The first direct detection of gravitational waves is being hailed as ‘one of the most remarkable scientific breakthroughs of our time’ and proof of a prediction made by Albert Einstein a century ago. My knowledge of cosmic physics amounts to zero but the science community is abuzz with talk of astronomy and other fields of science now entering a new era.

Einstein, born 14 March 1879 11.30am Ulm, Germany, had a 10^th house Pisces Sun – Pisces oddly enough being one of the commonest signs amongst scientists and mathematicians. He also had a ‘eureka’ moment, inspired- innovation Uranus trine Neptune. Plus an utterly determined Mars in Capricorn sextile his Sun and trine Pluto in Taurus.

His leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17^th Harmonic is immensely strong with an Earth Grand Trine/Kite focused onto a North Node; and a T square focused onto Jupiter. His 11H is also notable.

It may just be coincidence but on his chart the Solar Arc Jupiter is about to cross the Ascendant, giving his image a considerable boost.

Two notable modern day physicists who have devoted their professional lives to pursuing gravitational waves are Rai Weiss, 29 Sept 1932 and Kip Thorne, 1 June 1940. Thorne also has a Uranus trine Neptune; and Weiss a focal point ‘breakthrough’ Uranus, with his Neptune in minor aspects to Uranus, Pluto and his Sun.

Nobel Prizes to follow.

Popular singer Barry Manilow, a stratospheric success in the 1970s/1980s though not much loved by critics for his sentimental middle-of-the-road schmaltz, has had to cancel singing engagements because of complications from surgery.

Born 17 June 1943 9am Brooklyn, New York, his chart does look very stressed at the moment with the Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Gemini Sun; and Solar Arc Pluto opposition his Mars in Aries. That latter is also picking up the tr Pluto square Mars all this year which is very blocked.

Tr Pluto is also just over the cusp into his 6^th house of health, so not a great time.

Tennis player Andy Murray and his wife Kim Sears had a daughter in the early hours of Sunday morning Feb 7^th in Surrey.

The new arrival will be quite a handful with an Aquarius Sun square Mars in Scorpio, so ultra-determined. Quite a charmer with Pluto Venus Mercury in Capricorn with a late Capricorn Moon also, all trine Jupiter in Virgo possibly on the Midheaven. Confident, sociable and not one to be overlooked even in a high-powered family.

Her mother also has Mars and indeed Pluto in Scorpio and Venus in Capricorn – so they will be reasonably similar.  All three have Saturn in can-be-opinionated Sagittarius – although that could also be serious about sport.

Both parents have Jupiter in Aries with No 1 daughter having Uranus there – so adventures ahead.

She looks close to her mother with a composite affectionate Sun Venus conjunction, though it won’t be without arguments with a stubborn and volatile composite Mars square Uranus.

Her relationship with father has an easy-going/spoilt composite Sun square Jupiter; with an emotionally heated composite Venus opposition Mars.

In the relationship charts of her with both parents there is a composite Saturn Pluto conjunction suggesting ties that chafe from time to time. It’ll certainly change their lifestyle which on a constantly travelling international circuit won’t always be easy with a baby.

Dan Walker, ex-sports presenter, is a new anchor for BBC’s flagship breakfast news and chat show. What has got the media buzzing, and up in arms, is that he is a creationist – believes the earth is between six and ten thousand years old, created by God, and the dinosaur bones were ????

Born 19 March 1977, he’s a New Moon in Pisces with planets in all three Fire signs including Neptune in Sagittarius. His Sun = his Neptune/Pluto midpoint; and his Uranus/Neptune and Saturn/Neptune all aspect his Pluto, Jupiter and Mars.

Neptune can, of course, be spiritual or psychic, but Neptune/Pluto tends towards the pursuit of fantastical ideas; Uranus/Neptune can sometimes lead to peculiar psychic states; and Saturn/Neptune finds it difficult to balance fantasy with reality.

Sarah Palin is also a creationist and her Neptune squares her Sun Mars Saturn, is sextile her Pluto and inconjunct her Jupiter, trine her MC – so heavily aspected. Her Sun aspects two Neptune midpoints; and her Jupiter aspects her Neptune/Pluto.

Chuck Norris is another, 10 March 1940 3am Ryan, OK and he’s a Sun Pisces opposition Neptune, with Neptune trine Uranus. His Jupiter is also = Neptune/Pluto; his Uranus =Jupiter/Neptune and his Neptune= Uranus/Pluto.

Wonder whether they’ll let Dan Walker interview Richard Dawkins?

The recent dip in the stock markets has fuelled fears of another banking crash with Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse suffering falls in share prices, though DB has recovered ground today.

Deutsche Bank, 22 January 1870, survived the 2008 crash unscathed and was always regarded as a bastion of solidity and security. Though it was maybe just better at hiding its pain than some of the others given the astrology it has lived through in recent years – Solar Arc Saturn square Mars, conjunct Jupiter and Pluto.

At the moment tr Uranus is moving to square Uranus for the final time next month; with an undermining Solar Arc Neptune opposition its financial Venus. So the swampy situation in which it finds itself will lead to some major changes. But it still looks all confusion and devastation through 2016/17 with tr Pluto square Neptune. Plus a huge, forced upheaval in 2017/18 from tr Pluto opposition Uranus. So nothing that will settle quickly.

Credit Suisse, 5 July 1856, if anything looks in a worse pickle with a discouraging and indecisive Solar Arc Sun square Neptune this year; and the dead-halt, scary tr Pluto square Mars exact now and around till late 2017.

The EU Central Bank (ECB) 1 June 1998, is feeling the full brunt of the neurotic tr Saturn square tr Neptune this year as it assaults and undermines the 10 degree Gemini Sun through until mid Feb 2017. Not happy and not clear what remedies will work. Dithering.

Joan Bakewell, now aged 83 and still sophisticated, has had a 50 year career in television (Late Night Line Up and on), a constant presence in newspapers, and is now in the House of Lords, giving a voice to the elderly. She’s been twice married and divorced and had a seven year clandestine affair with playwright Harold Pinter in the 1970s, the basis for his play Betrayal.

Born 16 April 1933 10.30pm, Stockport, Eng, she has a charming though freedom loving Aries Sun conjunct Venus Uranus in her 5^th house of entertainment and romance; squaring onto a Pluto opposition Capricorn Moon – so a love life definitely destined to be out of the ordinary.

She’s also of that 1933 group with Jupiter Neptune Mars in Virgo – Joan Collins was born five weeks later with it even more strongly marked since it squared her Sun Venus in Gemini.  In Joan Bakewell’s case, Jupiter is conjunct her MC, ensuring success and a secure reputation as she grew older to become a pillar of the community.

Her relationship chart with Harold Pinter – 10 October 1930 2pm London – is passionate, adventurous, clearly great fun with a composite Venus opposition Mars Jupiter; but there’s also a hint of bleakness and insurmountable obstacles from a composite Saturn opposition Sun Pluto square Uranus. It would be quite a roller coaster ride, going through major upheavals along the way and never destined to make it over the Saturnine hurdle.

Her Capricorn Moon fell in his 1^st and his Venus in Scorpio fell in her 1st so it would be an important relationship for both. His powerhouse Jupiter Pluto Mars in Cancer hooked into her Cardinal T Square, opposing her Moon and squaring her Sun Venus Uranus – so it would sizzle with energy though not always comfortably.

He then went on to marry writer Antonia Fraser.

Leicester City Football Club (I am informed) has shot from obscurity into the top of the English Premiership. This happy change of fate may or may not having something to do with moving to new grounds or the even better karma of King Richard 111’s remains being dug up recently in a car park nearby.

It was founded on 1 November 1884 making it Scorpio with an Aries Moon; and a Mutable T Square of Mars opposition Pluto (= much frustration) square Jupiter in Virgo ( = when focussed, finding success).

At the moment the Jupiter has moved by Solar Arc to pick up the lucky-break tr Uranus square last year and the multo-success tr Pluto conjunct Jupiter, this last extending through 2016 as well.  Plus in 2016/17 tr Pluto  will oppose the pushily confident Jupiter/Pluto midpoint which tr Uranus has been squaring last year; and the Mars/Jupiter midpoint is also well placed to get a boost in 2016/17/18.

What is spooky is that Richard 111, born 2 Oct 1452 (OS) 9.02am Framlingham, Eng, has his Midheaven conjunct the FC Jupiter – which could suggest he brings good luck for them. Though given his reputation it sounds like a pact with the devil. They will run into problems by 2019 with Solar Arc Saturn conjunct their Sun.

Even more Syrians are fleeing from the north trying to cross the border into Turkey with Russian air strikes and Syrian army forces closing in on Aleppo, held to date by rebel forces. In the midst of this unholy conglomeration of disparate allies and enemies, the Russian tactic of focussing more on the rebels than on ISIL, has been heavily criticised. But that may change once Aleppo has been put under siege. They may now turn their attention to the ISIL ‘capital’ Raqqa, also in the north.

Whatever the outcome the Syria national chart, 1 January 1944 12 am chart shows even more battering over the next year with the Solar Arc Saturn moving to square the Mars Uranus, exact in eight and nine months.

The relationship chart between Vladimir Putin and ISIL is showing signs of huge stress from early March onwards for two years; with major upheavals from late May. This mirrors the pro-Assad Hezbollah/ISIL chart which is violent and enraged form early March through 2017 as well.

Not that Putin’s Presidency or the Russia 1917 chart look exactly gungho from after mid February. He must be wondering what he’s got himself into.

http://goo.gl/mpXUrh

Benjamin Millepied, husband of actress and dancer Natalie Portman, and choreographer for the ballet film Black Swan, is leaving the prestigious Opera de Paris after only fifteen months as dance director. He recently criticised the company for being hierarchical and resistant to change, and said he wanted away from administration back to being more creative.

Born 10 June 1977 1.30pm Bordeaux, France, he has a successful 10^th house Sun Jupiter which opposes Neptune and trines Pluto – so another Sun Neptune Pluto.

What is striking about his chart is a heavily aspected Saturn in Leo, which wants to be grand and can be overly-defensive when his authority is challenged. Saturn sits on one leg of an inspirational and demanding Fire Grand Trine to Neptune and an Aries Moon; formed into a Kite by Neptune opposition Jupiter Sun. So undoubtedly talented though also ego-centric and possibly over-convinced of his rightness with such a strong Jupiter.

Plus his Uranus opposes Venus Mars in Taurus squaring onto Saturn. A T square with a focal point Saturn will give him executive ability but also a reluctance to share control or decisions with others, especially in fixed signs. Saturn square Uranus can be autocratic; and Uranus Mars volatile.

In 2015 he had the discouraging, road-block Solar Arc Saturn square his Sun; and at the moment great relief coming from Solar Arc Uranus opposition his Jupiter, bringing sudden change and freedom. He doesn’t look the easiest of people for a team effort but is undoubtedly overflowing with ability.

Tr Saturn is moving now into his 4^th as he ups sticks and moves to the USA. Tr Pluto is also about to move into his 5^th giving him the impetus for a more creative time ahead and one in which he’ll want to be in the spotlight.

Just a brief reprise on Julian Assange, since search is still not in place. His chart relocated to London has a trapped, powerless Pluto conjunct the IC in the 4^th with restless Uranus also in the 4^th; an enraged frustrated Mars in the 8^th, which will stop him being pro-active; and a hidden Cancer Sun. Not the most sensible place to choose as an escape.