feb 1854 9pm Ripon, Wisconsin and 22 Feb 1856 5pm Pittsburgh, PA.

Both are very Piscean charts – the 1854 has tr Neptune on its Return; with a power-struggling tr Pluto conjunct Jupiter exactly now and on and off till late 2018. Into 2018 tr Uranus will conjunct Pluto for a major turnaround and upheaval; with sparks flying as insecurity strikes in 2020 with tr Uranus trine Mars.

The 1856 chart has a disappointing tr Neptune conjunct Jupiter exactly now and on till late 2017; with a disruptive tr Pluto trine Uranus as well this year; an emotionally upsetting tr Uranus square Venus from May onwards for a year; and a hugely frustrating tr Pluto opposition Mars in 2018/19. With more upsets from tr Uranus conjunct Pluto in 2018/19.

Donald Trump’s relationship chart with both are fairly aggravated at best.

With the 1854 chart: There’s a lashed-together and resenting-it composite Saturn Pluto in a deeply suspicious opposition to Neptune, which is being further clouded this year by tr Saturn; and an argumentative composite Sun trine Mars which will get jolting tr Uranus aspects in 2018 into 2019 upsetting the applecart. Plus this year, intense-debates with tr Pluto trine the composite Mercury Venus.

With the 1856 chart: There’s a truly horrible composite Pluto opposition Neptune (Jupiter) square Mars – so deep dislike, evasion and lack of mutual support (and then some). Tr Saturn is again dampening good feelings and raising paranoia through 2017 as it conjuncts Neptune and squares Mars; with again a throw-it-all-in-the-air tr Uranus conjunct first the composite Venus from this May onwards and then – even more separating – conjunct the composite Sun in 2018 into early 2019. With even worse hostility in 2020 with tr Pluto trine the composite Mars.

It’s truly difficult to see Trump surviving even one term and if anyone is going to stab him in the back (metaphorically speaking) it’ll be the GOP.

‘The fringe moves further into the mainstream’ is a comment about the present political situation in India, but could equally be applied to a variety of countries – so must be something in the zeitgeist.

Narendra Modi, the Indian PM, has appointed firebrand Yogi Adityanath as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, a fifth of whose 200 million people are Muslim. He is a strident Hindu supremacist/nationalist and rabble-rouser. Critics fear a crackdown on Muslim businesses and mixed-religion couples in the region, as well as a return to the violence against Muslims which sent Adityanath to prison ten years ago.

A think-tanker remarked: ‘“It answers one of the questions that we had about Modi all along,” he says. “Is this guy’s project about development or Hindu nationalism? What this pick reaffirms is that it’s not an either/or question. He has two faces: one is Modi the great economic moderniser, and the other is one of muscular nationalism – and Adit is its starkest manifestation.” [See: Post 19 March 2017]

Yogi Adityanath, 5 June 1972, is a Sun Saturn Mercury in Gemini trine Uranus in Libra; with a volatile Mars in Cancer square Uranus; and a Pisces Moon. Air sign charts can be surprisingly nationalistic, with a trenchant ideology. He doesn’t look overly successful with tr Neptune squaring his Sun Mercury till late 2018.

His term chart, 19 March 2017 2.18pm Lucknow, India has an aggressive and unyielding Mars in Taurus conjunct the MC which is square the Sun/Moon midpoint, so certainly argumentative and fiery. The Sun squares Saturn, so progress will be slow, strewn with difficulties. There is the signature of the moment Jupiter opposition Uranus square Pluto which has undertones of religious and philosophical conflict.  Pluto is in a fanatical square to Sun/Mars. And the Node is opposition Mars/Saturn and square Jupiter/Pluto which brings together the two sides of Modi’s government – suppression and expansion.

History seems to be going backwards at the moment into movements and mindsets we thought we’d left behind.

Another comment that is worth pondering for its wider global application: “This vision of Indian history is one of victimhood. That Hindus were first persecuted by the Muslims, then the British, and they can only recover when they repudiate all that is Muslim and British in their past.”

That could equally apply to Scottish nationalism, France’s Le Pen, even to Brexiters; and to Trump’s insistent harping on broken America which he is going to fix. It was what brought Hitler to power – a crushed Germany after World War 1 and the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles engendered a fierce nationalism that rose out of the ashes of shame. The example of Germany apart, for all the rest the downtrodden-martyr tale is largely a political fig leaf.

It must be partly Pluto in Capricorn, though with overtones of Saturn Pluto, which latter is suppressive of diversity, religious and other – and we haven’t even got there yet. Plus perhaps a dash of the mad zealotry of Neptune in Pisces added to the mix.

Paul Ryan is getting the blame for the failure of the Repeal and Replace Obamacare legislation to make headway in Congress as the two sides of the Republican Party refused to budge. One side said not enough, the other, mindful of their constituents, said too much. It almost certainly wouldn’t have got through the Senate even if it had passed; and it will make tax reforms and cuts more difficult since the money that was going to be freed up now isn’t there.

His relationship with Trump always did look to be hitting the skids with tr Neptune square the composite Saturn Mars conjunction from early April through till 2019. It was never a match made in heaven with Ryan’s Aquarius Sun opposition DT’s Pluto, Ryan’s Pluto square DT’s Sun; and Ryan’s Mars opposition Uranus hitting on DT’s Neptune. But no one else wants Ryan’s Speaker job so both are probably stuck with each other for the time being.

Trump meets the realpolitik of a system that all too easily gridlocks. And the Republicans wrestle with a not-very GOP president who campaigned on behalf of the forgotten poor – not that he probably meant it, just a useful vote catcher, but he does hate to be unpopular.

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 movie The Godfather, starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, was for a time the highest-grossing film ever, and is regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema, ranked just below Citizen Kane in top US movies.

Principal photography started on 23 March 1971 and it premiered on 14 March 1972. The shoot started with an Aries Sun opposing Uranus square Mars in Capricorn, certainly befitting a violent gangster movie with a severed horse’s head in bed; with the Sun trine a high-finance and lucky Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius. There was also a wide, enduring Saturn trine Pluto.

That last had moved to almost exact when it launched with an Air Grand Trine of Saturn in Gemini trine Pluto trine North Node in Aquarius, so it certainly connected to the zeitgeist. The content may have been bleak but it made its mark. Jupiter was in money-attracting Capricorn trine Venus in indulgent Taurus. There was an approaching New Moon in Pisces that night.

The Aquarius North Node seems significant, though the subject was hardly humanitarian; maybe just leading the pack for the gangster genre.

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From next Wednesday the Brexit process will begin in earnest with the EU initial reply expected two days later. The two key EU players who have both been making ominous noises in advance are EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU negotiator Michel Barnier.

Barnier, 9 Jan 1951 4.40pm La Tronche, France, is possibly the better guide since Brexit will be his priority whereas Juncker has several crises looming elsewhere.

Barnier, a Sun Capricorn square Neptune in Libra, inconjunct Pluto is under poleaxing and confusing challenges with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun and square his Neptune till late 2018. With confidence-undermining Neptune transits to his Jupiter/Node from mid next month, on and off till late 2018; with an even more discouraging tr Neptune square his Mars/Saturn this Oct till Jan 2018. If his birth time is accurate then 2019 will be a career-sinker with tr Neptune conjunct his MC.

He’ll be negotiating directly with UK’s David Davis, 23 Dec 1948, a Sun, Mercury Jupiter conjunct in Capricorn trine Saturn in Virgo, with Mars also in Capricorn. He looks jangled this April, but will face his worst fears in 2018/19 with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars, which is trapped and enraging; with a ‘shocking collision’ of Solar Arc Mars square his Sun probably in 2019.

His relationship chart with Barnier, is showing signs of strain, discouragement, devastation and some mighty outbursts in 2017/18; with worse in 2019. Davis’s relationship with Theresa May isn’t easy at best with a composite Mars opposition Pluto square Sun Mercury, and is ploughing through heavy, depressed and disruptive seas in 2017/18.

Although Theresa May will have no direct negotiations with Barnier, she’s clearly setting the agenda, and her relationship with him will be highly-strung, and stressed this year; and in a complete upheaval in 2018/19 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus and tr Uranus opposition the composite Saturn.

Her relationship with Juncker is most at odds in 2018.

Mind you Angela Merkel is none too happy with Juncker this year, and more so next – if both survive that long politically, since she has a challenging election and his health is creaky. He has tr Neptune square his Sagittarius Sun in 2018 so won’t be thriving for one reason or another.

Merkel and May look v edgy come this May, in a complete turnaround in 2018; and aggravated in 2019.

Methinks this may end in tears along the way for one side or the other, or from the look of the above – both.

Add on: Neither Juncker or Barnier are exactly fans of UK Inc. The relationship between Juncker/UK has an impatient, hostile composite Saturn opposition Mars square Venus; with a fight-for-control composite Sun quincunx Pluto; and Pluto being on the focal point of a T square to Uranus opposition Node, which doubles up on the intransigence between the two sides. Late 2017 will be especially frosty as tr Saturn is conjunct the Sun; with irritability and dislike growing in 2018/19 with tr Saturn conjunct Venus, square Saturn and Mars.

Barnier is also instinctively drawn to seeing the UK as a pushy entity that needs put down, with a composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction in a disruptive square to Uranus. There’ll be a good deal of jockeying for position in 2017/18 with tr Pluto trine the composite Jupiter; suspicion and paranoia from tr Neptune opposition Saturn in 2017; bad temper over the New Year as tr Saturn squares the composite Mars; and separated initially in 2018 by tr Uranus conjunct the composite Moon, and more so in 2019 when tr Uranus opposes Neptune.

So it wouldn’t make much odds who the UK negotiator was.

One of the hallmarks of this year – with its polarised squabbles, rising populism/nationalism and Trump’s administration – is Jupiter in Libra opposition Uranus square Pluto.

At its best, Jupiter in Libra is about a desire for social justice and decent behaviour in relationships of all varieties, and is usually considerate of the needs and wishes of others. When afflicted however, it can make moralising judgements about others, promises more than it can deliver, appears disloyal and can lead to lawsuits arising from unfulfilled commitments.

Jupiter opposition Uranus, which I tend to simplistically describe as ‘adventurous’, in reality is over-restless, unwisely expansive, undiplomatically blunt, tending to exaggerate wildly, going off in all directions, usually at considerable cost, which can end, for some, in ruin. It also, because of Jupiter, pulls religious beliefs into the equation with much propagandizing and proselytizing (demagoguery and brainwashing). It favours fortune hunters (for a while until it doesn’t).

Jupiter square Pluto doubles up on the dogmatism, with a tendency to want to remake the status quo (in religious as well as general attitudes) – and because Pluto is in Capricorn, rebellion against heretofore accepted forms of government. It breeds a wilful, law-unto-oneself mindset where social niceties are tossed aside. The desire to be big and important leads to unpopularity and conflicts with authorities in government and elsewhere. Like Jupiter Uranus, if mishandled, this can lead to loss of status and reputation – and money.

There was a fair amount of this energy around through this month with Jupiter opposition Uranus at the start, and Jupiter square Pluto on the 30^th, next Thursday; with more in April as the Aries Sun picks up aspects to all three planets in the first half of the month.

As ever, in advance one tends to be overly hopeful of Jupiter’s benign influence, but not much of it in evidence.

Khalid Masood has been named as the man responsible for the Westminster attacks yesterday. British-born on 25 December 1964 in Kent, he had a string of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH (grievous bodily harm), possession of offensive weapons and public order offences; and had a peripheral association with a terrorist incident some years ago. Although ISIS has claimed ‘credit’, in truth he sounds like an unstable, criminal personality, the kind of lone wolf whom it is impossible for the security services to keep under permanent surveillance.

If his birth date is sound, he was a Sun Capricorn with the ferociously angry and unpredictable Mars Pluto Uranus in Virgo of that year square Mercury in fiery Sagittarius and square a Gemini North Node; with Venus also in Sagittarius and Saturn in Pisces. So a highly Mutable chart; with a guru- and money-chasing, can-be-delusional Jupiter in Taurus opposition Neptune. It’s not possible to be certain but I’d think he would have had mental problems, anger management issues for sure.

This week he had tr Pluto tugging on his Jupiter opposition Neptune by sextile to Neptune; tr Uranus in a jolting conjunction to his Solar Arc Saturn; and a confidently pushy tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint – aiming for his five minutes of fame.

He shared a Capricorn Sun with the UK chart, as well as Mercury in Sagittarius and Neptune in Scorpio; and his Jupiter fell in the UK 8^th – so not a totally disastrous set of cross overs, though his resentful Saturn in Pisces was conjunct the UK Pluto.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem, who was shot dead at Orly Airport a few days back trying to grab a policewoman’s gun, was French-born of Tunisian extraction, on 14 Feb 1978. He also had a violent criminal past with convictions for assault, receiving stolen goods, drug trafficking and was radicalised in prison. He was known to police but not considered a serious terrorist threat.

He was a Sun Mercury in Aquarius square Uranus and opposition Saturn, as well as trine Pluto and trine Jupiter in Gemini; with a ruthless Pluto square Mars; and again a Jupiter opposition Neptune from Gemini to Sagittarius in his case. So a powerful and complicated chart – determined to be someone important.

He collided with the France chart more obviously with his Sun opposition Saturn sitting on top of the France Pluto in Aquarius opposition Uranus and square the France Mars. And there was a brutal-dislike composite Pluto Venus opposition Saturn square Mars in the relationship chart.

When he went on his violent spree, he had tr Uranus in an exact and reckless square to his Mars in excitable Cancer; his Solar Arc Uranus moving towards a tension-relieving opposition to Jupiter; and his Solar Arc Saturn exactly conjunct his Libra North Node.

There’s a sect for every nut and Buddhism would hardly suit.

An attack on Westminster, London this afternoon, described as probably terrorist, has left five dead and 40 injured, some catastrophically,  as a car ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and the driver then knifed an unarmed policeman on security guard to death outside the House of Commons and Lords and was himself then shot.

The Cancer Moon in the 10^th of the UK 1801 chart is being triggered at the moment by the tr Pluto in opposition for the first time in a two-year run ahead. The 10^th house is to do with rulership and the Moon is the public emotional state which will be running high.

In 1979 the year Airey Neave MP was blown up by a car bomb in Westminster; and Lord Mountbatten was also killed in separate IRA incidents, tr Pluto was in Libra square the UK Moon, so a quarter zodiac back.

At the outbreak of World War 11, the UK Solar Arc Pluto was just over the conjunction to the UK Moon. So it is a sensitive point in the UK chart.

The other marker for disasters/atrocities is the UK 8^th house Mars in Taurus, which at the moment has the Solar Arc MC within less than half a degree square, moving to exact over the next three months. In July 2005 when a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombs were set off killing 56 on London public transport, the Solar Arc Moon was moving to square that Mars, though still a degree away. At the outbreak of World War 1 tr Uranus was square the UK Mars. Tr Mars is at present moving through the UK 8^th.

The London GLC chart, 1 April 1965, has a difficult natal Mars Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Saturn. That was being shaken by tr Uranus in Pisces at the 7/7/2005 attacks; and at the moment has tr Neptune opposition the Mars/Pluto and Uranus/Pluto midpoints; with a high-anxiety tr Pluto sextile Neptune. With the February 2017 Pisces Solar Eclipse conjunct Saturn and opposition Mars Uranus.

Located to London the Feb 2017 Pisces Eclipse puts an explosive Mars Uranus exactly on the MC opposition Jupiter on the IC square Pluto – so a critical location and time.

Ivanka Trump is to get her own West Wing office as an adviser to her father, and security clearance to receive government communications. Since the election, she has sat in meetings with world leaders, including Justin Trudeau and Angela Merkel. It is unofficial and unprecedented, raising questions  about the multiple ethics sinkholes, the almost-vacant First Lady White House position and the possibility she’s being groomed for the 2020 election.

It sounds too far-fetched to be true. But, but – by 2020 and across into 2021 she has tr Pluto Jupiter in Capricorn square her Jupiter Pluto conjunction in Libra; with tr Pluto on her Jupiter rolling across the Inauguration – somewhat similar to the super-confident influences that brought Trump senior into unexpected elevation. So not beyond the bounds of possibility.

This year from early April she has tr Uranus opposition her Jupiter Pluto which is a lucky break, a sudden opportunity and a huge lifestyle change. That rolls on and off into 2018. There’ll be a major crisis for her this May, from tr Uranus opposition her Sun/Saturn midpoint at a time when that shows up on quite a few of the Trump and international relations charts, and that influence returns on and off into 2018. She’ll be downhearted when tr Saturn is conjunct her Neptune Venus late June/July and October when tr Saturn is in hard aspect to Trump senior’s Sun Moon.

It won’t all be plain sailing since tr Neptune will make an undermining square to her Solar Arc Sun this year and possibly into next; and in the run up to 2020; with a damaging-setback Solar Arc Mars conjunct her Saturn in 2018/19. In 2019 as well tr Uranus will oppose her Scorpio Sun.

Her husband Jared Kushner will be right in the middle of the triple conjunction in Capricorn of 2019/2020 with his late Capricorn Sun Mercury; but tr Neptune will conjunct his Solar Arc Mars around the election which looks panicky and undermined.

Ivanka’s relationship with Melania, not great at the best of times with a composite Mars Saturn, is under considerable strain in 2017/18. I wonder if Melania will ever move to the White House?

Ivanka’s relationship chart with her father is mystifying, given that they are supposedly close. There’s an argumentative composite Sun Mercury Mars, which is firmly clamped down by Saturn in conjunction to all three; with Saturn conjunct Uranus and Uranus conjunct Pluto – all of that looks explosive, unstable, breeding resentment in the one who is being suppressed, and will be constantly in flux. The composite Moon will be square Pluto, making the bond between them possessive; and is possibly square Uranus as well – so constantly pushing and pulling. Hardly a nurturing relationship.

Tr Uranus will trine the composite Mercury, Sun, Mars in 2018 which will be insecure, edgy, irritable; and trine Saturn Uranus in 2019 for major changes – with tr Pluto square the composite Jupiter in 2018/19 which will be a struggle for the upper hand.