Yowls of outrage and disbelief have greeted the EU Commission’s demand that Apple pay back £11 billion ($14.5 billion) to Ireland in back taxes. They say that Irish tax benefits are illegal, allowing Apple to pay effectively a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%. Ireland and Apple said they disagreed and would appeal.

The Apple Nasdaq chart, 12 Dec 1980, shows up the cataclysm most clearly. There’s tr Uranus opposition the Apple Pluto now – a major upset; and tr Pluto conjunct the Apple Mars in money-minded Capricorn, which runs till December and is transcendentally enraged. With the Apple Mercury picking up the tr Saturn conjunct and tr Neptune square through coming months, which is uncertain and confused.

I imagine there’ll be a hasty relocation since Apple’s presence in Ireland was largely a paper exercise.

Sonia Rykiel, the revolutionary fashion designer has died aged 86. Born 25 May 1930 11.55pm Neuilly Sur Seine, “she defined the whole idea of French chic in all its sexy, sassy, nonchalant, slightly arrogant glory.” She launched her clothes when the students were storming the barricades in 1968, stressing that women’s clothes were about ‘absolute freedom’ and she called it the start of the hippie fashion movement. She popularised fashion and pioneered mail order.

She had a 4^th house multi-tasking and populist Gemini Sun square a creative and iconic 8^th house Neptune. She also had a sensuous Taurus Moon trine Neptune, sextile Venus in Cancer – so she stamped her mark on the new femininity. She was innovative and tough with a Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto square Uranus; and had a do-or-die determined Mars in Aries square Pluto, sextile Jupiter in her attention-seeking 5^th house.

Coco Chanel, her forerunner, also liberated women from the old corseted-style though she was much less bohemian in her approach. Born 19 Aug 1883 4pm Saumur, France, she had an 8^th house Sun Venus in Leo square Neptune; with Neptune trine Uranus, sextile Jupiter; and an understated Pisces Moon opposition Mercury in Virgo square Saturn in Gemini. Her chart like Sonia Rykiel’s highlighted creative Neptune but her intense Leo Sun would hold her to a more high-end style.

Elsa Schiaparelli, 10 Sept 1890 (no time sadly), Rome, Italy, who was Coco Chanel’s great rival between the Wars, was influenced by the Surrealists Like Dali and Jean Cocteau. She had an interest in psychics and spiritualism, married a psychic conman and only after he abandoned her with a baby did she start to design. She was a Sun Virgo square Mars in Sagittarius; with the hallmark Neptune Pluto in Gemini of the 1890s which was not always stable and would certainly attract her to surrealism. It squared Saturn in Virgo and was trine Mercury in Libra trine Jupiter – so she was a strange mix of realistic and hard-working, and off-the-wall. Her Leo Moon was probably opposition Jupiter square Venus in Scorpio which would make sense of a fashion career.

The 9 degree Virgo Solar Eclipse (New Moon) on 1^st September is in a Saros Series, described by Bernadette Brady as “about realism, a coming down to earth. The individual will become aware of an old situation, and see it for what it is rather than what he or she thought it was. This can be a constructive time for tackling the truth.” (The Eagle and the Lark). It occurred before in this series in 1998, 1980, 1962, 1944 and 1926, so worth looking back to see what happened in your life then.

This particular Solar Eclipse has the New Moon conjunct the North Node opposition Neptune squaring onto Saturn Mars in Sagittarius – so quite a potent and confusing mix of energy, which will trail on in effect for a few months. The Eclipse effect tends to linger.

Mars is speedy, go-ahead, pro-active, argumentative and aggressive. When it meets slow-moving, rigid Saturn, the energy gets blocked. One result can be accidents, and broken bones, or bad-tempered irritation at setbacks and delays. It usually feels like a test of strength and indeed can be most usefully deployed towards highly disciplined tasks, requiring perseverance and attention to detail. You need grit for Mars Saturn and the ability to accept that what you want (Mars = I am) probably won’t happen or at least not without a massive amount of effort.

It does have military overtones, which out in the world isn’t great. But a soldierly frame of mind will help in individual lives – do what needs to be done, obey authority, fit in, pull together, forget personal indulgences for a while.

What will undercut Mars Saturn’s determined and utterly pragmatic drive is Neptune, which will waft off into dreams and delusions. The risk of Neptune in aspect to an Eclipse is self-deceit; the opportunity is for deeper spiritual understanding. If Mars Saturn’s armoured-tank mentality can be harnessed to a Neptunian vision, it could make it come real – though that’s probably hoping for too much.

Saturn square Neptune, at absolute best, is about painstaking effort and steady working towards a goal. But it tends more often to produce a neurotic sense of worry (about things that often are never going to happen), low energy and sometimes illness or depression. So generally dissatisfied and changeable in mood.

Mars Neptune is also weak-willed and low energy, feeling paralysed or inferior. Its better side, though tricky in a square, is glamour, publicity and artistic pursuits.

Mars in aspect to the Eclipse normally activates a zippy, argumentative, even sexual mood. But given that, in this Eclipse, it is stockaded on two sides by Saturn and Neptune it will have problems being as upfront and straight-up-the-middle-of-the-road as it likes. In mythology Mars (Ares) was the god of war, who on meeting his father in a narrow tunnel, killed him to clear his way ahead. At worst, it’s an insensitive, almost infantile energy – what I want is what I want and I intend to have it, no matter how others suffer.

The Pisces Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) on 16 September at 24 degrees Pisces/Virgo has lost the aspect to Neptune and Saturn but is still closely square Mars. So it is likely to produce more of the ambitious, competitive, no-compromise, passionate (and selfish) Mars effect. For those who are normally under-confident and averse to confrontations, it might bring them out of their shell to become more assertive. Given that it is in Sagittarius, that might mean crusading for personal beliefs and causes.

The presidential debates are pitched for Sept 26, Oct 9^th and 19^th; with the VP debate on Oct 4^th. They should provide some spectacle, especially the latter two, since the tr Mars tr Pluto in Capricorn will draw closer and be exact for Oct 19^th – which is brutally bad-tempered and will by that time fall in Trump’s grandstanding 5^th house so he’s likely to be incandescent with rage and hostility. It’ll be within orb for the VP debate as well.

The kick-off on Sept 26 starts with a late Taurus Ascendant conjunct Algol, so quite destructive.

Hillary’s chart has tr Uranus opposition her Solar Arc Mars for the first debate (and all thro from Sept 3^rd to Oct 3) which is insecure and edgy, inclined to over-react. Though in some ways she’s in worse shape for the two October debates. For the October 9^th debate: she’s got tr Saturn square her Mars/Neptune which is weak-willed, low energy, feeling inferior or unstable – so not on top confident form. The October 19^th debate sees her with tr Saturn square her Jupiter/Uranus – disadvantages, losses, obstinate, inhibited; and square her Neptune/Pluto – pessimistic, muddled, tormented. These midpoint Saturn transits are relatively minor but she’ll be sagging slightly and she’s not a good extempore speaker at the best of times.

Donald Trump has tr Uranus square his Saturn throughout September, as well as tr Uranus square his Mars/Node midpoint – very high tension, quarrelsome. Not much showing over the Second debate; but like Hillary sagging over October 19^th with tr Saturn square his Jupiter/Pluto = unable to make progress.

Their relationship chart, not surprisingly is horrendous; with composite Mars sitting midway and conjunct Sun on one side and Pluto on the other; with Pluto conjunct Saturn square Jupiter – so intense dislike. Plus a needs-space/no-compromise composite Uranus sextile Mars, square Mercury and Venus.

The two VP possibles, Dem Tim Kaine and Rep Mike Pence also have an argumentative, disharmonious relationship chart, though nothing like the volcano of boiling oil between the two lead candidates. Theirs has a composite Sun Mercury opposition Mars; an unkind, rough-edged Mars trine Saturn; and cold Saturn trine Sun Mercury Venus and trine resentful Pluto.

On Oct 4^th Pence has tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Uranus so suffering some kind of upheaval or reversal; and a lack lustre tr Pluto sextile Jupiter/Neptune. Tim Kaine has tr Neptune square his Mars/Node which will put him on the defensive and make him inhibited. Though he looks cheered three days later with tr Jupiter conjunct his Solar Arc Uranus.

Syria has become even more dangerous with Turkey putting in troops on the ground, primarily to target the Syrian Kurds who control much of the territory south of the Syrian-Turkish frontier. A powerful Kurdish state-let could decide to make incursions into Turkey and set off a civil war there. So the myriad factions and factors of who’s fighting who and why in Syria, just became even more complex and risky. Though Turkey like Russia could find itself drawn into a swamp from which an exit will be difficult.

The Syria 1 Jan 1944 12am Damascus chart, does look on the brink (again) with the Solar Arc Saturn with three weeks being square the Syria Mars and 3 months of being square the Syria Uranus – all of which looks explosive and destructive. The one faint hope of relief will come from May 2017 when tr Uranus will trine the Syria Jupiter. Though since that is on one leg of a strained Yod, it’s anyone guess, what form the relief will come.

Though around the same time on the relationship chart between Bashar Assad and Syria, there’s also a sense of relief and radical change with tr Uranus square the composite Uranus and Jupiter/Uranus midpoint and trine Mars and Mars/Pluto. It won’t be a separation made without violence. Though toppling Assad won’t necessarily clarify matters on the ground with an unholy mix of assorted jihadists, ISIS, Al Quaeda and Kurds all hacking out their piece of turf, with their foreign backers no doubt determined on saving face.

Assad’s presidency chart, 17 July 2000, is struggling through the next few months with tr Saturn conjunct and tr Neptune square the Pluto, chipping away at his power base. Then tr Uranus squares the Mars in Dec 2016/Jan 2017, moving on to square the Sun (conjunct Procyon) from late April for a year. Both of these will cause him significant disruption and insecurity.

His own personal chart, 11 Sept 1965 4.43pm? Damascus, is labouring mightily with tr Pluto sextile Mars Neptune and trine Uranus Pluto Sun for the next three years, so under unrelenting pressure. Plus tr Saturn square his Saturn Moon and opposition Jupiter over the next 18 months, so nothing that looks good.

Donald Trump, under new campaign management from strategist Kellyanne Conway, is pulling back from his core stance of deporting all illegal immigrants, in the hope of reclaiming some of the centrist Republican ground. Not only is this making him look like a flip-flopper, it is antagonising his grassroots support and the lovely Sarah Palin who’s now voicing “massive disappointment” if he holds to this new “wishy-washy” line.

That was never a harmonious match with her rough-edged Sun Mars Saturn in Aquarius opposition his Mars Ascendant in Leo.

Their relationship chart is volcanic with a composite Mars opposition Venus square Pluto; and an unstable, fanatical composite Sun opposition Neptune square Uranus. There’ll be further splits between them when tr Uranus moves to conjunct the composite Sun in October, which could see a real eruption.

Trump’s new CEO Stephen Bannon is also picking up unfavourable press for past domestic violence and anti-Semitic issues (which he’s denying.)

3^rd September onwards sees tr Uranus square Trump’s Saturn which won’t make his forward trajectory any easier or smoother.

Please post below ………. isn’t life boring with no Olympics? ……….

Another Mars Saturn event. Sir Richard Branson has suffered a cracked cheek, torn ligaments and severe cuts after he crashed his bike on a Caribbean island. He said he thought he was going to die. It happened on the 5^th anniversary of the fire which destroyed his luxury home on Necker Island.

Accidents usually show up as involving Mars and he has Mars (conjunct Neptune) in his 3^rd house natally which is often an indicator of a fast driver – and talker.

The fire which occurred on 24 Aug 2011 happened with a tr Saturn in Libra square tr Mars in Cancer – and tr Saturn was conjunct his natal Neptune Mars as was his Solar Arc Pluto. So a huge build-up of risky, devastating and frustrating energy.

This time round: tr Pluto has been square his Mars since early in 2016, sticking around till late 2017 – so all a slightly dangerous and argumentative time for him, though it’s not exact at the moment. Exact now, tr Pluto is square his Mars/Neptune midpoint and trine his 2^nd house Saturn – which will be throwing him off balance and giving him financial headaches. The tr Mars Saturn conjunction is square his Solar Arc Uranus which would certainly suggest an accident.

Nasty for him but always good to know the astrology is working well. His 3rd house Mars and Neptune have been under a longish siege since 2011 running through till late 2017.

Birth of a Nation, a movie loosely based on the life of Nat Turner, an African-American, who led a slave rebellion in 1831 in Virginia, was sold for mega millions at Sundance, has won two awards already and goes on release this October. The star and director, Nate Parker, is mired in controversy over a 1999 college allegation against him of raping a drunk, unconscious woman who suicided in 2012. He was found not guilty, having had a relationship with her before and has been supported this week by former classmates upset at “the gross and blatant misinformation campaign” against him.

Nat Turner, 2 Oct 1800, was highly religious and had visions which he believed were God’s message to tell him what to do. In 1831 the February Aquarius Solar Eclipse was a visible from Virginia which he thought showed a black man’s hand moving across the Sun; shortly after the August 1831 Leo Solar Eclipse which showed up blue-green, he started his revolt against slavery, gathering together slaves and free blacks, armed initially with farm implements and later with horses and guns, which resulted in the deaths of around 60 white people; and in retaliation more than 200 blacks were killed by white militias and mobs. Turner was eventually captured and hanged. Legislation, at the time and subsequently, denied free blacks trial by jury, or education, withdrew their right to bear arms, and to vote.

Nat Turner was a Sun Libra; with a Fixed T Square of Neptune in Scorpio opposing Mars in Taurus (conjunct Algol) square Saturn in Leo – certainly angry, wanting respect with Saturn in Leo; and with executive ability with a focal point Saturn. He also had a Yod of Jupiter in Leo sextile Uranus (Mercury) inconjunct Pluto, which would make him intense, given to extreme views, an obsessive seeker after new ways of organizing society, with a tendency to undermine authority.

When he launched the rebellion he was just passed his First Saturn Return which is always a significant turning point; with the Feb 1831 Solar Eclipse in Aquarius opposition Saturn in Leo triggering his angry and ambitious Fixed T Square; with a challenging tr Pluto opposition his Sun; and a discouraging tr Saturn conjunct Solar Arc Jupiter (on one leg of the Yod). The second Leo Solar Eclipse that year in August was square his Neptune, with the tr Node about to conjunct his Saturn. So it would trigger his mission to change the world.

Nate Parker, 18 Nov 1979 Norfolk, Virginia, a former college wrestler and major in management science and information systems, is a super-determined and rebellious Sun Uranus Mercury (and Moon) in Scorpio square Mars in Leo. His Sun opposes Algol and his Mars is conjunct Regulus.  Not a small personality and he clearly identifies with Turner.

When the alleged rape happened in Aug 1999, tr Pluto was square his Jupiter and tr Mars in Scorpio was square his Mars – so a hyper and over-confident time.

He’s got the tr Neptune square tr Saturn in hard aspect to his Mars/Saturn midpoint at the moment and through into 2017 which will induce depression and concern. But he’s also got a couple of strong tr Pluto aspects to Jupiter midpoints and his Solar Arc Jupiter, so he’ll pick up and push on. He’s married now with five daughters.

Whatever his misdemeanours (or not as the case may be) the Birth of a Nation is a forgotten piece of the American story that deserves a telling. The Daily Beast has a useful piece: goo.gl/idQuZY

South Africa is not only teetering on the brink of being downgraded economically to junk status, with soaring unemployment and zero growth; but of heading into a protracted period of political and social turmoil. In recent elections the ruling ANC had its worst result in 22 years since the end of apartheid, losing control of all major cities to the opposition.

President Zuma has reacted by refusing to interfere in what most say are trumped up charges against the Finance Minister and seizing control of the economy himself. A South African commentator wrote in Business Day, based in Johannesburg: “This unschooled man has pronounced himself commander-in-chief of the economy. In doing so, he has grabbed control of all the big state feeding troughs on which the ‘tenderpreneurs’ have been engorging themselves since he came to power seven years ago. There will now be no restraining them.”

The South Africa 27 April 1994 12am chart has tr Neptune conjunct its 2^nd house (financial) Saturn now until early 2017; with this September Virgo Eclipse in opposition from the 8^th – which looks critical for business finances. With the Solar Arc MC conjunct Pluto, exact in 6 months’ time, which looks blocked and could be some kind of government meltdown. Tr Uranus will be in a highly strung square to Neptune and Uranus in 2017/2018 – so high anxiety and disruption. Then tr Pluto moves to conjunct Neptune and Uranus between 2019 to 2022 which looks like a catastrophic upheaval, so nothing sorted anytime soon.

The South Africa 31 May 1910 chart looks worse if anything in the coming years. The 9 degree Gemini Sun is picking up the tr Saturn square tr Neptune through coming months as well as being squared by the September Eclipse. Then from January 2017 tr Pluto is opposing the SA Neptune Mars till late 2018 which is high-risk, devastating, stuck every which way; and tr Uranus returning to square Uranus early 2017 and on till early 2018 which could see civil strife breaking out. Plus a dangerous, high-anger Solar Arc Mars opposition Saturn in late 2017/18. Then tr Pluto will follow to conjunct Uranus in 2020/21, having moved across the square to the Mars Neptune Pluto midpoints inbetween.

Jacob Zuma’s 2^nd Term chart, 24 May 2014 11.35am launched on a rolling-crises Cardinal Grand Cross of a pushily-confident, unconcerned-with-rules-and-regulations Pluto opposition Jupiter square Uranus Moon opposition Mars. The Solar Arc Pluto has moved to square Uranus exactly this year so it is at its most unstable; with tr Pluto also square Uranus at the moment and again Oct/Nov; though he’ll likely try to brass-neck it out with even more outrageous behaviour as tr Pluto hits the Jupiter/Pluto midpoint and Jupiter now and across 2017/18.

His own personal chart has a 21 degree Aries Sun which tr Uranus will conjunct again in Feb 2017 which might just unseat him. Though he does look suspiciously upbeat through 2017/18.