Donald Trump has announced nominations of conservative right-wing hardliners to three top positions. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, CIA head Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.

In the wondrous way of the internet in the post-truth era, Sessions is labelled by some as too racist to be a judge and anti-civil rights. Yet a conservative blog has him as a social icon who fought against segregation. Though since he got white supremacist David Duke’s blessing the former seems more likely.

Born 24 Dec 1946 in Selma, Alabama, he’s a Sun Mars in Capricorn square Neptune – so hard-edged, ambitious, led by a vision; with the tough Saturn Pluto in Leo trine his Mercury in Sagittarius. He’ll be an erratic fit with Trump with a composite Sun opposition Venus Mercury square Uranus. At a pinch they could push for reforms together except that tr Saturn is pouring cold water on their bond from this December onwards. And there would certainly would a fair amount of game playing between them.

Session has a terrible relationship with VP Pence with a composite Mars Saturn Neptune square Uranus – volatile, explosive, suspicious, constantly trying to outdo each other. That relationship will start to rock n’ roll from this December through the next few years. And a definite chill from Bannon, with wintry smiles covering underlying hostility.

Congressman Mike Pompeo, 30 Dec 1963 Orange, California, has been named head of the CIA. He’s a hawk, pro-waterboarding, pro-Guantanamo Bay, highly vocal on the ‘dire Islamic threat’ so he’s unlikely to be a restraining force on the President. Though he also sees Russia as high risk which may put him on a collision course. He’s another Sun Mars and Mercury in Capricorn, in his case trine Uranus Pluto in Virgo on one side and square Jupiter in Aries on the other – so hardly a calming personality which generally this position requires to hold presidents back from over-reacting.

He’s having a deeply frustrating, downright incandescentally aggravating 2017/18 with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars Mercury.

It’s a difficult relationship with Trump, with an unpleasant composite Mars opposition Saturn, but nothing showing on transits (without a birth time).

His relationship with VP Pence is aggravated in the extreme with a composite Mars square Saturn and inconjunct the Sun which is due a battering from tr Uranus through 2017/18. There’s also dislike write large on his relationship with Bannon.

Mike Flynn, who is in as National Security Adviser, is also known as hardline in his views and reckless. The only birth date is December 1958, though no doubt a day will turn up.

Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist organisation by the US and EU, has been parading both Russian and a US tank in a demonstration of power in Syria where upwards of 7000 of their fighters are supporting Assad. They have been fighting as a proxy army there mainly under Iran’s Revolutionary Guard since 2012. They are a considerable political force in the Lebanon but the Lebanese Army which is supplied by the US say the tank didn’t come from them.

Hassan Nasrullah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, born 31 Aug 1960, is a tough Sun Pluto Mercury in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn, with an adventurous/reckless Jupiter in Sagittarius opposition Mars square Node Venus in Virgo. He’s been through uncertain times recently with tr Neptune opposing his Pluto Sun Mercury and tr Pluto conjunct his Saturn. He has some downbeat Saturn transits to his Mars before the end of this year, then Jupiter and Venus in 2017. But his greater challenges come as his Solar Arc Saturn opposes his Sun, perhaps into 2018 along with even higher risk than usual Uranus transits to his Mars/Pluto midpoint; plus an undermining Solar Arc Sun Mercury conjunct his Neptune in 2019 followed by Solar Arc Pluto in 2021 which looks devastating.

This fits the Hezbollah, 16 Feb 1985 chart, which shows up 2019 as highly uncertain if not shattering with the Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Neptune. Which could well fit into the Saturn Pluto in Capricorn war at that time.

Marine Le Pen, the far-right Front National party leader is the can’t-possibly-win-can-she ? candidate who looks set to get through the first round of next year’s Presidential Election, most likely to face the winner of the Republican Primary. She has cleaned up the party’s act in recent years, moving away from the old anti-semitic, neo-Nazi rantings of her now estranged father. Though she appears unable to remove him as Honorary President.

Born 5 Aug 1968 12.20 am Neuilly sur Seine, France she is a Sun Mercury in Leo with an ambitious 10^th house Mars so certainly a go-getter. But what marks her chart out as singular is a very tough, strained Yod, the toughest, of Uranus Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn in Aries. Saturn also sits as a singleton, the only planet in her relationship hemisphere, which channels the energy of the rest of her chart. Saturn in Aries is self-reliant, tends to be unsympathetic, dismissive of the needs of other, hard. It will have given her a sense that she has a special mission in life which sets her apart from the common crowd. She’s certainly not a fitter-in. But this Yod demands real maturity to make it work. A fated change can bring a turning point which will test the individual to the limit and can set them on a path of social responsibility; or it can bring self-defeating actions which end in failure.

She’s looking upbeat and confident at the moment and in the early stages of 2017 with tr Pluto trine her Jupiter/Pluto and then her Jupiter/Uranus. And she has a bouncy tr Jupiter through her 1^st house over the next year. It might be too much to suggest this coming election will be make or break for her. But she certainly will be experiencing tremendous turbulence around that time. Tr Uranus will conjunct her Yod focal point Saturn exactly at the time of the second round in May 2017. That will really test her mettle to see if she can rise to the challenge of the Yod or end up in failure. Tr Pluto will be opposition her MC then which will certainly shake the ground under her feet. Plus she has a couple of mild but useful Uranus transits to Jupiter midpoints.

Le Pen as President of France would give Angela Merkel nightmares. Le Pen’s afflicted Saturn is opposition AM’s 10^th house Neptune and square her Sun Uranus; and Le Pen’s Mars in Cancer is conjunct AM’s Sun Uranus and square AM’s Neptune; and Le Pen’s Uranus Pluto squares AM’s Mars. It would be a brutal fight for the soul of Europe.

After Brexit and Trump, there is more interest in the 2017 French Presidential Elections than usual, with the far-right, anti-EU Marine Le Pen being talked up as a possible shock winner next spring. The first vote is April 23 and likely to go to a second round on May 7.

Tomorrow the Republicans (right-wing) vote to choose their candidate with three former prime ministers in the ring. Nicolas Sarkozy mired in historic scandals is deemed unlikely; and now Francois Fillon has overtaken the veteran Alain Juppe in the polls (for what that is worth). If there is no clear winner, it goes to a second round a week later.

Francois Fillon, 4 March 1954 9.15pm Le Mans, France, has a Sun Moon, Mercury Venus in Pisces square a Jupiter opposition Mars. That T Square is being deflated by tr Saturn opposition Jupiter over the second round of November 27^th this year; and tr Neptune is  conjunct his Moon now; and square his Mars just before the elections in April. All of which are downers. But on the upside he does have a lucky, successful tr Uranus square Jupiter/Pluto from early this December; and if his birth time is exactly accurate tr Pluto trine his Solar Arc MC now; as well as tr Jupiter moving through his 1^st house. So possible but unlikely. He does have tr Pluto opposition his Uranus at the April/May election which certainly indicates a radical change in his lifestyle.

Alain Juppe, 15 Aug 1945 4am Mont de Marsan, France, has a 2^nd house Leo Sun sextile Mars Uranus in Gemini; and a Scorpio Moon with Saturn in Cancer on his Ascendant. Tr Saturn was opposition his Mars as he slipped from certain-choice in the polls and has now moved to oppose his Uranus, which suggests an unpleasant jolt. Tr Neptune is opposition his Sun/Jupiter till January which is usually high hopes dashed. Birth time being accurate to the minute he does have tr Uranus trine his Jupiter/Asc now though that’s weak enough; and nothing on his MC or Progressed MC. Through the April/May election he has tr Pluto opposition his Saturn which is very downbeat. Plus more encouragingly tr Jupiter trine his Mars Uranus; and tr Uranus trine his Jupiter/MC which will give him a boost.

Nicholas Sarkozy, 28 Jan 1955 10pm Paris, has a flamboyant 5^th house Sun in Aquarius with an aggressive Moon Mars in Aries in his 7^th; and a lucky Jupiter Uranus in his 10^th. His fortunes look decidedly mixed with tr Neptune now square his Solar Arc Moon, moving on to square Solar Arc Mars from February onwards. Over the second round of this primary next week he has tr Saturn opposition his Mars/Pluto which is a major setback and headache. Over April/May he has tr Pluto conjunct his Mars/Neptune which is usually political failure so even if he did make it through he’d lose. He does have tr Uranus square his Jupiter Uranus over the spring election and sextile his MC which could produce a turn of luck but it probably wouldn’t be enough to outweigh that Pluto Mars Neptune.

Angela Merkel looks seriously off balance around the time of next year’s French election with tr Uranus square her 8^th house Cancer Sun, with tr Uranus opposition her Neptune and trine her Pluto just before; and tr Uranus trine her Mars immediately after – so very much on tenterhooks.

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Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka and son-in-law of Donald Trump appears to be taking over as the enforcer, having been de facto campaign manager. He has got rid of Chris Christie in short order plus all his supporters. Christie prosecuted his billionaire property developer father for tax evasion, witness tampering and corruption related charges, for which he received two years in prison. During the trial Charles Kushner admitted to honey-trapping his brother-in-law who had been co-operating with federal authorities, by video-ing him with a prostitute and sending the tape to his wife, in an effort to stop them testifying. During his time inside Jared visited him regularly and continued to build on the family real estate portfolio and buying a newspaper.

Jared, 10 January 1981, is an ambitious Sun Capricorn square Pluto, hence the close connection to his father. He’s also got Saturn Jupiter in Libra trine Mars in determined Aquarius – so adventurous and tough.

His relationship with Donald Trump isn’t that easy with JK’s Mars opposition DT’s Pluto so it could end up in a battle of wills; and JK’s Pluto square and JK’s Mercury opposition DT’s Saturn so none-too-clear communications.

Their relationship chart has a sugary-sweet, superficial composite Sun opposition Venus Jupiter so on the surface initially will feel good. But there’s an ego-clashing composite Mars Neptune, not in the sense of argument, more that the success of one will provoke envy in the other. Worse, that Mars (Neptune) is on one leg of an exact composite Yod in sextile to Pluto inconjunct Mercury – all at 17 degrees, which emphasises a strained interface, with problems in communication and getting agreement. Tr  Saturn will make a blocking  square to that Pluto late this month into December; and in 2017 tr Pluto will sextile the composite Mars and square the focal point Mercury – all of which suggests vehement discussions which don’t come to any sensible agreement, at least that both can accept. There’s also a composite Saturn Uranus conjunction which can lead to tensions getting out of hand since different agendas will be in play.

Jared Kushner’s relationship with Reince Priebus is OK-ish; with VP Mike Pence a touch more volatile though there’s nothing much triggering it (without birth times). His relationship chart with Stephen Bannon is much more stressed with a composite Sun square Uranus Pluto which is being rattled by tr Saturn hard aspects in 2017; as well as disrupted by tr Uranus opposition the composite Saturn after the Inauguration in February. Despite Kushner’s public denials, it must be tough stomaching Bannon’s website which hosts anti-semitic posts, since he is Jewish and Ivanka converted to Judaism on her marriage.

His relationship with Ivanka is also showing a degree of strain ahead with tr Neptune in an undermining square to the composite Sun and tr Saturn conjunct the composite Neptune Venus. That may well be the stress of a transformed lifestyle but they won’t have much time to concentrate on their marriage.

His own chart indicates a tremendous turnaround in his life with tr Uranus square his Sun this Dec/Jan 2017 and tr Uranus opposition his Pluto come April. It’ll be even more pressured in 2018/2019 with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun. At the moment he looks enthusiastic and aggravated in equal measure, with bullish self-confidence coinciding with panic and confusion through 2017. It’ll be quite a ride for him.

The uncertainty in the UK about the calibre of the political leadership and questionmarks over future policy vis a vis Brexit doesn’t quite have the torrid angst of the USA, but it may get there. Theresa May’s deceptive calm is under increasing scrutiny with one commentator asking whether behind her inscrutability there is actually anything to scrute. Noises and leaks out of Westminster aren’t encouraging.

I was pondering on her singleton Mars in Pisces out in a hemisphere of its own, which emphasises its strength since the energy of the other planets is channelled through it. Mars in Pisces hates confrontations and avoids direct decisive action. Her tendency is to refuse to commit until she sees which way the wind is blowing and then positions herself on the winning side. So she’s opportunistic. And her Mars is opposition Jupiter which can be calculating, self-interested, not dependable. Her Neptune isn’t too strongly aspected but may be on an angle which we don’t know without a birth time.

Certainly a Libra Sun can be indecisive, thinking all round dilemmas before coming to a judgement – and her Sun is conjunct her Jupiter/Neptune midpoint and square her Mars/Neptune – both of which point to weak will and a tendency to be overly impressionable, as well as slippery.

Where she gets her appearance of steadiness and over-control is from Saturn in obsessively conscientious Scorpio square Pluto (Venus) in Leo, which I would hazard a guess sits on her chart axis. It seems unbudgeable and indeed dislikes change at a personal level. But her Achilles Heel is that Mars opposition Jupiter which is a completely different energy. And it is under particularly undermining influences, being squared by tr Saturn this autumn and then undermined by tr Neptune for the next three years. High hopes dashed, a bubble of optimism deflated. Her Government chart is similarly afflicted till 2019.

The EU technocrats (Juncker, Barnier etc) are clearly intent on playing hardball, saying the UK will be slapped with a bill for £60 billion ($75 billion) as the cost of the divorce, for pensions and the like. The other EU countries may take a softer line since some will be keen to keep up trading links. But since the EU is incapable of coming to a coherent joint decision on anything much, it’s impossible to predict how it will play out.

The UK/EU relationship chart and the UK EEC 1973 chart (when it joined) and indeed the UK chart itself, all have the IC in early Capricorn and the Sun at 10 degrees Capricorn which tr Saturn will cross in 2018/19 – but that doesn’t seem strong enough to mark a separation of this magnitude. Though I suppose it could be seen as the end of a long run of jolting heavy aspects to these Suns and ICs as well as the UK Sun/Moon midpoint starting with tr Pluto and then tr Uranus from 2013 onwards. And tr Saturn is just the final nail in the coffin. Relations are certainly under disappointing and undermining influences especially in 2018.

On the financial front on the UK chart, following from the shock of Brexit with Solar Arc Sun square Mars exactly in June 2016; there is another collision to the national psyche of Solar Arc MC square that 8^th house Mars exact in eight months time. And the Bank of England chart looks exceptionally stressed and discouraged through 2017.

One possibility is that the uncertainty drags on interminably, as has been suggested, since a divorce settlement of this scope can’t be negotiated in two years; and it depends on perhaps new France and Germany leaders emerging as well through 2017.

All too much when what we want is the stability of knowing what has to be coped with.

British-American actress Juliet Mills, daughter of Sir John Mills and sister of Haley, contracted her third marriage aged 39 in 1980, after two previous short-lived attempts, to actor Maxwell Caulfield, 18 years her junior. Everyone said it wouldn’t last but it still seems to be going strong.

Born 21 Nov 1941 10.45pm London, England, she has a 4^th house Scorpio Sun Mercury with her Sun opposition a 10^th house Saturn Uranus in Taurus, so intense, stubborn, erratic. She’s also got a 5^th house earthy Moon Venus in Capricorn square Mars in Aries, with her Mars trine Pluto – so feisty, alternately charming and impatient, very determined. Not the easiest of charts or individuals.

Maxwell Caulfield, 23 Nov 1959 England, is a Sagittarius Sun Mercury Jupiter so utterly different from her; with a Leo/Virgo Moon which is either conjunct Uranus in Leo or Pluto in Virgo. He’s also got Mars in Scorpio conjunct her Sun and opposition her Saturn, so not the smoothest of matches. His Saturn in Capricorn also squares her Mars – so a good deal of aggravation and even unkind treatment I’d imagine on one side or the other, or both.

What pulls it together in the relationship chart is a composite Sun Venus sextile Mars; and maybe a Water Grand Trine of Moon trine Saturn trine Uranus making it a fairly closeted emotional bond that outsiders don’t understand with enough separations from busy careers to make it sustainable.

Looking at other age-gap matches: Sam Taylor-Wood, 4 March 1967, with Aaron Johnson, 13 June 1990 – there’s also a composite Sun Venus in the relationship chart and again a Water Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Uranus trine North Node; with a Cardinal Grand Square as well – not without its ups and downs and rolling crises, I imagine, but enough positive to outweigh the negative.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, she 16 years older, also had a composite Sun Venus and a Fire Grand Trine; but Uranus opposition composite Moon and square Sun Venus wouldn’t make it easy to hold that together, which it didn’t.

Joan Collins and Percy Gibson, she 22 years older – they’ve got a morale-boosting composite Sun Jupiter Mercury, so make each other feel good, though there’s less Venus involvement in that one.

Sian Phillips with Robin Sachs, she 18 years older – their relationship chart has a Fire Grand Trine of Sun Pluto Jupiter Saturn – so felt inspiring at the start, though a composite Saturn opposition Mars Uranus indicated trouble. When it split, she admitted it hadn’t been as rosy as it appeared in interviews. Which is always the thing to watch with showbiz marriages. They gloss up the outside but what’s inside is often hair-raising even in long-lasting marriages.

David Attenborough has been the voice and face of natural history for an incredible 60 years on BBC and aged 90 is still going strong. After a ten year gap Planet Earth 11, the lavish BBC blockbuster which he narrates, has become the most watched nature programme. After initially resisting the idea he has come round to see climate change as a major threat.

Born 8 May 1926 (less than three weeks before HM Queen) he has, like her, an extraordinarily Fixed chart. His Taurus Sun opposes obsessively conscientious Saturn in Scorpio square a humanitarian/cross-cultural Jupiter in Aquarius opposition a creative Neptune in Leo. So a Fixed Grand Cross which gives endurance, obstinacy aplenty, a tendency to assume the world and everyone in it will adapt to him rather than the other way round. Fixed personalities hate change and would prefer to plough the same furrow for ever – which he has done extraordinarily well.

His Taurus Sun, the only Earth planet,  fits him well into the natural world.

Not surprisingly he has a strong super-star 22^nd and the scientific 11^th; plus breakthrough 13^th; tough conditions 16^th; making-mark 17^th and 19^th. What is intriguing is his very heavily aspected 12H, the healing harmonic. We’ll miss his mellifluous voice when he finally gives up, though like the Queen no sign yet.

Guo Chuan was the first Chinese sailor to circumnavigate the globe solo and without stopping, setting a new record for a 40ft monohull of 138 days. He has died in the early stages of his next voyage an attempt on the 21-day solo record for the passage from San Francisco to Shanghai. It is thought he fell overboard and his body has not been found. His slogan for the project was “peace and sport”, a demonstration of friendship between Beijing and Washington, at a time of increasing tension between the two powers in the South China Sea. In one of his last radio messages he said he kept himself company by listening to a recording of his young son laughing. He called it “the most beautiful song in the world”.

He was born on 5 January 1965 and had a very earthy chart with a Capricorn Sun trine Uranus Pluto Mars in Virgo trine Jupiter in Taurus, formed into a Kite with Jupiter opposition Neptune – so very talented, attracted to danger with Mars tied into Pluto Uranus and Jupiter; and drawn by a Neptunian ideal or vision.

The earthiness of his chart reminded me of Chay Blyth, the Scottish solo yachtsman and rower. Born 14 May 1940 4.30am Hawick, Scotland, he had a Taurus Sun Uranus Mercury Saturn and Neptune in Virgo. I interviewed years ago when he set his records and he thought one thing which helped him with the dangers of solo sailing was his ‘lack of imagination’. An overloading of earth can produce a practical mind that doesn’t sail off into fantasy or paranoia and imagine the worst. It just gets on with doing what’s necessary.

Francis Chichester, an early solo sailor, 17 September 1901 had a Virgo Sun and Saturn Jupiter in Capricorn, though he had more Water in his chart.

Robin Knox-Johnston, another marine soloist, 17 March 1939 6.40am London, just to be un-useful, has a Water Fire chart with a Pisces Sun Jupiter opposition Neptune, and Pluto in Cancer; a focal point sporty Mars in Sagittarius; with only two earth planets, Neptune and Uranus.

So clearly different temperaments cope with the rigours in different ways. But not worrying about everything that could possibly go wrong, which most of us would, will be an asset.