The whacko North Korean leader Kim-Jong Un has been test firing missiles from a rickety submarine in what is meant to be a show of force. Though those most at risk are probably the poor sailors on board. His people are starving yet he’s sunk millions if not billions into military spending to boost his status. As well as bumping off an increasing number of high-level officials internally, leading some commentators to suggest that a breaking point for a mutiny or coup is coming sometime soon.

His Leadership chart, 29 Dec 2011 11.57am Pyonggang, does look at its most precarious through 2017/2018 as the control-freak Sun Pluto conjunction comes exact to the square to Uranus by Solar Arc. From mid 2017 tr Uranus opposes the Leadership Saturn and throughout 2017/18 tr Pluto will trine Mars – so high tensions erupting, and high risk.

The North Korea chart, 9 Sept 1948 5.27pm?, has a 16 degree Virgo Sun so is up and down this year with tr Jupiter conjunct and tr Saturn in square. There could be some movement towards improvements from mid 2017 with tr Uranus trine the NK Saturn though it’s unlikely to happen without major disruption. And by 2018 tr Neptune will oppose the NK Sun for an undermining time right through till early 2020. If he does go, what replaces him may not be that wonderful.

So not much respite for the poor downtrodden peasants, those who are still alive.

As Hillary Clinton draws closer to clinching the Democratic nomination, a possible FBI indictment looms larger, for use of a private email server to handle classified information when she was secretary of state. Immunity has recently been granted to an aide who set up her private email server, which in normal circumstances means charges are in the offing. Insider murmurs are that political pressure will be/has been brought to bear to side track any charges, since she is regarded as Obama Mark 3, leading some to suggest the FBI may leak their findings.

At the moment (April 21 to 7 May) she has tr Uranus opposition her Sun/Neptune midpoint which Ebertin describes as ‘nervousness, sudden excitements or upsets, crisis, mourning, illness.’ That repeats late October across the election. It could just be nervous exhaustion since Ebertin does tend to dramatise a touch.

However her relationship charts with FBI (26 July 1908); and FBI (22 March 1935) – both show huge stress this year, especially the FBI 1935 with tr Pluto conjunct the composite Sun through June to mid July. That could be make or break time.

Tr Uranus is also opposition her Solar Arc Mars Pluto conjunction from late May right through till early October, across the Democratic convention. That could overturn her applecart altogether. At the very least it’ll be extremely testing.

Whatever possessed her to do something that stupid??

Jordan, one of the west’s closest allies, is almost at ‘boiling point’ over Syrian refugees, numbering possibly a million, who have fled the fighting there. This is in addition to the 200,000 Iraqis they have taken in; and 2 million Palestinians. Refugees make up about 20% of the country’s population, putting an enormous strain on the infrastructure and economy.

The Jordan independence chart, 25 May 1946 12am Amman, looks thoroughly blocked at the moment with Solar Arc Sun conjunct Pluto; with tensions mounting to boiling point with tr Uranus square Saturn late April/early May and again in December 2016. The situation will worsen in 2018/2019 with tr Pluto opposing Saturn which can mean war or deprivation/hardship.

King Abdullah 11’s swearing in chart, 7 February 1999 3.30pm Amman, looked swamped in 2015 with Solar Arc Neptune conjunct the Aquarius Sun. This year looks stuck and uncertain, economically and otherwise, with tr Saturn and tr Neptune both in hard aspect to the Pluto and Venus. But the greatest challenges will come from mid 2017 when tr Uranus will conjunct the Saturn in Aries. That often brings tensions up to eruption point with conflict between the status-quo-ers and the reformers; and certainly hints at a change of direction.

On both this chart and the Jordan country chart there are heavy Pluto Jupiter influences in 2017/2018 which can suggest conflicts with authority.

King Abdullah 11’s personal chart, is very Fixed with an Aquarius Sun conjunct Saturn on one side and Venus Jupiter (and Mercury) all in Aquarius on the other. With a Scorpio Moon Neptune and Uranus in Leo. So he’s built for the long haul.

Tr Uranus will square his Mars in Capricorn, his only Cardinal planet, from mid 2017 till early 2018, at the same time as tr Uranus is conjunct Saturn on his reign chart – so that will be a time of significant crisis for him.

Jack Nicholson, multi-award winning actor and star of some of Hollywood’s most iconic movies – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Chinatown, The Shining, A Few Good Men, Terms of Endearment – was 79 yesterday. It’s all the more astonishing since he’s led a riotous life with only one marriage but numerous relationships and has never stinted on excess.

Born 22 April 1937 11am Neptune, New Jersey, he has a maverick, determined and indulgent Sun Uranus in Taurus in the 10^th; with Venus in Aries conjunct his Midheaven and Mercury in Taurus also in the 10^th – so ambitious and designed for a public career. He’s also got a powerfully confident, exact Pluto opposition Jupiter in Capricorn – ultra-determined to get his own way and good at attracting money.  His Mars in feisty Sagittarius is in the performing 5^th so not only an entertainer but in his day a vigorous party-goer.

He was the son of a showgirl and never really knew who his father was; and he was brought up by his grandparents whom he was told were his parents. He only discovered in his late 30s that his ‘sister’ was his mother.

His Virgo Moon opposes Saturn in Pisces and sits on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Mars trine Pluto – so not an easy emotional life.

2017 looks to be a year of great highs and some lows as tr Uranus squares his Pluto opposition Jupiter and Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct Pluto and opposition Jupiter – so significant changes and some relief.

Prince Alexander of Sweden was born on 19 April 2016 at 6.25pm Stockholm, Sweden. He is the first born of Prince Carl Philip, fourth in line to the throne and his wife, former semi-nude glamour model Sophia Hellqvist. They married in June last year, so a honeymoon baby.

Alexander has an unaspected 7^th house Taurus Sun so he may have problems establishing his identity and will want a partner’s support. Though with Venus Uranus in Aries also in the 7^th he’ll tend to be erratic in his commitments.

His Venus Uranus square Pluto conjunct his IC – so he will feel trapped at times in his home and family life. He does have a confident and business-like Earth Grand Trine which will help, of Pluto trine Jupiter in Virgo trine an 8^th house Mercury.  Though there’s also an awkward Neptune opposition Jupiter square Mars Saturn in Sagittarius in his 3^rd – which suggests a childhood which instils discipline and doesn’t always take care of his needs – and fairly aggravated relationships with siblings.  His 12^th house Libra Moon has only one aspect in sextile to Mars – so not well nurtured in an emotional sense.

It’ll be a tricky relationship with both parents, especially his mother since her Sun Uranus in Sagittarius is conjunct his focal point Mars Saturn.  And his father’s Moon Neptune in Sagittarius will also not always make for harmony.

His relationship chart with his mother looks rather erratic and bleak with a composite Sun Uranus and composite Venus square Saturn Pluto. With his father – composite Sun square Uranus as well and Mars; with a Moon Saturn conjunction.

So the usual guddle of complicated family dynamics typical of Royals.

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Despite having slid off the headlines recently, the situation in Greece appears to be no less dire with unemployment at 30%, one in four businesses closed and one in three in poverty. With debt repayments looming, there are fears that it could now be heading towards a disorderly default.

The Bank of Greece, 7 Dec 1927 chart has a stomach-lurching Solar Arc Mars opposition Neptune this year; with the tr Saturn square tr Neptune in hard aspect to the 10 degree Sagittarius Saturn and Sun, continuing and worsening through 2017 as tr Neptune squares the Sun. Plus tr Pluto opposition Pluto. So hugely stressful and not winning.

The Greece 1974/EU relationship chart looks set to rock ‘n roll even more precariously than last year with tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun now and heading to hard aspect Moon and Venus; and tr Pluto in a hugely frustrating and bitter square to the composite Mars; and a disruptive tr Pluto trine Uranus. If anything it’ll be more knife-edge than in 2015.

The sudden dismissal of a Hong Kong newspaper editor who ran a front-page story based on revelations from the Panama Papers, mentioning local celebrities, officials and businessmen, has raised concerns. The sacking comes two years after another of the paper’s editors was also dismissed (and subsequently stabbed), and replaced by a more pro-Beijing executive. Hong Kong officially retained its civil liberties and legal protections when control was handed from Britain to Beijing in 1997, but there was always concern that the Chinese government would impose tighter control.

The HK 1 July 1997 12am chart, does have tr Uranus moving through its 1^st house and conjunct Saturn this year – which is classic for tensions erupting because of a drive for freedom and independence. With a similarly stressed Solar Arc Saturn square the HK Uranus, exact in five months’ time. Tr Uranus is also square the Solar Arc MC this year pointing to jolting changes of direction. It won’t get easier since tr Pluto will square Saturn in 2017 and 2018 which looks highly repressive.

The HK/China relationship chart is on a panicky downhill slide this year until early 2017 with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mars; with tr Saturn square Mars adding a few aggravated weeks along the way. With tr Uranus conjunct the composite Uranus threatening to upset the applecart this year as well.  By 2018 tr Pluto will square that Uranus for a total turnaround in relations which is unlikely to be in Hong Kong’s favour.

Welsh ex-International footballer Ched Evans has had his conviction for rape quashed on appeal and will stand for a retrial.

Born 28 December 1988, he’s a Sun Capricorn conjunct the triple conjunction of Uranus Saturn Neptune with a Virgo Moon; his Mercury also in Capricorn is trine Jupiter in Taurus – so a very Earthy chart.

He looks cheered obviously at this news with tr Uranus trine his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint; but 2017/2018 look very aggravating and stuck with tr Pluto square his Mars in Aries.

Another day, another celebrity dies. Quite a year with the illness-prone Saturn square Neptune around. In the past it has accompanied epidemics but it also leads to heightened worries, paranoid thoughts, an undermining of certainties as Neptune dissolves Saturn’s grip on reality.

Prince, the eccentric and talented singer, who sold 100 million records, has died with suggestions of a recent drug overdose. He had a style that managed to be both highly sexual and androgynous at the same time.

Born 7 June 1958 6.17pm Minneapolis, Minnesota into a musical family, he had epilepsy as a child, claimed he needed very little sleep as an adult, and became a Jehovah’s Witness. He had various publicised romances, two brief marriages from one of which he had a child who died within days of a skull deformity.

He had an 8^th house Sun Gemini (as befits a popular singer) opposition Saturn in Sagittarius. So he would be intense and prone to depression though his Sun trine Jupiter in Libra would help to bounce him up.

There was considerable stress in his chart from a Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune North Node inconjunct a 5^th house (performing) Mars at zero Aries. That overly impulsive Mars would be one of the reasons he could survive without much sleep, since he would be constantly hyped-up. Plus his Pluto MC opposition a Pisces Moon squared onto Mercury in Gemini – which again would give him high nervous tension and a mind which could never settle. As well as a fear of being trapped and dark thoughts from Mercury Pluto.

And he had Venus in indulgent Taurus opposition Neptune Node square Uranus – making him experimental and innovative, slightly fanatical.

His Yod focal point Mars had moved by Secondary Progression to exactly square his Fixed T-Square focal point Uranus when he died – and that usually involves a considerable shock. Mars was ruler of his 6^th.  Plus tr Uranus was just on the cusp of his 6^th house of health.

When two configurations in a chart collide either through Solar Arcs or Progressions there is always a significant crisis.