Bias in astrological prediction is all-too-common and to a degree understandable but a hazard to keep in mind and avoid where possible.

 Since astrology points to a spectrum of possible and potential developments, there can never be absolute certainty about a definite outcome. There will be a range of likelihoods though the ‘mood music’ of the times can usually be described with a degree of accuracy.

  ‘Difficult’ aspects often occur side by side with ‘positive’ ones, which depending on the astrologer’s temperamental leaning can be cherry-picked either to single out the ‘good news ones’ for a successful outcome ignoring the downers; or the opposite, in panicking over negatives which obliterate the hopeful signs.

  Recent examples include yowls of disagreement when any mention of the obviously undermining aspects to Joe Biden’s chart pre-election were described. Having a vested interest politically is not helpful since confirmation bias interferes with astrological detachment. Trump was obviously going to win in 2016. Nothing could have been clearer but was such a bizarre thought most astrologers dismissed it. I got Brexit wrong since that seemed to me a ludicrous idea. When Tony Blair won by a landslide in 1997 another top class astrologer said to me he had got it right but not the scale of the victory.

  Political predictions are never easy and astrology may well be imperfectly designed for the purpose. Useful in so far as it goes but never a racing certainty. There is an odd view of astrology that it should at all times produce an accurate forecast of events to come which feeds our need for certainty in an uncertain world. But it is unrealistic.

  I tread delicately into what follows but it is as much personal observation as anything else. A professional writer on trauma once remarked that those damaged by their childhoods often develop a desperate or passionate search for meaning as a way of coping with their ‘shattered selves.’  They need assurance about not only how to understand life in general, other people and their own lives but also a degree of comfort about what the future holds. So astrology, tarot cards etc  become a way of calming deep rooted worries stemming from an out-of-control early life.

  We need to ‘know’ about what is coming in part to cope with existential anxiety.  And when the rough patches occur to have an astrological context that makes the difficulties bearable. And to know when they will end!

  Hanging on only to the good news predictions can turn out to be damaging when they don’t come true. Disappointment runs alongside a sense of betrayal that a necessary support system has not delivered.  

 For some, imagining the worst is easier. Catastrophizing prompts them to jump to the worst possible conclusion, imagining devastating, unrecoverable consequences, often stemming from a need to control uncertainty or past trauma.

 Donald Winnicott, a psychoanalyst interested in developmental psychological had a valuable insight that ‘the catastrophe you fear will happen has already happened.’ Replaying it endlessly and projecting it into the future is a way of trying to gain control of an old calamity.

  We all have to develop coping mechanisms for handling the uncertainties and undoubted risks of life.  Those intent on seeing a crisis round every corner tend to be contemptuous (and secretly envious) of the Pollyannas who skip along refusing to envisage possible dangers to come. Both extreme ends of this tendency are a problem for those making astrological predictions.

  Getting fixated on the negative will narrow focus in a blinkered way. For example Saturn in aspect to Pluto has in the past occurred during war time.  But the hard aspects recur every eight or nine years – next in 2028. And while there may well be a war somewhere it does not mean life as we have always known it everywhere will be destroyed.

 The Saturn Neptune conjunction on us next month comes round three times a century – associated with women’s and workers’ right, healing medicine and epidemics.

 Certain Empires and dynasties were founded under Saturn–Neptune —  both Queens Elizabeth being crowned (1558, 1953), and King Henry VII founding the Tudor Dynasty in England in 1485. But the principal theme is of dissolution and disintegration. The Boston Tea Party in 1773, with Saturn–Neptune in Virgo, was the beginning of the end for British colonial rule in North America. The Saturn–Neptune conjunction of 1881 in Taurus saw the British defeated in the Boer War, leading to the independence of the Transvaal. In the fifth century, the crumbling Roman Empire abandoned final claims to the British Isles under the 411 conjunction in Taurus. The  next one, in Leo in 446, Britain was being over-run by Picts, Scots and Saxons, and the Dark Ages were beginning. Even earlier a chaotic period began for the Roman Empire in 233 (Saturn–Neptune in Aries), with 37 emperors in 35 years; in 411 in Taurus Rome was sacked by the Visigoths.

   But since Saturn Neptune conjunctions come round three times a century clearly the end of empires is a sporadic rather than an inevitable outcome.

  What happened before may not recur in exactly the same way. Learning to live with uncertainty and maintaining a balanced outlook – without hope and without expectation – while juggling with a mixed bag of positives and negatives is the imperative. Not easy and failures are inevitable but it is the way.

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Heraclitus

“Life is wasted when we make it more terrifying, precisely because it is so easy to do so.” René Magritte

Iran is in turmoil with widespread demonstrations which have happened before and been crushed with gunfire, arrests, imprisonment and torture but this time there is a sense that “it is different”. The 49 year repressive, theocratic dictatorship of the ‘beards’ under the present Ayatollah Khamenei may be crumbling and their collapse, analysts say, would be as consequential as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

   Support is rallying round Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s deposed shah, though more because of a lack of any other focal point for the beleaguered population. He says he has no ambition to rule but will help to enable democratic transition, as King Juan Carlos did when he returned to Spain after Franco’s death.

 Key to any ending of the present regime are ‘the men with the guns and the money’ – the IRGC (Iran Revolutionary Guard) who to date have shown no sign of switching sides.

  The best chart for Iran is 22 December 1501, Tehran, the start of the Safavid dynasty, whose rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history.

 The final degree Iran Sagittarius Sun is catching the undermining tr Neptune square exactly at the moment (tied into the unfortunate Scheat). With tr Saturn following behind in a downbeat square to the Sun next month. Plus tr Uranus will oppose the afflicted Pluto at 28 degrees Scorpio for instability and revolution this March before moving on to square the natal Uranus in April.  Change will be in the air.

  Though even if there is dramatic change the next few years look tough with the Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the Taurus North Node by 2028 and the SA Saturn opposing the Mars in 2029 and then conjunct the Pluto in the early 2030s. More turbulence, violence and hardship.

 When the Islamic Revolution happened in 1979, tr Uranus just into final decan Scorpio was aiming to trigger the Iran 1501 Mars in Taurus opposition Pluto for a high-risk early two/three years with tr Neptune undermining the Solar Arc T square of Mars Pluto Uranus as the tyrannical regime took control.

Ayatollah Khameini’s leadership chart, 4 June 1989, has a changeable tr Uranus conjunct the Mercury in March; with tr Saturn in tense and uncertain squares to the Uranus and then Neptune from late March as well, on and off all year. There is a bullish confidence from Solar Arc Pluto opposition Jupiter and a SA Jupiter conjunct Mars so he won’t go down without a strong push back. 2028/29 look the more unstable on this chart.

  The Iran Revolutionary Guard, 5 May 1979, do look to be facing considerable setbacks this year with SA Saturn opposition their Mars now and SA Mars square their Saturn now. They will be facing heavy pressure and in warlike conditions.

  Reza Shah, 31 October 1960 11.50 am Teheran, has a Sun Neptune conjunction in Scorpio on his midheaven sextile Pluto on one side and Saturn in Capricorn on the other, which does not inspire much confidence in his ability to get a grip. Plus his Saturn in Capricorn on his Ascendant opposes Mars, hinting at a life where setbacks upset the best laid plans – and it is catching the Solar Arc Sun Neptune conjunct his natal Saturn now and opposition the Mars by 2029 which looks fairly calamitous.

His father the deposed Shah, 26 October 1919 8.15am, was also a Sun Scorpio but a different personality with a hard-edged Saturn Mars conjunct in his 10^th sextile a controlling 8^th house Pluto in one side and widely sextile the Sun on the other. Although he modernised Iran’s economy and raised Iran’s global and military standing, he also had a barbaric secret police force and many thousands of political prisoners. His exit was mired in accusations of western interference (US/UK) and oil interests.     

Australia’s 2026 opened with catastrophic bushfires in Victoria and a climb down from PM Anthony Albanese in agreeing to a royal commission into last month’s shooting at Bondi Beach which targeted a Jewish festival and left 15 people dead. He had previously argued that reforms on gun ownership and hate speech, steps to tackle antisemitism and a review into intelligence and law enforcement agencies offered the quickest response. But following weeks of public pressure, he reversed his decision and set up a commission to investigate the “nature and prevalence of antisemitism”; making recommendations to enforcement, border immigration and security agencies to tackle antisemitism. To report by December 2026.

  When the shooting occurred on 14 December tr Saturn was square the AU Jupiter denting the country’s pride and tr Saturn has since moved on to square the AU Mercury in Sagittarius and Neptune in Gemini from the 13^th of this month to the 25^th which will be uncertain and disorienting but once over, it moves Saturn away from hard aspects to the six AU Mutable planets in Sagittarius, Gemini and Virgo which have made the past two years downbeat.

 Assuming the 1 January 1901 1.25pm chart is accurate, the AU Pluto opposition Uranus will sit on the natal Descendant and Ascendant this year and until 2028 which does suggest a revolution of sorts, maybe not as extreme as an outright rebellion but definitely a prompt for changes both in close relationships with neighbours and perhaps a more independent stance with SA Uranus on the Ascendant.

 Like Canada, later in the decade looks more troubled as tr Neptune moves to square the Saturn in 2028 and then the Capricorn Sun in 2029/30. Relations with China also look edgy in the extreme from 2027 for two or thee years after.

  The Bank of Australia, 14 January 1960, has the uncertain tr Neptune square their Mars till late January; with an upsetting SA Venus opposition Uranus now; and a jolting SA Sun square Mars during 2026. Tr Uranus square the Pluto from August 2026 onwards into 2027 will force a change of direction or a new approach. 2028/29 has tr Pluto square Neptune for confusion and losses; with tr Neptune square the Saturn by 2030 bringing considerable uncertainty. 

Anthony Albanese was sworn in 23 May 2022 9am Canberra, with a publicity-attracting though unlucky Neptune Mars Scheat conjunction which has now closed to exact by Solar Arc suggesting muddle and indecision now and in the months head. The Solar Arc Mars will conjunct the Jupiter soon for a spark of luck; but tr Uranus into Gemini conjunct the term Mercury and then Sun from late April will rock his administration’s boat considerably. Tr Neptune conjunct the Term Jupiter from late March on and off all year will also burst his bubble of confidence. Though there is nothing obvious pointing to a fast exit for him.

Add ON: The Australian settlement chart 26 January 1788 Sydney, will be jolted and jangled by tensions and upsets as tr Uranus squares the Saturn Venus in late Aquarius before April 2026. There will be pressures for change from tr Pluto conjunct the 5 degree Aquarius Sun from late March 2026 to late 2027. Uncertainty in 2027 from SA Saturn conjunct the Neptune.

  And a challenging finish to the decade with a panicky failure tr Neptune square the Mars in 2029/30. And in 2030 a financially deflating SA Neptune conjunct Jupiter; and a stuck SA Pluto square the Mars.

  Key historical dates will tend to throw up roughly similar indicators.

Add On: Australia midnight I January 1901 Melbourne chart does work well from a quick look at past events. Have added above. Tr Saturn Neptune square the midheaven this year and next will give pause for thought about direction.

Prospects for Canada ahead point to intense, heated, at times bitter discussions ongoing from mid February 2026 on and off till late 2027 as tr Pluto opposes the Mercury. With tensions erupting from August 2026 into 2027 as tr Uranus in the financial 2^nd squares the Mars on the cusp of the 6th house of employment, health and government workers.

 Relations with the USA, never great at the best of times, will have sinking moments and stressful times ahead which will run on into 2027 but nothing that looks terminal or overly dramatic. Relations with Trump will be discouraging through till spring, with disappointment and then explosive reactions come April/May. Once that blow-up is out of the way there will be a discontented slide into 2027.

  Where the real turning point for Canada comes will be 2028 onwards. Firstly tr Neptune will square the Canada Sun Uranus in Cancer and Midheaven for confusion and indecision, low morale – shared with several other countries with similar degree Capricorn Suns. In Canada’s case this moves into an extended period from 2028 to 2033 when the Solar Arc Mars opposition Jupiter squares the Pluto opposition Saturn. That five year period will be a crossroads in their history with the winds of change fighting a battle with Canada’s stubborn resilience and reluctance to let go the past.

 The Bank of Canada, 11 March 1935, with tr Uranus square the Saturn from mid June 2026 into 2027 will be on high alert, with polarized discussions about whether to leave old agreements and approaches behind to allow for progressive policies. The old guard and new guard will be at odds.  A slow down in 2027 will be what ushers in much needed change.

 Mark Carney was sworn in 14 March 2025 at 11.28am when the swampy Neptune Scheat conjunction close to the downbeat Pisces Sun Saturn was in place in the 10th hinting at a precarious term ahead. The Sun Saturn trine Mars, sextile Uranus pointed to risks and obstacles to overcome. Pluto in the 8^th = financial difficulties, generally blocked progress.

 Tr Saturn will oppose the Administration Moon and conjunct the Saturn for an anxious few weeks with concerns from the electorate looming large till mid February which will make planning ahead tricky. Thereafter his administration will continue as before with financial woes hinted at in 2028.

Mark Carney, 16 March 1965 7.56am Fort Smith, Canada, has a stellium including his Sun in Pisces sitting across from a formidable second stellium of Mars, Pluto, Uranus, Moon in Virgo. He also has a high-finance Jupiter in Taurus conjunct Ascendant Algol and opposition Neptune. Despite his urbane appearance, he is a man of extremes who will see-saw from one viewpoint to the opposite. He will be stuck this year with his Solar Arc Midheaven opposition his Pluto and opposition his Mars in 2027 – an aggravating, frustrating career blockage looms.

  His relationship with the USA has tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars throughout this year for stalemate and aggravation. With outspoken arguments from mid June 2026.  His relationship with Trump  is rattled at the moment with tr Uranus square the composite Pluto, as Trump moves his demands up a notch or two. 2026 will be a battle of wills and tussle for the upper hand; with 2027 looking if anything more agitated as tr Uranus squares the composite Mars.

The ludicrous notion of Canada becoming the USA’s 52nd or whatever state will blow over but not without a few raucous arguments and panics along the way.

The outrage over the Minneapolis shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, a prize-winning poet and a hobby guitarist, by an immigration agent is likely to fester. Conflicting versions of the actualite have the Trump camp labelling her a domestic terrorist while city leaders claim she was there as a legal observer and onlookers say she was trying to get out of the way.

It occurred on 7 January at 9.30am in Minneapolis with the overly excitable, exact Sun, Venus, Mars conjunction in Capricorn in place in opposition to Jupiter. Uranus was close to Algol; and the Fixed star Antares was close to the Midheaven which is associated with ‘sudden happenings, unforeseen events, accidents, liberal tendencies, self-destruction, broad-mindedness, and violence.’ (Astrology King.

  She was 37 years old according to reports, born 1988/89 at the approach of the triple conjunction – so tr Neptune Saturn may have been square her Saturn Uranus in final degrees of Sagittarius.

  ICE, the Federal Immigration Agency, 1 March 2003, has a hard, unpleasant chart with a Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto and Mars in Sagittarius with tr Saturn square the Mars at the moment and tr Uranus heading for the quarter square the natal Uranus by spring.

Minneapolis, 10 July 1847, has the Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the fair-minded Libra North Node at the moment sending a shock current through its Cardinal T square of North Node opposition Mars Uranus square a Cancer Sun.

 Last September’s Lunar Eclipse, still in effect, located to Minneapolis had the Virgo Sun opposition Pisces Moon exactly on the MC/IC pointing to events to come. And as a piece of celestial grim humour at the moment that Lunar Eclipse Moon had progressed to conjunct Nessus, the centaur of lying, cons and manipulation.

 The September 2025 Solar Eclipse February had aggressive Mars conjunct the Midheaven and wounded-healer Chiron on the IC for Minneapolis – a damaging event.  The February 2026 Solar Eclipse has Uranus on the IC for continuing unrest.

 Minnesota, 11 May 1858, with Uranus, Jupiter Algol in late Taurus opposition Mars in Scorpio, is already on edge with the Somali child care scandal, and will be jolting and jangling through the February Aquarius Solar Eclipse and on.  

  Kristi Noem,  Department of Homeland Security Secretary in charge of ICE, is coming under criticism for her distorted version of what happened with video footage from onlookers contradicting her claims of terrorism.

 Born 30 November 1971 in South Dakota, she has a Sagittarius Sun conjunct Neptune and opposition Saturn in Gemini, which will be rattled every which way by tr Uranus in Gemini from June onwards into 2027/28. Tr Saturn Neptune will also oppose her Pluto and square her Venus in Capricorn from late this February and onwards into 2027. Not her happiest year. Her relationship with Trump will be sinking in a swamp from mid February as tr Pluto squares the composite Neptune; and worse from August onwards with the explosive tr Uranus conjunct the composite Mars, into 2027 as well.

The Progressed Moon on the 2025 Inauguration chart draws ever closer to squaring the Sun Pluto and emphasising the Pluto opposition Mars.

Actor Chevy Chase a once-loved, huge comedy star of the 1980s whose career sank under the weight of his addiction issues and reputation for rudeness is featured in a documentary made with his blessing titled I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not.

 Which just goes to show that the lack of self-awareness which damaged his standing is much as it ever was. 

  He was born 8 October 1943 8.19 am Manhattan, New York, and tells of an abusive upbringing in a much-remarried, upper class family. He was a member of the original SNL (Saturday Night Live) cast and appeared alongside John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. He went on to star in some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s – Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos! His career dwindled in the 1990s with a series of flops, though he had a revival as Pierce Hawthorne in the NBC Community (2009–2014).

 What comes across in the documentary is that he is the architect of his own misfortunes, prickly and unapologetic. During the Covid pandemic he suffered heart failure and was placed in an induced coma for eight days.

  What is striking about his chart is a surfeit of emotionally detached Air and more than that his magnified Pluto conjunct his Midheaven which is the driving planet in a Kite, opposition a 4^th house Aquarius Moon, in an Air Grand Trine to Uranus in his 8^th trine Neptune Sun in Libra in his 12^th. A 10^th house Pluto especially one as enhanced as this can be influential but it has Pluto’s controlling and contemptuous streak. He would always be trying to be one up on everyone he met, largely because of inner feelings of inadequacy which he could never admit, maybe even to himself. He also has a lucky, self-assured and possibly arrogant 10^th house Jupiter in Leo sitting as the focal point of a mini Grand Trine of Sun trine an 8^th house Mars (conjunct Saturn) in Gemini.

  His Mars Saturn would certain point to possible ill treatment from childhood leaving him with a short fuse and an underlying reservoir of anger that would erupt erratically. An 8^th house Mars and Uranus hints at intergenerational issues which he has probably never felt motivated to tackle.

  The combination of a locked-and-loaded Pluto of considerable proportions plus unconscious 8^th house anger would get in the way of his development. Although Pluto is supposedly the planet of transformation, it can block change when strongly represented in a chart, since it hates letting go control. Transformation requires dismantling old structures, reducing the past to ashes and then rebuilding.  

 What strikes me as interesting is when his decline started in the 1990s he was well into a phase where there had been opportunities for acquiring self-knowledge. Tr Pluto moving into his 1^st house from the mid 1980s for many years is one of the most useful, if used correctly, since it bring self knowledge and the opportunity to transform oneself. Tr Saturn had also been moving through his 1^st quadrant since the early 1980s which is also a time when inner reflection and stepping back from outer ambition can lead to helpful insights about developing potential to bring fulfilment in the years ahead. Ego-centric types find it difficult since it threatens to strip away outer defences as well as a desperately-needed admiring audience to allow for inner growth.

 Instead of taking the celestial hint, he stagnated and went on a downhill spiral.  It’s sad – well sad for anyone – but he had the capability of taking the lead with a Leo North Node in his 10^th and he seems to have blown it.

Aldrich Ames, the most damaging CIA traitor in agency history who reportedly caused the deaths of at least 10 recruited CIA or allied intelligence agents, by handing their names to the Soviets for money, has died after 30 years in prison. He said financial troubles were partly what led him to spy as well as his acquired knack of compartmentalising his thinking after being in the spy and counterspy business for 31 years, usually as a State Department official while working undercover as a CIA operative.

 Born 26 May 1941 5.46am River Falls, Winconsin, with a CIA father, he had a stellium in Gemini (helps when splitting) of a New Moon, Venus in the hidden/behind-the-scenes 12^th and Mercury on his Ascendant. Plus another stellium of Saturn, Uranus, Algol, Jupiter in money-minded Taurus. Five planets in his 12^th would allow him to operate in the background. An ambitious 10^th house Mars was inconjunct Pluto so he would have an uncurrent of resentment and anger.

 What is on point astrologically, is his Neptune in Virgo being exactly conjunct the CIA’s Sun – a slippery, evasive and uncommitted cross over. CIA 18 September 1947. His Uranus was conjunct the CIA Taurus North Node as his betrayal hit at the heart of the CIA’s mission; and his Mercury was conjunct the CIA Uranus as his communications to the other side rocked the agency. Though the CIA were hardly doing due diligence since he had a long-term drinking problem and his obvious expenditure on houses etc far out weighed his income.

 What is intriguing from a psychological point of view is that his relationship chart with the CIA has a composite Mars square Pluto and his with the USA has a Mars opposition Pluto. Arguably this could point to a relationship involving danger but it also suggests resentment and deep dislike.

 His arrest in 1994 coincided with tr Saturn moving across his 10^th, often thought of as successful but in his and Richard Nixon’s case, was a time when chickens came home to roost and he had to accept responsibility for past actions. His chart has a Uranus Jupiter conjunction often seen as lucky but tr Pluto opposing it as he was tried and convicted. Pluto Jupiter can signify conflict with authorities for breaching regulations and norms.

 A 1998 movie about him aired on the Showtime cable network: “Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within” with Timothy Hutton in the lead.  

 The other notable betrayer, Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent who spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services from 1979 to 2001, described as “possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history” died two years ago in prison. He was born 18 April 1944 11.31 am Evergreen Park, Illinois. Like Ames he had a Neptunian crossover with his FBI employer. FBI 22 March 1935. Hanssen’s Neptune was opposition the FBI early degree Aries Sun and Hanssen’s late degree Aries Sun was conjunct the FBI Uranus.

 He was the son of a Chicago police officer, a converted Catholic active in Opus Dei and a sexual deviant who videotaped himself having sex with his wife, allowing neighbours to watch. He was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences without parole in 2001.

 His relationship chart with the USA has a significant composite Mars Pluto Moon tie up so not dissimilar to Ames. Hanssen’s relationship with the FBI has Pluto conjunct the composite North Node which is conjunct Mars.

  Neither were exactly enamoured of their country of birth.

Apart from the spot on Neptunian and Uranian crossovers with the employers they betrayed what is also helpful from an astrological viewpoint – since both their birth times are available – is to see what was going on when they were arrested. Often when making (or trying to make) predictions there will be transits and aspects which seem to suggest good news is possible even when the worst happens.

 When Ames was brought to justice tr Jupiter was trine his SA Neptune – this can boost optimism but is also associated with scandals which collapse reputations. Tr Pluto was opposition his Uranus Jupiter which might arguably have produced a lucky break but did the opposite as a conflict with authorities sent him to prison. Tr Saturn across his 10^th – reaping the harvest of past labours.  Tr Uranus Neptune opposition his Solar Arc Sun and Moon then and in the aftermath; as well as tr Uranus square his SA Midheaven were more clearly negative. And the real slamdunk was tr Pluto approaching the devastating conjunction to bis Neptune,

  When Hanssen was arrested in February 2001, he had tr Jupiter trine his Neptune and tr Pluto trine his Jupiter – both of which could be read as positive; and were not dissimilar to Ames. Hanssen’s Solar Arc Moon was conjunct his Sun for a coming together of his destiny; and his SA Jupiter was opposition his Venus and square his Mars – neither of which seem calamitous. But what swamped any benefits these might have had – was the devastating and confused tr Neptune opposition his Pluto and SA Pluto conjunct his Neptune; as well as a downbeat SA Saturn conjunct his Jupiter.  

 Prediction is never simple and clinging onto the good news aspects – or indeed exaggerating the negative ones – is all too easy to do but not helpful.

Katherine Ryan, Canadian comedian, is continuing her roll of UK successes with First Born Daughter on Sky Comedy. Provocative and ballsy, she flaunts a feminine image, unusually for a stand up comedienne, with no holds barred on stories of her early sexual adventures and mistake of a first marriage. She is now settled with four children in the UK where her career took off.

 Born 30 June 1983 6.28pm Sarnia, Ontario, she has an 8^th house Sun Mars conjunction in Cancer inconjunct a mischievous Jupiter Uranus conjunct her colourful Sagittarius Ascendant. Her Pisces Moon in her communicative 3^rd house is trine her Sun Mars which could have left her secretive and focused on home and family. But her Mercury in chatty Gemini in an aggressive conjunction to Mars in a showbizzy opposition to Neptune and trine a forceful Saturn Pluto in Libra conjunct would jolt her out of hiding.

  The move to the UK in 2008 was also critical since her chart relocated to London moves her Sun Mars to the performing 5^th house, with creative Neptune in the 10^th plus a zany Aquarius Ascendant. A year after arriving she won the Funny Woman Award and has not looked back since. When she moved tr Uranus was crossing her IC which does suggest a domestic upheaval. Tr Pluto was on the cusp of her 2^nd hinting at a chance to transform her finances in the years ahead. And tr Saturn was moving through her 9^th heading for her Midheaven and 10^th house of career during the years that followed.

She says in response to raised eyebrows about her material – “I’m not trying to be provocative all the time. My experiences, behaviours and mistakes, they exist in this space between pride and shame. It happened, I talk about it, and maybe reprieve comes out of the jokes. I love telling people secrets; I want people to tell me their secrets. I want to know mistakes people have made. I don’t know why I’m so thirsty for it, but I feel it like a bond.”

Katherine Ryan quotes:

“I am an undisputed gangster. To me, that means playing by my own rules.”

“If I’ve got a confidence problem, it’s that my self-esteem is entirely too high.”

“I don’t worry about whether or not people like me.”

“I was a product of the society that said women are for decoration, and I do think girls should be able to do whatever they want.”

“Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.”  Samuel Beckett

“Follow me, or get out of my way.” George S. Patton

“Tossing your rope before building a loop don’t ketch the calf.”  Cowboy proverb

  Getting a handle on Trump’s vainglorious swagger about picking off Cuba, Mexico, Greenland, Colombia and attempting to reduce this blitzkrieg of a year-opener to manageable astrological proportions could hone down to Pluto Jupiter. Hyping up the USA chart at the moment, there is a Solar Arc Pluto square the Jupiter in effect across this year = might-makes-right, rules-don’t-apply. And the September 2025 Solar Eclipse, still in effect, and coming March 2026 Lunar Eclipse at mid Pisces/Virgo both trigger Trump’s Jupiter Pluto midpoint.

  Jupiter Pluto leads to hubris described as excessive pride leading to retribution or nemesis. It is a “pride that blinds” causing foolish actions that belie common sense. Though to be admitted, Jupiter Pluto can produce results; and punishment for misdeeds can take a very long time. Except that in the case of the US, tr Neptune follows behind undermining the US Venus and Jupiter in the near future.

  A new book by Edward Stourton, Made in America: The dark history that led to Donald Trump, argues that Trump is a logical outcome of American history, a modern representative of the illiberal, imperialist streak in US politics that in the past has led to territorial overreach, deportations and a dismissal of constitutional edicts. His conclusion is that “you cannot understand America without understanding Trump”. He is “as American as apple pie”.

  In the 19^th Century Thomas Jefferson acquired land from the French that makes up part or all of 15 modern-day US states, except that the true owners included an estimated half-million Native Americans. Four decades later, another massive land grab forced Mexico to cede more than half of its territory, including modern-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming and Oklahoma.

  There are precedents in the book for almost all of Trump’s actions – imprisoning or banishing foreigners without trial, and banning” writings against the president. Trump idolises  Andrew Jackson, who refused to implement a supreme court verdict he disagreed with.  William McKinley raised import tariff duties to around 50%, a “Trumpian level”, with disastrous consequences for the Republican party.

   Another astro-thought as I trawled through far too many charts is that the 4th July 2026 congregation of Pluto at 4 degrees Aquarius trine Mars Uranus at 4 degrees Gemini and sextile Neptune at 4 degrees Aries does show up on a good many of the relevant charts.

  I will list them since too many to elaborate fully.

NATO, 24 August 1949 11.42am Washington DC, has a 9th house Uranus at 4 degrees Cancer square Venus at 4 degrees Libra.

Cuba, 10 December 1898, has Uranus at 4 Sagittarius. The relationship chart with Trump has Saturn at 4 Libra; and with the USA Jupiter at 4 Virgo (conjunct Uranus).

 The Cuba Revolution chart, 2 January 1959, has Pluto at 4 Virgo which suggests an upheaval or rebellion. It will be a tumultuous time for the country.

Mexico, 15 September 1810 11pm, has Jupiter at 1 degree Gemini opposition Neptune Saturn at 6/9 degrees Sagittarius which will be unsettled right through 2026 and on. The relationship chart with the USA has a composite Venus at 4 Virgo, due for an upset in July 2026; and the 2026 eclipses rattling up the composite Sun Uranus opposition Pluto.  The Mexico relationship with Trump will be in turmoil from now onwards  until the spring 2026 and not improving the following year.

Greenland, 1 May 1979, has its Solar Arc Uranus at 4 degrees Cancer, SA Pluto at 4 degrees Aquarius and its Solar Arc Mars at 4 degrees Gemini so will be on high alert and nervy in July 2026. Greenland’s relations with the USA will be meeting a sharp reversal come April 2026; with a war of words if not more in July with the composite Mercury (opposition Pluto) at 4 Gemini.  Greenland’s relationship with Trump will be rattled from April 2026 onwards.

  Denmark, 5 June 1849 12.15pm Copenhagen, has its Neptune at 4 degrees Pisces, for major worries come July 2026; and even more so has its Solar Arc Mars opposition its Saturn exactly then.

 This does not necessarily mean that Trump will go full Genghis Khan since 4 degrees shows up on a good many of the close Trump circle charts and composites – so failed plans may be undercutting the bluster and bombast.

 On Venezuela: ‘The strange truth is that despite America’s stunning display of military power, there hasn’t been regime change in Caracas. The same group of narco-traffickers and left-wing political operators still run the country, albeit without its former kingpin.’

 Delcy Rodriguez, 18 May 1969, the present president, is a formidably confident Sun Taurus trine Jupiter Pluto South Node in Virgo with her Sun opposition a slippery, evasive Neptune. Her Jupiter Pluto squares DT’s Gemini Sun and Sag Moon so she’ll be a considerable adversary, not an easy pushover; with her Sun Neptune opposition falling across Trump’s MC/IC axis hinting at a lack of commitment/trust there. Their relationship chart will undergo quite a convulsion when tr Uranus squares the composite Pluto come mid May 2026 onwards.

  Her Term chart, 5 January 2026, maybe around 8am Caracas, has an ambitious and argumentative Sun Mars in Capricorn in an opportunistic opposition to Jupiter. Reports are that since the seizure of Maduro, armed militias are patrolling the streets and journalists have been arrested in a government crackdown on dissent.

 Her relationship with Marco Rubio looks similarly erratic with upsets and turbulence come June 2026 as tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Sun.

Rubio himself, 28 May 1971, is jangled at the moment with tr Uranus conjunct his Saturn, moving on to oppose his Neptune Jupiter from April through a highly uncomfortable summer with more beyond, hinting at collapsing hopes and even scandals. His relationship chart with Trump is mired in confusion from January 2026 onwards with tr Pluto square the composite Neptune; and de-stabilising further from mid June 2026 onwards with tr Uranus square the composite Pluto.

Media thoughts from today:

Perhaps one can search too hard for a Trumpian masterplan. “There are no grand designs, just vanity and vindictiveness,” says Bill Kristol, a “Lincoln” Republican and founder of the Bulwark. He invokes Rudyard Kipling’s poem Recessional on British imperial hubris in the late 1890s, a warning to a nation drunk with power and prone to “frantic boast and foolish word”.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, the Telegraph financial journalist, is worth a read. “Trump and his Maga pirates’ Venezuelan plunder is almost worthless.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/06/trump-maga-pirates-venezuelan-plunder-is-almost-worthless

Pic: Icarus who defied the gods by flying too close to the sun. The wax in his wings melted and he fell from a great height.

ADD ON: January 8 2026

Aditya Chakrabortty in the Guardian. Useful slant on the present mayhem.

“Don’t dignify Trump with talk of a ‘new world order’ – there’s nothing new or ordered about this chaos.”

“The US president’s grotesque theatrics on the world stage are an opportunistic distraction from his falling domestic ratings.”

“All the same, scratch a Trump promise and underneath will glint a pretext. Scrutinise his grand plans and you find only shabby tactics. From real-estate deals to Trump University, all that this guy swears is solid gold soon settles into so much bullshit.”

“Will Trump rule Venezuela, or Greenland? It would make a change if he ruled the US. The president is a fair way through his second term in office, yet we are still to see Trumpism in one country, let alone around the world. The result of all this indecision and chaos is personal approval ratings that have sunk below those of “Sleepy Joe” Biden. “

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/trump-new-world-order-chaos-falling-ratings

Add On: January 10: US oil giant ExxonMobil tells Donald Trump Venezuela is ‘uninvestable’

Chief executive Darren Woods pushes back against president’s call to rush back into troubled country.

Add On: January 13 from the FT.

On Greenland:

The challenges involved in any extraction of rare minerals are formidable, perhaps prohibitive. “It’s not a short-term project. It requires many years of preparation, investment and infrastructure before there would be any profit or revenues or supplies coming to the US.”

 “The whole mining industry agrees that the Greenland promise is absolutely overrated. Nobody understands why anyone is putting money into this.”

There are massive logistical difficulties – lack of roads and other infrastructure. Everything would have to be brought in by helicopter, which can be far from straightforward given Greenland’s frequently rough and freezing weather.

Even if the ore can be extracted, the rare earths must be separated from the uranium, the eudialyte and other contaminants. That is a costly and fiddly chemical process that can encompass more than 200 steps. Apart from isolated pockets of expertise, such as in France and Estonia, knowledge of these processes has all but died out in the West.

The Sun, Venus, Mercury and Mars all in earthy Capricorn with Jupiter across in Cancer will make for a lively start to the New Year after the Full Moon on the 3^rd has passed. Capricorn is known for indulgence and seeking out pleasure as well as being money minded and status conscious.

 Gradually after midmonth a transition to airy, chatty, detached Aquarius starts with Venus in the lead. Fun with friends and in group activities will be on the agenda though intense,  blocked and controlling Pluto will start to crash the party from the 19^th connecting with Venus, then the Sun and peaking after Mars moves into Aquarius in the final week. It’ll be a tense, frustrating, maybe high risk end to the month.

PLANETARY ASPECTS:

1: Mercury in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces – vague, evasive, dreamy.

Mercury into Capricorn until the 20^th – chat about practical matters, aiming high socially.

3: Full Moon in Cancer – pulled in two directions

6: Sun conjunct Venus in Capricorn – charming, sociable, flirtatious, indulgent

7: Venus conjunct Mars in Capricorn – passionately enthusiastic.

9: Sun conjunct Mars – high vitality, argumentative, competitive.

Venus opposition Jupiter in Cancer – frivolous, lazy, indulgent

10: Sun opposition Jupiter – lazy, lucky, confident – expect results with no effort.

Mars opposition Jupiter – impulsive, pro-active, opportunistic.

14: Mercury opposition Jupiter – positive chat, overly confident.

Venus sextile Saturn in Pisces – sophisticated, cool and charming.

15: Venus trine Uranus in Taurus – social fun, want freedom emotionally, flirtatious.

17: Venus sextile Neptune – sweet, romantic, dreamy.

Sun sextile Saturn – sensible, good for planning.

Sun trine Uranus – bright ideas, surprises, inventive, not dull.

Mercury conjunct Mars – direct speaking.

Venus into Aquarius until February 10 – friendly, emotionally detached.

18: New Moon in Capricorn – new direction

Mercury sextile Saturn – sensible chats.

Mercury trine Uranus – bright ideas.

19: Sun sextile Neptune – kind, dreamy, evasive.

Venus conjunct Pluto – emotionally intense, seductive, manipulative.

Saturn sextile Uranus – merging best of the old with best of the new.

Mars trine Uranus – looking for thrills, uncompromising, inventive.

Mars sextile Saturn – requires self-discipline and hard work.

20: Mercury sextile Neptune – kind, vague.

Mercury into Aquarius until February 6 – inventive, up on the latest advances, outspoken, stubborn.

Sun into Aquarius for four weeks – a thinker and communicator, good for group activities, can be obstinate.

21: Sun conjunct Mercury – in mental overdrive, chatting constantly

22: Mercury conjunct Pluto in Aquarius – intense, dogmatic, deep thinking, gloomy.

Mars sextile Neptune – publicity attract, can be glamourous and sometimes plans not work out.

23: Mars into Aquarius until March 2^nd – determined, obstinate, pushing ideas and theories.

Sun conjunct Pluto – requires effort to overcome obstacles and difficulties.

27: Mars conjunct Pluto – trapped, stuck, frustrating, need to be self-protective.

29: Mercury conjunct Venus – sweet words, charming, persuasive.

OUTER PLANETS

Jupiter in Cancer from June 9 2025 until June 30 2026 – focused on family and home, expansive, emotional, sympathetic, easy going.

Saturn: In Pisces from March 8 2023 till May 25 2025; and again September 1st 2025 to February 12^th 2026 – a time to let the past go, push old regrets aside and be supportive to those in need.

Saturn in Aries from May 25th 2025 for the first time in 29 years. There will be a need for grit, self-reliance, initiative, patience and resourcefulness. It can lead to selfish behaviour on the part of some and a lack of cooperation since the tendency will be to pursue an independent course. Though Neptune close by may soften its effect bringing more sympathy for those in need. Retrogrades into Pisces on September 1 2025 to February 12th 2026, after which it stays in Aries until April 2028

Uranus: From March 2019 until July 2025 in Taurus – changing attitudes to handling of money, possessions and resources especially in agriculture and our attitude to nature. Into Gemini from July 7 2025 to November 2025 – lively discussions, new ideas, alternative approaches, fast-moving, outspoken. There will be a retrograde back into Taurus from November 2025 to April 2026, after which it stays in Gemini until 2032.

Neptune in Aries from from late April 2025 till 2039 (with a brief retrograde back into Pisces from late October to late January 2026) can prompt individuals to submit themselves to a bigger cause than themselves. In the past it has led to an increase in individual rights and advances for disenfranchised people.  When back in Pisces it reprises the mood of the past decade plus with conspiracy theories running rampant.

Pluto in Aquarius from late November 2024 till 2044. Can be enlightening, fosters social movements and equality, changes outlooks and attitudes, brings intense discussions and scientific advances.