Shimon Peres, one of Israel’s leading statesmen and Nobel Prize winner in 1994 for his efforts to negotiate peace in the Middle East, has died. There’s a dispute about his birthdate, partly because it is transcribed from the Hebrew calendar, but Astro.com says his mother confirmed 16 August 1923 with a sunrise birth time from his father of 5.51 am Visnevo, Poland.

This gives him four planets in Leo – Sun, Mars, Neptune, Venus, falling in Israel’s 10^th and 11^th house, beside the Israel Moon Pluto Saturn Mars in Leo, so a key figure in their history. His Libra Moon was conjunct the Israel Neptune, so an almost telepathic connection. He had a healing Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Scorpio trine Uranus trine Pluto, with Uranus opposition Mercury – so talented as a spokesman and a reformer. He always described himself as an optimist which with a strong Jupiter makes sense; though he also had a tough streak with his Pluto square Moon Saturn.

Born in Poland, his family moved to Israel when he was 10. Although never a soldier, he rose up the political ranks, becoming eventually Prime Minister twice and the 9^th President of Israel.

His Harmonics are strong, with a the creative-get-it-together 5H marked; as was his determined 8H; leaving a legacy for history 17H; and the two Master numbers – the obsessive dream 11H and super-star 22H.

His relationship with Israel wasn’t always easy with a suspicious/doubtful composite Saturn Neptune in the relationship chart; but there was a persuasive Pluto Mercury Venus conjunction. And more importantly a Yod of Uranus sextile Sun inconjunct the composite Jupiter which suggests that together they could effect progress in social development. He was always keen on a two state solution.

Zoe Ball, TV and radio presenter, and DJ, music producer Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) have split after 18 years and two children – with a longish history of drug problems, rehab and the odd affair.

He was born 31 July 1963 in Bromley, and is a Sun Leo sextile Mars in Libra, with a Sagittarius Moon probably square Uranus Pluto in Virgo; with Jupiter in Aries and Venus in Cancer.

She was born 23 Nov 1970 and is a vague, creative Sun Neptune in Sagittarius with probably a late Virgo Moon conjunct Pluto, and Venus Jupiter in Scorpio; with a singleton Saturn in Taurus in one hemisphere of her chart.

His Moon and her Sun chime though her Neptune will make her evasive. His Neptune is conjunct her Venus so the reverse will happen there. Her Pluto (Moon) is conjunct his Mars, so not entirely in harmony. Their Fire and Water planets mix relatively happily though it’s a combustible combination, more so for her.

Their relationship chart has a passionate composite Venus Pluto Uranus so it would sizzle initially though Uranus in the mix would make it erratic and unpredictable. And there’s also a composite Saturn opposition Sun and Mars which would put blocks and irritability, as well as unkind treatment in the way of bliss. The composite Sun does trine Jupiter which would help to smooth round rough patches and Saturn can give longevity if not much warmth. But they’ve been having problems from years, really since the late 2000s with the tr Saturn opposition tr Uranus hitting on the composite Venus Pluto; and then the tr Pluto square tr Uranus wending its way across the composite Saturn, Sun and more recently Mars in this decade.

Jenna Coleman, star of the television ‘Victoria’ has allegedly moved in with Tom Hughes, who plays her husband, the well-meaning but hapless, Prince Albert.

They were both born in 1986 only two weeks apart, she on 27 April and he on 18 April. She’s an early Sun Taurus trine Mars Neptune and opposition Pluto, with a Sagittarius Moon perhaps conjunct Uranus or Saturn; with Venus in Gemini. Certainly determined, stubborn, emotionally changeable.

He’s a Sun Aries opposition Pluto with a Leo Moon perhaps square Pluto, and Venus in later Taurus. Both have a showbizzy Mars Neptune conjunction, and both have Pluto trine Jupiter in Pisces.

There’s some cross-over between their Fire planets – her Moon and his Sun and Moon; and his Venus and her Sun – though there are no conjunctions. And really apart from strong Pluto ties there’s not much indicating a great love affair.

Their composite chart has a composite Sun opposition Pluto, so it will feel meant – for a while. But the composite Venus is unaspected and not well integrated; and the composite Moon may be square Mars Neptune. It could amble on for a while but really doesn’t give off any great chemistry.

Rufus Sewell with his earthy Jupiter, Moon, Venus, Pluto, Uranus in Virgo will chime better with her Taurus Sun; and his seductive Scorpio Sun is conjunct her Pluto and opposition her Sun. It wouldn’t be a runner for anything committed since their relationship chart has a composite Sun opposition Saturn square Uranus. But there is a composite Yod of Uranus sextile Mars inconjunct Jupiter, which does give their relationship enthusiasm and an aura of hope.

Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan, Spotlight etc) and Naomi Watts (Fair Game, J Edgar), regarded as one of Hollywood’s more stable partnerships have split.

Both are Sun Libras, both have similar Scorpio Ascendants, self-reliant Saturn in Aries and, tellingly, both had ruptured childhoods.

Liev Schreiber 4 Oct 1967 10.30am San Francisco, had a far-left hippie mother, a friend of William Burroughs, who after a bad acid trip was hospitalized and when threatened with being institutionalised, fled with him. His father kidnapped him but his mother got full custody and he grew up in poverty, having to adapt to her eccentricities. Her mother (his maternal grandmother) had been lobotomized. He lived in an ashram in his teens.

He has a friendly 11^th house Libra Sun and Libra Moon on the cusp of the 12^th. His Sun opposes Saturn in Aries in the 5^th. He has Jupiter Venus on his Midheaven, which can be an indication of a drama-queen mother. He also has Pluto Uranus in Virgo in his 10^th, again a hint of a chaotic, rebellious mother. With his Pluto square Mars in Sagittarius in his 2nd, which he has channelled into making money. It’s a relatively sane chart given the insanities of his upbringing.

Naomi Watts, 28 Sept 1968 11 am Shoreham, England, is the daughter of an antiques dealer and an ex-roadie for Pink Floyd, who later died in an apparent heroin overdose. The family moved to Australia when she was one; her parents divorced when she was four, later reconciling; and the family moved frequently in England, then Wales, then back to Australia during her childhood. She also has an 11^th house Libra Sun and her hard-edged Saturn in Aries is in her 6^th trine a 2^nd house Sagittarius Moon. A hard-working, ambitious Mars in Virgo sits on her Midheaven with lucky Jupiter conjunct Pluto also in her 10^th; with Pluto conjunct Uranus in the 11^th which latter is conjunct her Sun.

Their relationship chart does have an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction but that’s been under strain since tr Uranus moved into Aries in 2011, increasingly so with tr Pluto square the Sun. The composite Venus is also conjunct a switch-on, switch-off Uranus; and the composite Sun opposes Saturn, so too much work or barriers in the way of warmth. There’s a successful Jupiter in the 10^th, so OK career-wise and as far as image goes; but  Pluto Uranus also in the 10^th suggest a good many ups and downs. Plus an evasive hidden composite Moon Neptune in the 12^th.

Given both their childhoods, it’s a miracle it stayed intact as long as it did. And has finally split when tr Uranus and then tr Pluto hit on the composite Saturn. Though it’s been a long time coming.

What is probably relevant, apart from the tr Uranus square tr Pluto hitting on his Sun/Moon midpoint in 2015/16, and tr Uranus opposing his Libra Moon, is tr Saturn moving through both their first quadrants, heading into the deepest part as it moves towards their 2^nd houses. Traditionally this written up as shortage of money, and less success. But it also has the effect of bringing up unresolved psychological and emotional issues to be sorted out; and forcing the individuals to ask what they really want out of life. It pushes people into the core of themselves, taking down the old facade.

She may find it more difficult to cope with than him, but both have reasonably successful midpoints in 2017, so despite tr Saturn pulling them back, they won’t sink.

Arnold Palmer, one of the greatest golfers of all time who popularized the sport and turned it into a glitzy money-earner, has died. Born 20 Sept 1929 7.30am Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to a green-keeper father whose own golf ambitions had been thwarted by childhood polio, he spent his early years strengthening his arms by mowing greens manually. Commentators said of his  electrifying style. ‘He held a club like his life depended on it and hurled the ball off clubface like his arms were the cannon. ‘ ‘A grip that could strangle a bison.’ ‘His only thought was to swing as hard as he could and, when he found his ball, to swing as hard again.’.

No surprises then, that he had Mars in Libra on his Ascendant along with Mercury opposition an Aries Moon (Uranus) squaring onto Pluto Midheaven. That’s a power-house of assertion and do-or-die determination. A marked Pluto in the 10th can give individuals great influence and making them ‘a living legend’.

He also had an inspirational and entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of Venus in Leo in the friendly 11^th trine Saturn in Sagittarius trine Moon, formed into an even more talented Kite with Saturn in a hates-failure opposition to Jupiter. That made lucky, enthusiastic Jupiter the driving planet. His 12^th house Virgo Sun square Saturn partly reflects the father held back by ill-health, and also his own understated temperament and common man touch.  It held him back from becoming an attention-demanding monster which the rest of his chart could easily have made him.

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Bruce Springsteen, ‘the ‘Boss’, American singer, song-writer and activist, is in his late sixties but still out on the concert tour (the present one is 75 gigs globally, each lasting three and a half hours and is his highest grossing tour ever, $135 million last count). He’s also just published a mammoth memoir Born to Run in an effort to shake off demons that have haunted him for years, including a ruptured relationship with his hard-drinking father. His father said “fewer than 1,000 words” to him through most of his childhood, he says in the book. “He loved me, but he couldn’t stand me. He felt we competed for my mother’s affections.” He’s very anti-Trump, pro-the working man, anti-combat weapons being sold, pro-LGBT.

Born 23 Sept 1949 10.50pm, Freehold, New Jersey, he has a 4^th house Libra Sun square a first house Uranus in Cancer, so a born rebel, not an image normally associated with diplomatic Libra. He does have a high-energy, outspoken and deeply frustrated Mars Pluto in his 3^rd which added to his 4^th house Saturn in Virgo fits with a cold, angry father. His mother was the main breadwinner in the family and his Libra Moon in the performing 5^th squares an 8^th house Jupiter, so she would be a supportive figure for him. He also has musical Neptune, Mercury in Libra and Venus in Scorpio in the 5^th  – a born entertainer, despite his depressive streak. His Venus is square Mars Pluto, so he would get tortured at times by his feelings.

He’s been married since 1990 to singer/song-writer, guitarist, Patti Scialfa since 1991 with three children. Which given the pressures of that lifestyle is amazing. She’s a feisty Sun Leo conjunct Mars in late Cancer or Leo; with a charming, light-hearted Jupiter Venus in Gemini which sits on his Ascendant, so she’d cheer him up, though her Saturn Neptune are conjunct his Moon and her Sun is conjunct his Mars – so there would be a fair few arguments about boundaries of behaviour.

Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun Venus probably trine Moon and opposition Jupiter; and an adventurous and morale-boosting Mars trine Jupiter, so there’d be enough pluses to smooth round the rougher patches.

Both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have been voicing forcible criticisms of Israel’s expanding settlement programme which they say makes a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue well-nigh impossible.

The Times of Israel says: ‘Officials in Jerusalem have expressed concern that Obama will use his last few months in office (after the November election) to facilitate a UN resolution to impose a deal between the two nations.’ Though the liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz says Netanyahu has won, having stood up against Obama so far, and the rest of the world is disinclined to get overly invested in the issue, given everything else that is going on.

Obama’s relationship with Netanyahu is certainly on a downward slide with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mars until mid Jan 2017 (which also picked a square from the September Solar Eclipse) – so there’ll be not much going right and an upsurge of anger. And tr Saturn will square the composite Sun in late December into Jan 2017. So it’s just possible there might be a gesture of sorts, which would deepen the rift between them.

What is certainly true is that the USA will be increasingly disheartened with Israeli Government policies right through the next USA Presidential Term with tr Neptune opposition the composite Saturn first and then square Uranus Sun until 2020. With an eruption of bad-tempered criticism from April 2017 till early 2018 with tr Uranus square the composite Mars. And more downers in 2018 with tr Saturn square the composite Neptune Jupiter and opposition Venus.

Leftwing Jeremy Corbyn has been re-elected as Labour leader (UK Opposition), with 61.8% of the vote, a larger margin than last year, in a poll forced on him after more than 170 MPs supported a motion of no confidence in him. Though it’s not clear what comes next since only about 20% of Labour MPs support him and he is regarded as holding to an old-fashioned, marginalised, leftwing ideology.

The result was announced at 12.51 pm in Liverpool today which puts a successful Sun Jupiter in Libra in the 10^th square Mars in late Sagittarius – so a touch reckless and over-confident, can be self-aggrandizing, hypocritical, revelling in arguments, fanatical. There’s an intense 8^th house Cancer Moon opposition Pluto square a 5^th house Uranus – so it will be reformist, could be an agent for progressive change but could just as easily be anarchic, ‘an outer fringe rebel whose compulsive activities shock and jolt conventions.’ (Bil Tierney). Plus a paranoid Neptune opposition North Node Mercury square Saturn in Sagittarius – so much self-righteous crusading.

It’s not quite as bad tempered or stressed as his 2015 victory, 12 Sept 2015 11.42am London, though it also had Jupiter in the 10th, which kept him afloat. But this one will be even more emotionally anchored in the dim and distant past with nostalgic yearnings for the old days of left-wing glory with that Cancer Moon in the 8^th.

Where his leadership term runs into real trouble will be from late 2017 as the Saturn square Neptune draws exact by Solar Arc; and tr Saturn is conjunct the Mars and then moving into Capricorn squares the Sun Jupiter. And even before then with tr Neptune squaring Saturn it’ll be riddled with suspicion and doubt.

There are two possible Labour Party charts – 26 Feb 1900 and 12 Feb 1906. Both of them look undermined and confused in 2016/17; and both indicate an even more major meltdown in late 2018/19. The 1906 chart does show signs of success around 2022/23, so towards the next election but one. The red rose will continue to wilt for some years ahead.

Jeremy Corbyn’s personal chart, 26 May 1949, is picking up the tr Saturn opposition his Venus Mercury this November which will be less than lyrical but will move on quickly. But into 2017 he’s got a double whammy of tr Pluto in a deeply frustrating trine to his Mars in Taurus (which is natally square Pluto); and a discouraging tr Pluto opposition Sun/Saturn which is a dreary slog, feeling isolated and ill-done to. He’ll lose the uplifting tr Pluto square Jupiter/Uranus of this autumn. By 2018 tr Neptune will be square his Venus Mercury which will not improve his morale.

John McDonnell, 8 Sept 1951, the Shadow Chancellor and even further left than Corbyn, is looking similarly slumped by events through 2017 with tr Neptune opposition his Virgo Sun; as well as a panicky-failure Solar Arc Mars conjunct Neptune; and a dead-halt Solar Arc Sun square Pluto. So nothing much going his way. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a falling out between Corbyn and McDonnell sometime around April and onwards next year with tr Uranus square their composite Sun Venus.

Tom Watson, 8 Jan 1967, Deputy Labour Leader elected on a separate ticket and not a Corbyn fan, is facing a challenging and transcendentally aggravating 2017 with tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun and square his Mars in Libra. He may be freed of Corbyn in 2018 with tr Uranus conjunct their composite Jupiter.

JonBenet Ramsey, the miniature beauty queen murdered 20 years ago is back in the news with TV and chat show reconstructions of her death and theories about whodunnit. Her brother Burke is suing over suggestions he hit her with a flashlight, aged nine, and his parents staged a cover up.

The family initially reported a kidnap and the house was over-run by police setting up for a ransom demand; and when the body was discovered, it was moved by the father, further contaminating any evidence that may have been left. The initial call to the police was deemed odd and rehearsed, as was the ransom note. The parents John, a multi-millionaire business man, and Patsy, now dead, were always under suspicion but never charged.

JonBenet was born 6 Aug 1990 1.36am Atlanta, Georgia, and had a truly difficult chart, so even before her murder, must have lived with high levels of anxiety, fear and anger. Her 4^th house Leo Sun opposed an Aquarius Moon, MC, North Node squaring onto Mars in Taurus opposition Pluto in Scorpio. So both parents have the Mars Pluto signature, which is dominating, angry, unbudgeable. Plus her superficially glitzy Venus Jupiter in Cancer opposed Saturn – so emotional coldness towards her; with Saturn trine Mars and sextile Pluto – all really bleak, unkind and deprived, trapped. It’s often the case with individuals who exhibit an exterior ‘beauty’ that they are driven by underlying dread and horrors. They put on a façade of pleasing in order to escape punishment or worse.

When she died her Moon had moved by Solar Arc to close the square to the Mars Pluto opposition to exact.

What struck me years ago when I first looked at the charts was how stressed/emotionally conflicted the parents’ relationship chart with each other were. John Ramsey, 7 Dec 1943 12.45am Omaha, Nebraska, is a volatile Sagittarius Sun opposition Uranus Mars in Gemini and widely opposition Saturn in Gemini; with Uranus Mars trine Neptune, sextile Pluto – so quite explosive and controlling. Patsy Ramsey, 29 Dec 1956, was a Sun Capricorn trine Pluto on one side and square Mars in Aries on the other; with a Sagittarius Moon conjunct Saturn trine Mars trine Uranus – certainly impulsive and ambitious with a Fire Grand Trine but also probably passive-aggressive.

Their relationship chart had a composite Venus opposition Mars square Pluto probably opposition Moon which is an unpleasant mix of sexuality and power.

No proof of anything, but JonBenet was a lotus growing in a swamp.

Burke, her brother, 27 Jan 1987, is a Sun Aquarius square Pluto with a Capricorn Moon probably conjunct Neptune square Mars in Aries; with Mars trine Saturn Venus (Uranus) in Sagittarius. So he’ll be bubbling with the family tensions and anger as well.

As in most dysfunctional families there would be sibling rivalry. The JonBenet/Burke relationship chart had a power-struggling composite Sun Pluto and composite Mars trine Uranus Saturn, so there would be tensions and aggravations.

As to when there might be a definitive answer? Short of a confession, there may never be one. Assuming her birth chart lingers on with the presence of her life, there is a Solar Arc Saturn exactly square the Mars opposition Pluto, as the 20^th anniversary of her death brings renewed interest. Though that feels blocked rather than enlightening. Tr Uranus will square her Saturn and Venus for a final time late Nov to Jan 2017 which might bring more insights; or from June 2017 onwards as tr Uranus square her Jupiter bringing relief of sorts.

One way or another, her life always was going to be a tragedy. All countries seem to have one case which catches the zeitgeist and remains an unresolved mystery.