Melissa Shepard –

The Canadian ‘black widow’ Melissa Shepard has been released from prison with warnings from the police about giving her a wide berth since she’s likely to re-offend. She was convicted for the manslaughter of her first husband in 1991 and theft; and attempted a repeat performance with another of her husbands in 2012 whom she drugged and stole from.

Born 16 May 1935, she looks like a sweet as pie, rosy-cheeked 80 year old in her photographs. Her Taurus Sun is conjunct the Fixed star Algol, known as evil and the destroyer. Her Sun also opposes money-oriented Jupiter in Scorpio.  Her Pluto in Cancer opposes a Capricorn North Node, arguably setting her against the zeitgeist and the rule of law and order.

She’s possibly got a Water Grand Trine of a Scorpio Moon trine Venus in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces opposition Neptune – so lives in an emotional fantasy land.

Her actress’ 15th Harmonic is a mix of charm and nastiness; while her 9H which indicates her preferred marital partner has an unkind and aggressive tone plus an entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine – dead husbands as a business plan.

Frank Sinatra Jnr – a hard act to follow

Frank Sinatra Jnr, eldest son of Frank Sinatra and brother of Nancy, has died suddenly while on tour. He followed his father into a singing career which endured but never reached the same heights.

Born 1 January 1944 5.50pm Jersey City, New Jersey,  he had a Capricorn Sun on the cusp of his 7th house; a musical Pisces conjunct his Midheaven and a charming Venus in Scorpio in his performing 5th. He also had a tricky mini-Grand Trine of Mars Uranus in Gemini trine a 4th house Neptune, sextile a 2nd house Pluto North Node – which would make him slightly obsessed about money, unsure of his identity apart from his family with some frustrations through his life. In fact he had a wide-ish Yod of that Pluto sextile Mars Uranus inconjunct his Sun – so he’d constantly have problems with self-worth and having to prove himself.

His sister Nancy, 8 June 1940 9.01 am Jersey City, had a more ambitious and more creative chart with a stalwart Jupiter Saturn Uranus in Taurus in her 10th; and Mercury, Venus, Mars, Moon in Cancer in her 12th.

Frank senior, 12 Dec 1915 3am Hoboken, NJ, was a Sun Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo, square a 5th house Jupiter with Neptune on his MC; and a bleak Pluto Saturn in Cancer which was opposition his Venus in Capricorn and trine his 5th house Pisces Moon. So a bundle of energy and confidence, though not emotionally sensitive.

Pa’s Venus was conjunct Junior’s Sun but Pa’s Saturn sat on Junior’s Ascendant and along with his Pluto opposed Jnr’s Sun – so equal measures of affection and esteem-dampening. Pa’s Jupiter was conjunct Jnr’s MC so would help his career along; and Jnr’s Jupiter was conjunct Pa’s Mars, so enthusiasm. Though the relationship chart does indicate fear from a composite Mars Pluto; blocked communication from Saturn opposition Mercury Sun square Uranus.

Frank Jnr had tr Saturn just into his 6th house of health, conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune; with a truly difficult Solar Arc Saturn square Mars Uranus approaching in coming months.

Merrick Garland – Supreme Court choice a political football

Merrick Garland, a centrist judge with an impeccable legal reputation and known as bi-partisan has been nominated by Barack Obama as his Supreme Court choice to replace the recently deceased Antonin Scalia. The Republicans are threatening political mayhem in a bid to stall any choice until after the election. And confirmations can in any event be long drawn out affairs.

Born 13 Nov 1952 in Chicago, he’s a Sun Scorpio opposition Jupiter in Taurus square Pluto opposition a North Node in Aquarius. So very Fixed and steady. He’s also got a Cardinal T Square of Mars in Capricorn opposition Uranus square Saturn Neptune in Libra – bubbling over with initiative, focussed on creating a fairer society, both executive and idealistic.

He does have a confident, successful tr Pluto trine Jupiter through this year until early December. Though there’ll be a fair few bumps along the way with tr Uranus in hard aspect to his Cardinal T Square right through till April 2017.

The Supreme Court, 2 Feb 1790, has a Sun Pluto in Aquarius opposition Mars Jupiter in Leo with a Scorpio North Node – so his chart does interlock quite significantly.

He seems a sensible choice but politics being politics it may be a long haul even if Hillary were to be elected.

Otto Warmbier – playing silly games in the wrong country

Otto Warmbier, a 21 year old American has been sentenced to 15 years hard labour in North Korea for stealing a poster with Kim Jong Un’s name on it as a trophy to take home. According to reports of a Western passenger on the flight back, he was part of a group of 18 to 25 year olds who made the North Korean dictatorship their first trip abroad and were drinking vodka till 5 in the morning. There’s stupid and there’s stupid – and in a country that will use any excuse to get back at the Great Satan USA, despite opening their doors to tourism.

Warmbier was born 12 December 1994 and is a Sun Mercury in Sagittarius; though more significantly with a Saturn opposition Mars in Virgo square a Pluto Jupiter conjunction. Jupiter Pluto on the focal point of a T square especially will tend to be over-confident and assume corners can be cut without any retribution. It can – clearly – backfire badly.

His Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct his Sun now creating a major blockage. And the March Pisces Eclipse is square his Sun Mercury bringing a major crisis. The September Virgo Eclipse if anything is worse since it hits on his Saturn and therefore Mars. From late April tr Uranus starts to square his highly-strung Neptune Uranus conjunction in Capricorn, on and off till early 2018. Tr Uranus and or tr Pluto may also be bouncing off his Aries Moon around this time.

The USA authorities will have their work cut out since diplomatic tensions are higher than usual at the moment and the North Koreans will no doubt be using this as political leverage.

Anders Breivik – feeling victimised

Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has been having his day in court, flaunting a Nazi salute, claiming his solitary confinement in prison is a violation of his rights. In 2011 he blew up 8 people with a van bomb and then shot another 69 dead at an island youth camp. He is anti-Islamic, extreme right, and according to the shrinks suffers from a Narcissistic Personality disorder or paranoid schizophrenia. Norwegian prisons are very cushy compared to other countries. He is being kept separate according to the authorities because of the risk of him recruiting other inmates to his cause; and for his own protection.

Born 13 Feb 1979 12.50pm Oslo, he’s a Sun Mars in Aquarius which is sextile Neptune, square Uranus and trine Pluto – so controlling and contrary to the nth degree, rebellious, publicity seeking and tinged with megalomania from Neptune Pluto. He’s also got a Moon Saturn in Virgo in the 4th trine Venus, a hint of his difficult childhood, left with his mother after his father divorced. The shrinks described her as a border- line personality who projected her primitive aggressive and sexual fantasies onto him. No surprises he turned out to be a volcano waiting to blow.

He has a strong, coldly stark 5th Harmonic which often indicates an individual who wishes to remake the world according to his image. Plus an obsessive 11H; and most marked of all a ‘victim’ 12H. He’s certainly displaying all the narcissistic traits of feeling himself badly done by despite the undeserved deaths he caused.

He looks very stuck at the moment with his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his 4th house Pluto now, hence his aggravation about his ‘domestic’ situation. Tr Neptune opposes his Moon this year as well as his Saturn, with the latter trailing on till late 2017 so it seemks unlikely that he’ll get any mollycoddling..

The likelihood is he will never get out of prison.

Todd Palin – a speed-freak Virgo

Todd Palin, husband of Sarah is in intensive care after extensive surgery for injuries sustained during a snowmobile crash. According to reports he has multiple broken and fractured ribs, a broken shoulder blade and clavicle, a collapsed lung and knee and leg injuries. Some years ago he was thrown 70 feet from his snowmobile, got a broken arm and still finished the race.

Born 6 September 1964, he has a chart fairly similar to that of Francois Delecour, the French rally driver, with a Virgo Sun Pluto Uranus and a Virgo Moon – both speed merchants on different terrains. Palin also has an excitable and enthusiastic Mars Venus in Cancer sextile Jupiter in Taurus. So very Earthy and drawn to excitement.

Tr Saturn is squaring his Virgo planets this year which will be downbeat; with tr Neptune beginning several years in opposition to Uranus, Pluto, Sun – so not an easy time. Tr Uranus will also square his Mars from June this year till early 2018 which looks insecure, overly excitable and possibly chafing at the bit as the recovery to his injuries slow him down.

He’s a very different personality to his wife who is very Air, with Sun Mars Saturn and Moon Mercury all in Aquarius; and Venus Jupiter in Aries. He lives out the Earth and Water; and she lives out the Air and Fire.

Tom Hiddleston – intellectual Aquarius

Actor Tom Hiddleston is on a roll now with increasing profile after Loki, Thor, War Horse, Midnight in Paris, various theatre awards for Shakespeare performances and most recently the BBC’s The Night Manager.

Born 9 Feb 1981 to a Scottish father and English stage-manager mother, he attended Eton and took a Double First in Classics at Cambridge.

He’s a Sun Aquarius sextile Neptune, widely square Uranus and trine Pluto; with Jupiter Saturn in Libra trine Venus in Aquarius and an Aries Moon. So very Airy, a thinker and communicator with a fiery streak. He’s got no Earth planets which might make me wonder whether the rumours about him being the next Bond would work out. He’s certainly very good looking but lacks the ruthless physicality of Craig and Connery.

His Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct his Uranus round about now and that plus tr Uranus opposition his Pluto from mid this year does suggest his life will be undergoing radical changes.

Myanmar – the winding road to democracy

Myanmar has elected the first civilian president for decades – Htin Kyaw – as a stand-in for Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whom the previous military regime had manipulated legislation to bar her from the post.

Born 20 July 1946, he’s a serious Sun Saturn in Cancer square a fair-minded Jupiter in Libra; with a passionate Venus Mars in Virgo. Tr Uranus is just opposing his Jupiter to give him the opportunity to lead his country. Though none of it will be easy given its economic state and the fact that the generals still control a fair amount of power.

He’s got the tough-slog and frustrating tr Pluto trine Mars in 2016/17; with an irritable tr Saturn also square Mars this year; plus a devastating Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Neptune this year as well.  2017/18 will be ratchety and high-tension with tr Uranus square Sun Saturn. Luckily he’s also got a couple of confident  Jupiter Plutos in there to keep hi pushing ahead constructively.

His Election chart for 11.30am (I think) 15 March 2016, has an idealistic Neptune conjunct the MC with a Mutable Grand Cross of Neptune MC Mercury opposition Jupiter North Node square Saturn opposition Moon. In fact apart from the Cardianl Uranus square Pluto, it’s all Mutable signs – which suggests scattered, blown around by prevailing circumstances, good intentions but not enough grit.

The Burma 4 Jan 1948 4.20 am Rangoon chart does have tr Jupiter now moving through the 10th house bringing confidence to a country that has seen much misery over the decades. Though Saturn moving into thew low profile first quadrant for seven year ahead suggests it will be a slow rebuild.

Htin Kyaw will be popular since his Jupiter is conjunct the Myanmar Libra Moon and his enthusiastic, hard working Venus Mars straddle the MC. But the relationship chart does indicate disappointment from mid this year and increasing pressures over the next three years with tr Uranus opposing the composite Sun and then tr Pluto squaring it.

One problem may be the second vice-president, voted in by the military bloc, ex-general Myint Swe, whose brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks in 2007 earned him a USA blacklisting.  Born 24 May 1951, he’s a Sun Mars in Gemini sextile Jupiter in Aries.  His relationship chart with Aung San Suu Kyi is starkly hostile with a composite Mars square Saturn Pluto. That chart is under chilly and undermining influences for the next two years, worsening in 2017/18.

President Htin Kyaw’s relationship chart with Myint Swe is a bad match of opposing beliefs with a composite Sun Uranus Mercury conjunction. There will be a blow out from late June onwards between them.

The road from dictatorship to democracy won’t be smooth despite the election result.

Anita Brookner – fulfilment through writing

Anita Brookner, the Booker-winning novelist of Hotel du Lac amongst many others has died. She wrote stories about women who lived lives of excruciating loneliness which clearly mirrored her own. Born 16 July 1928 in England into a family of Polish Jewish emigres, she describes growing up with parents ‘who should never had children’ and various unpleasant relatives. She escaped her family to live in Europe for many years, working as an art historian, causing them to cut her off.  Her novels came late in life in her fifties out of she said ‘idleness’ but underlying that was a fear of an unlived, drifting life.

She was a Sun Cancer conjunct Venus on one side and Pluto (Moon) on the other. With a Yod of Mars in Taurus sextile Pluto inconjunct Saturn which would be a truly difficult burden to carry. The Yod gives a sense of strain, of never fitting in; and those three planets are fearful, repressive, and highly frustrating.

Her Mercury in Cancer was sextile Jupiter in Taurus which would help; as would an adventurous Mars Jupiter conjunction.

Five Cancer planets would certainly give her a creative streak, though sadly also a yearning for a supportive family which she never had.  Her writer’s 211st Harmonic is very strong.

Luiz Lula and Brazil – high hopes hit the skids

Luiz Lula, one of the most popular presidents of all time in his term as President of Brazil from 2003 to 2011, now faces the possibility of months behind bars awaiting trial on corruption charges. He could be saved by his nominated successor, President Dilma Rousseff, who has overseen Brazils’ recent catastrophic economic downturn. But whatever the outcome, there’s likely to be widespread demonstrations, some even talk of a looming civil war. His supporters claim the charges are politically motivated by the wealthy elite who dislike his left wing policies and fear his possible return in 2018 at the next election.

Neither the Brazil 7 Sept 1822 4.30pm; or 15 Nov 1889 chart looks cheerful in the next few years. The 1822 has a 14 degree Virgo Sun which has the crisis-inducing Eclipses of 2015/16 bouncing off it.  Plus this year tr Saturn square and next year tr Neptune opposition; with a Solar Arc Sun conjunct Pluto in 2017 as well.  So high anxiety, paranoia, setbacks; with tr Saturn square tr Neptune hitting on the Gemini MC this year as well, sapping motivation and will power.

The 1889 chart has a disruptive tr Uranus opposition Uranus from mid this year, on and off for 12 months. 2017 looks worse with Solar Arc Uranus opposition Saturn and square Neptune; plus Solar Arc Sun opposition Mars  – that’s confusion, disappointment, high tension and anger.

Luiz Lula, 27 Oct 1945, had a tough, poor upbringing with an absent alcoholic father. He has a very stark chart with a Scorpio Sun square Pluto and square Moon Mars Saturn in late Cancer so pretty descriptive. What probably saved him from a downward spiral is Jupiter Venus Neptune in Libra trine his Uranus, sextile Pluto – so he’s got a positive-thinking, optimistic, adventurous streak.

He’s got one moment of cheer this year in June; but otherwise it all looks panicky, undermining and very risky ahead especially in 2017.  Mind you he did have cancer of the throat in 2011 from which he says he has recovered so there may be health issues.