In desperate financial straits – again – Argentina threw up an ultra-conservative oddball in the dress rehearsal for the late October general election. Javier Milei, who won over 30 per cent of the vote, is ‘a rightwing libertarian who campaigns like a rock star, lives alone with five mastiffs named after famous liberal economists and claims not to have brushed his hair since he was 13 (he is 52).’
Whoever wins they will inherit a catastrophic economic situation with the central bank almost out of reserves and heavy restrictions on foreign exchange. Inflation is running at around 115% and nearly 40 per cent of the population live below the poverty line. A severe drought has exacerbated problems, which the government has used as an excuse for missing all of IMF’s targets for its lifeline programme. Another default looms.
Milei, born 22 October 1970 in Buenos Aires, has a late Libra Sun with a ferociously determined Pluto conjunct Mars; and a head-in-the-clouds, moody, insecure and ambivalent Venus Neptune in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus. His Sun sits on his Neptune/Pluto midpoint which is associated with the supernatural or fantastical beliefs.
His Jupiter in Scorpio caught the recent Lunar Eclipse which would give him a lift. The general election falls on his birthday with tr Jupiter opposition his Jupiter. A win is not inevitable and he looks to be in a degree of turmoil immediately following and in 2024 – though that would be true even if he did win.
The Argentina 25 May 1810 country chart with its Gemini Sun Mars opposition Neptune Saturn in Sagittarius square Pisces Moon Pluto – will be dragged down to earth by tr Saturn in Pisces through 2023/24. The recent Lunar Eclipse rattled the Uranus in Scorpio hinting that a change of course was badly needed.
It is not quite as dire as the 2001 default which happened on the Saturn in Sagittarius opposition Pluto square Mars; and the Solar Arc Pluto squaring the financial Venus in the run up. But it will require considerable sacrifices.
The Bank of Argentina, 28 May 1935, another Gemini Sun square Saturn opposition Neptune, will face a surfeit of Saturn reality checks as well in 2023/24; and a pressured Solar Arc Pluto square the financial Venus. Again not quite as catastrophic as the 2001 default when the Solar Arc Mars squared Neptune and rattled up the T Square with Sun and Saturn; and the tr Saturn opposition tr Pluto added its layer of woe and hardship.
Mars, god of war, testosterone-fuelled and so competitive he would kick his father out of the way to get ahead, may have had a heroic image in ye olden mythology. But he/she is struggling to revision themselves astrologically in these non-binary, tree-hugging, #metoo sensitive days.
Broken down into simple words Mars is 1) assertive; 2) argumentative and competitive; 3) bolsters identity in ‘I want’; 4) provides forward gear; 5) is an essential factor in decision-making); 6) necessary for sex drive; 7) generates will-power and the life force. Without Mars there would be no life, no reproduction, no progress.
Mars is usually thought of as angry. But anger is only stored up assertion. When ‘I want’, ‘I intend’, ‘I will do’ – all of them reflecting the core identity of the individual – gets blocked or remains unexpressed Mars slowly starts to boil until it erupts. Synonyms for assertion are – decisive, believing in oneself, self-assured, confident, forceful. All of those can be subtly conveyed – or not – depending on the sign Mars sits in.
Mars in the Fire signs – Aries, Leo and Sagittarius – will be loud, inclined to flare up, outspoken and unselfconscious about demanding their own way. In Aries and Sagittarius squalls never last long and are soon forgotten. In Leo, being ego-centric and Fixed, there can be a prickly defensiveness hanging around after arguments.
Mars in the Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn – can be slow burn and is usually focused on a practical or financial outcome. Mars in Taurus is slow to anger but earth-shaking when the lava erupts. Money will be what motivates them into action. Mars in Virgo, the workaholic, is a perfectionist. In Capricorn is super-ambitious, climbing ever higher up the ladder with steely determination.
Mars in the Water signs – Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces – is more problematic. Fire makes Water boil is quintessentially true of Mars in Cancer, which is volatile and gets over-emotional when provoked. Scorpio, secretive as ever, harbours a grinding resentment which is kept under control until the time is right and then the scorpion sting is let loose. In Pisces, Mars gets flummoxed since Pisces hate confrontations. Where the pair come together most effectively are in artistic ventures especially dance and yoga. Forward march to Pisces means taking the roundabout route.
Mars in the chatty Air signs – Gemini, Libra, Aquarius – pumps fire into thinking and speaking. All good debaters and adept with words. Mars in Aquarius can be ornery, awkwardly stubborn.
How Mars integrates in the chart and which planets it sidles up to or clashes with makes a difference. The essential nature of Mars in its chosen sign gets modulated, watered down or the opposite, depending on which other planetary energy it has to work beside.
Sun conjunct Mars is competitive and courageous; in square and opposition doubly so, headstrong, willful, reckless and noisy.
Moon Mars – comes from the angry mother who blocks the child’s assertion, leaving issues with women/domestic life behind in adult life, quarrelsome. Alcohol tends to lift inhibitions so flare ups follow.
Mercury Mars – quick thinking, fast-talking and sharp-tongued, inclined to argue endlessly and stir up controversies.
Venus Mars – in conjunction can be passionately enthusiastic and, in some, leads to a tendency to promiscuity. In square and opposition it leads to strong ‘romantic’ attractions but not always sensitivity to the other’s needs.
Jupiter Mars – high vitality plus positive thinking = good luck. Helpful for starting new projects.
Saturn Mars – blocked assertion can have positive outcome in self-discipline and promoting a military turn of mind where suppressing personal needs and identity for a specific purpose is helpful. Can be destructive, violent, unfair, even cruel. Tends to be passive-aggressive. Simmers with resentment and then blows a fuse.
Uranus Mars – rebellious and freedom-loving plus fiery zeal can be an explosive and self-willed combination. Good for high-risk ventures, adventure and thrills. Bad for tolerating interference and compromise.
Neptune Mars – can attract publicity and glamour, common in showbusiness types. Has a hint of Mars in Pisces so not always good at full-frontal demands.
Pluto Mars – a challenging combination stemming from a dominating, scary father who at times would feel life threatening. Leaves behind an adult who is good in crisis situations and is do-or-die determined. Some turn ruthless since it was what they knew, others remain suppressed and attract difficulties because they are unsure how to live out the super-charged, heavyweight and can feel brutal energy.
Discussing sex nowadays is a minefield. But I recollect years back reading a study by zoologist Konrad Lorenz about ducks and he found the ones lacking aggression/assertion didn’t/couldn’t mate. Aggression gave them propulsion but had to be diverted at the final moment to allow coupling to take place. Which suggests the Mars drive is essential for reproduction but has to be under control. Not that humans are like ducks or other animals – no rape in the animal kingdom. Female lions repel over arduous approaches with a snarl if they are not in the mood; and zebras with a well-aimed kick. The alpha males in rut have Mars in overdrive. But the ladies are in charge. Not sure where humans went wrong as they mutated away from chimps.
Given the yod’s tendency to bring unforeseen alterations in life’s direction – an unexpected fork in the road – their presence in a relationship suggests the coming-together will be a catalyst for an unpredictable change. In certain cases it may feel ‘meant’ but the friction of disparate elements constantly readjusting to find balance won’t ever completely disappear if the relationship is ongoing.
There are two ways Yods can appear in relationships. One is by synastry – when individual A’s sextile forms the base of a yod to B’s planet. Two examples below – one negative and the other not. The astrologer who triggered my later Astro-career completely out of the blue had two key planets forming two Yods with two of my sextiles. Nothing in my previous CV would have suggested the career switch set in motion by the meeting was remotely likely.
The other was Richard Nixon with an unmissable birth chart Yod of Saturn sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars in Sagittarius, and his Mars opposition Pluto. If there is a planet in opposition to the focal point it acts as a particularly sensitive reaction point. The two journalists who took him down had significant planets, firstly onto his natal yod – Bob Woodward has his Midheaven conjunct Nixon’s reaction Pluto. And Carl Bernstein has his Saturn sextile Jupiter inconjunct Nixon’s Capricorn Sun and his Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Nixon’s Venus – so forming two yods with Nixon’s chart – and they certainly changed the trajectory of his life.
In the above examples the Yod does not appear in the relationship chart itself. Perhaps suggestive of the fact that there was no ongoing connection.
A yod in a composite chart does suggest the the relationship can turn up suddenly and lead to a complete reorganization and sometimes an extreme alteration of the individuals’ lives. There is always a sense of accelerated change, not slow development.
The famous examples of relationships yods – the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, Jackie Kennedy and Ari Onassis, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Donald Trump and Jared Kushner – all have an element of surprise and irrevocable life change when they got together. They may not have been happy and contented, even the Newman combo, but with all there was a sense of unrecognized necessity as well as a nagging problem that never quite found a solution. (For Newman posts on behind-the-happy-façade see 30 October 2022 and 7th July 2022 in search.)
The Wallis Simpson/Duke of Windsor had a composite Uranus on the focal point of their relationship yod bringing drastic changes in both lives that did not bring fulfilment – perhaps because they never fully embraced/faced up to what their decision would entail. Yods are tough enforcers, even more so than Saturn and require not only acceptance but also constant adjustments.
Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward’s composite Yod focused onto Neptune which was just as well since it soaked up some of its energy in the movie business though his alcoholism took its toll.
Jackie and Ari Onassis – a composite Sun on the focal point of one yod as well as the South Node on the second yod – a fateful, ill-fated and retrograde attempt to bolster self-esteem.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have a wide composite Yod onto Saturn. Saturnine yods in an individual require hard work, inner strength and maturity. Mishandled they can be self-defeating and end with a sense of failure. On their synastry, her Gemini Sun sextile Moon are inconjunct his Neptune – arguably exacerbating his drink/drug issues. And two of his sextiles inconjunct her Jupiter Midheaven and Sun respectively. Her success/ego/ambition were energy draining and unsatisfying for him so they did not function as a team.
Trump and Jared Kushner’s exact exact relationship yod was Pluto sextile Mars (Neptune) inconjunct Mercury which suggests their interaction ramped up a scattergun, disorganized effect. If you remember Kushner became ‘in charge’ of almost everything at one point.
On their synastry Kushner’s Pluto sextile Neptune is inconjunct DT’s Midheaven; and DT’s Sun sextile Mars are inconjunct Kushner’s Capricorn Sun – all ego and ambition-driven.
Yods are not well researched so require further exploration. But it is worthwhile if your own chart has sextiles to see who triggers a Yod focal point with you – or when transits/progressions hit that point which will for a brief spell produce the mood and catalyst of a yod.
Yods in astrology are talked about as rare and ‘fated’, the finger of destiny, which sounds scary. The truth is they are fairly frequent occurrences in birth charts and while they do give rise to their own specific issues they can be a blessing rather than a curse.
They are formed by two planets in sextile both inconjunct a third planet. Because the focal planet is in an element with no natural connection to the base planets – for example, Fire sextile Air inconjunct Earth or Fire sextile Air inconjunct Water there is a sense of discomfort, of things not fitting, of the individual not being the same as everyone else. They feel different and initially unworthy.
All configurations bring their own challenges. Trines and sextiles make the energy of the planets in aspects flow easily. Too many in a chart can bring a problem of laziness and discontent and in the case of a Grand Trine getting stuck in a comfortable rut. Individuals with easy aspects tend not to place value on their achievements and talents because results tend to come without effort.
Squares pull together planets in the same modality although in a clashing way – Cardinal to Cardinal, Fixed to Fixed and Mutable to Mutable – and have the advantage of fostering a problem-solving approach. There’s a hurdle to overcome and finding the solution leads to a stronger and resourceful personality.
Oppositions create a see-saw effect, or being pulled constantly in opposite directions – the grass is always greener somewhere else – but can be helpful in understanding the Other point of view. The best example being Ted Kennedy, who had several oppositions and for all his shortcomings was a past master politically at the art of cross-party negotiations.
Howard Sasportas who had a yod in his chart had an interesting take, describing the focal planet as trapped, not free to operate because it was stuck between dissimilar energies – and yet, perhaps precisely because of that, it becomes the person’s destiny. He says you have to grow through something you can’t escape from.
The yod more than any other element of a birth chart headlines Carl Jung’s epithet – “Free will is the ability to choose that which we must do.” With a yod the focal planet must be lived out. The switch from an early sense of never fitting in and being different is triggered by a seemingly random outer event and not a willed one. Being different with its sense of unworthiness now becomes a uniqueness which has a singular purpose.
The examples on this forum are not helpful to those struggling with less elevated lives. Celebrities, Royals and turbo-charged business types have by and large made the transition from outsider to finding their niche, and, however edgy their personalities, have found a way to make their yods work – Disney’s Bob Iger (below), Martha Stewart, Pablo Picasso, Marine Le Pen, actor Jim Caviezel, Prince William and Harry, Princess Diana, Meghan Markle.
Howard Sasportas said of his yod: ‘I was led by an instinct, a feeling of being pushed along by the Yod formation of the Sun and Uranus to the MC – and it affected my choice of work. It drove me. I didn’t have to make a lot of conscious choices.’
Princess Diana in her book Diana: Her True Story, made remarks about always feeling different, of carrying a burden that she was unable to articulate, but always knew was there. Her intuition, she said, told her that life would be a winding road, always feeling separate from others; never feeling in the right place. What happened to her ultimately was not the result of her Jupiterian yod though they can be mishandled, especially with Saturn, Mars or Pluto focal points.
Not everyone lives out the full potential of their chart though Gauquelin (I think) found that the most successful are the ones who do. That means knuckling down to accept the hand of cards that come at birth over which there is no choice. Which means finding a life and career context in which those energies can be used to their fullest. The patterns of life are not always kind but cause less damage if they are embraced.
Howard Sasportas as a lowly 9 to 5 civil servant or a factory conveyor belt operative would never have worked. Homing in on your individuality, valuing your originality and being pleased at your difference is the sacrifice a yod demands and its reward.
Florida is living through ‘interesting times’ with DeSantis rollicking through right-wing legislative changes and the orange harvest reaching the lowest levels since the 1930s, due to hurricanes in recent years causing crop damage, along with an Asian bacterial infection.
Pending is a law preventing abortions after six weeks. The death penalty no longer needs unanimous jury recommendations; death sentences will be allowed for people who rape children under age 12. Floridians can now carry guns without concealed-weapons licenses. Plus a whole raft of Parental Rights where sex education is concerned; tightening immigration policy; restricting lawsuits against companies.
What is curious given the thumping majority DeSantis won in November 2022 is how uncomfortably his chart sits with Florida.
Florida was admitted to the USA on 3 March 1845 and is moving through a panicky year with a strong sense of failure pervasive as tr Neptune squares the Mars, on and off till February 2024. There’s also an emotionally upsetting and highly strung tr Uranus square the Venus, Neptune, Mercury in 2023/24 – very much on edge.
This coming October’s Solar Eclipse at 21 Libra opposes the Florida Pluto and has Mars on the Midheaven and Pluto near the Ascendant located there – so there may be a crisis or two in the months following. The April 2024 Solar Eclipse in Aries will also tug on the Florida Pluto. Several of this year and next’s Solar and Lunar Eclipses have planets on the angles for Florida so it backs up what the edgy transits show.
DeSantis, 14 September 1978, has his Mars in Libra opposition the Florida Pluto and his Saturn opposition the Florida Pisces Sun – not exactly a warm and cosy combo.
His relationship chart with Florida is even more stark with a composite Saturn Mars trine Pluto and Pluto opposition Neptune, Moon Uranus. If that were an emotional relationship there might be domestic violence. Mars Saturn suggests only one partner benefits and there is ruthless control and a need to dominate as well as upend the status quo. Late May 2024 onwards is when it will start to show strain as tr Uranus opposes the composite Saturn and then Mars into early 2025.
If Desantis is still in the race for the White House he’ll get his second wind from late February 2024 onwards as tr Pluto opposes his Jupiter and that will carry him through on a confident push into 2025. Not necessarily a winning streak but a definite uptick on his chances of the moment.
ADD ON:
ADD ON: His wife Casey DeSantis, a former new journalist and TV presenter, 26 June 1980, is a Sun Cancer with leadership Leo North Node; and an edgy, tough-minded Mars Saturn in Virgo on the focal point of a T Square to Venus opposition Neptune. Her driven, determined and short-fused Mars Saturn are conjunct her husband’s Virgo Sun which must make for some tense moments as she’ll be a hard taskmaster. Their relationship chart is lucky and super-ambitious with a composite Sun Jupiter sextile Pluto and trine Neptune; with a strong power dynamic from a Mars Pluto conjunction.
Her synastry with Florida is no more comfortable than his with her Mars Saturn square Neptune colliding with the Florida Mars; though admittedly her Jupiter does oppose the Florida Sun. And her relationship chart with Florida is argumentative, complicated and confused.
Her chart is up and down this year; with fortunate influences into 2025. Her Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct Pluto may be on the same degree of a conjunction over the Inauguration or it may be later in the year depending on her birth time. And she’s in for a lucky run from mid 2025 onwards as well.
South America was ravaged by Vatican-inspired foreign conquistadores from Spain and Portugal from the sixteenth century onwards, which decimated the local population with European diseases and forced labour. Having won a hard-fought independence in the early 19th century, many South American countries are now being held hostage by narco-gangs supplying Europe’s growing cocaine addiction. Which is all the more ironic since most countries in South America have been keen on the political front to reduce foreign influence. Close one door and another opens.
The recent assassination of a Ecuadorean presidential candidate, who has spoken out on corruption and alleged links between organised crime and politics, is symptomatic of the rising homicide levels. Fernando Villacencio, 11 October 1963, was a Sun Venus in Libra with a determined Mars Neptune in Scorpio square Saturn and sextile Uranus Pluto in Virgo. He had two yods in his chart – Saturn sextile Jupiter inconjunct Pluto and Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Jupiter. Handled well they would give him influence and the ability to make a difference in society. Though there is a hint that over confidence could prove a problem.
Most of the early 19th century charts for South America are a moveable feast since the various independence struggles journeyed through several stages. Several have Pluto in Pisces which may point to transiting Neptune in Pisces since 2012 having a hand in the recent surge of the cocaine trade.
Even if this holds good it’ll be a hard fought battle even after Neptune exits into Aries. The effect of cocaine was first seen by the Spanish invaders as the indigenous people chewed on coca leaves but it was not isolated until 1855 by a German scientist – when transiting Neptune was last in Pisces.
At what point does do-goodery turn totalitarian? An American movement to persuade businesses to follow higher social and environmental standards and to be both transparent and accountable sounds innocuous enough. B Corp started in 2006 and signed up small companies and later multinationals which can prove they follow guidelines to make the world a better place. It has only caught public attention now as it appeared in the Coutts Bank dossier which led to the debanking of Nigel Farage, because his views on climate and race did not align with ‘inclusive values’.
The media storm that Farage subsequently brewed up saw two top brass in Coutts depart and offers to have his account restored – as well as starting a campaign for bank transparency on other closed accounts.
B Corp was started in 2006 by three businessmen who had sold their socially-responsible sportswear company and discovered the new owners had stripped away employees’ and overseas workers’ rights. They set about trying to motivate businesses to be ethically responsible by handing them a certificate. They started on the Saturn in Leo opposition Neptune in Aquarius in 2006 – which is an aspect keen to establish a fairer and better society. There was also a status-quo-upsetting, revolutionary Uranus in Pisces moving to square Pluto as they handed out the first certificates in 2007.
The UK branch, B Lab UK, was registered as a charity (which does not take donations) on 14 January 2015 – when again there was a Saturn square Neptune and a Uranus square Pluto. So a mix of idealism with a degree of hyper-sensitive neurosis plus a desire to collapse the old order. Both aspects can bring positive change; but both can also be overly rigid, and in negative mode lead to confusion and chaos respectively.
I thoroughly dislike Farage for his views and the damage he has done but when did agree-to-differ become forbidden territory? Especially in a banking group which is part owned by the taxpayer. This has all the feel of the Stonewall mission creep which started from laudable beginnings to do real damage.
Why Things Bite Back: the Revenge of Unintended Consequences
Hawaii is facing the largest natural disaster in recent times as Hurricane Dora fuelled wildfires which have left 53 dead so far and 1000 missing. Tourists were forced to jump into the sea and tread water for hours.
The recent Aries Solar Eclipse conjunct Jupiter is sitting on the Descendant axis located to Hawaii. Planets close to the axis usually suggest a country in line for a crisis of sorts and while Jupiter is traditionally regarded as benign if not lucky, it often appears around disaster events.
In negative mode Jupiter leads to intemperance and over abundance, an over-the-top excessiveness which knows no limits. In mythology Zeus, usually aligned with Jupiter, is known for his powerful temper. When angry, he became destructive, hurling lightning bolts with such ferocity that they caused violent storms, wreaking havoc across the earth. Jupiter was close to the Midheaven from the 9th when 9/11 started and close to the USA Cancer Sun as well.
Hawaii became a USA state on 21 August 1959 at 10.10am Honolulu which gives a 29 degree Libra Ascendant, exactly the same as the April Eclipse New Moon. So significant changes to its image were to be expected.
Previous Hawaii history is chequered although 11 June 1810 is a key marker as is the constitution of 6 July 1887, which did hand power to some westerners but also stripped the monarch of his absolute powers.
All three charts have prominent Jupiters – the 1957 chart with a Leo Sun square Jupiter. The 1810 chart has Jupiter opposition Uranus, which has moved by Solar Arc to have SA Jupiter square Pluto this year and oppose Sun Mars in the next three/four years. The 1887 chart has Jupiter in Libra square Saturn and trine Mars sextile Venus – and its Jupiter was triggered by the recent Aries Eclipse.
Jupiter could also point to Hawaii’s sun-drenched, sociable, laid-back image as a tourist destination.
But it is clearly susceptible to excess running rampant as well.
On the 1959 state chart the next two to four years look tricky as Hawaii faces a mammoth reconstruction effort. Tr Saturn opposes the Pluto this year and Venus Mars in 2024. With uncertainty in 2025 as tr Neptune Saturn squares the Saturn and tr Uranus squares the Sun for forced changes.
The combination of drought and hurricane force winds is lethal.
A disastrous security breach has left 10,000 police officers in Northern Ireland fearing for their lives after a ‘monumental blunder’ published their names on the internet. The list included intelligence, undercover, counter-terrorism and surveillance officers as well as MI5 who could be targeted by paramilitaries. Working for the police remains so sensitive many have never told family or friends and regularly check under their cars for explosive devices despite the “Troubles” having ended 25 years ago. An officer has already been shot and seriously wounded earlier this year.
The Good Friday Agreement which brought an uneasy end to conflict was signed 10 April 1998 5pm Belfast and has been labouring through tough times in the recent five years with tr Pluto square the Sun, Saturn and Mars which extends on to the end of this year. Then tr Pluto will conjunct the Neptune in 2024/25 for confusion and losses.
Northern Ireland itself is politically logjammed despite the recent Brexit adjustment. And assuming the start date/time of 7 December 1922 3.28pm Belfast is accurate, it is poised at a particularly difficult transition point. Not only is the Solar Arc Saturn exactly conjunct the Midheaven, tr Pluto is also conjunct SA Saturn and the Midheaven. Tr Pluto starting to move through the 10th does suggest the need for a significant and radical rethink about the path ahead. The answers may not come quickly, indeed it usually takes years before a meaningful path is found. Pluto Saturn this year and next won’t make it easier – a discouraging slog which could include violence, especially in 2024 when tr Uranus squares the Mars after mid year into 2025.
Earlier this year the NI Solar Arc Sun was conjunct the South Node threatening to pull Northern Ireland back into the past. But that influence is now waning.
The Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) was formed on 4 November 2001, to replace the Royal Ulster Constabulary, 1 June 1922.
Both charts have a tough, gritty Saturn Pluto hard aspect as does the Northern Ireland chart. The RUC was Sun Gemini square Uranus, and trine Jupiter Saturn North Node in Libra with a yod of Neptune sextile Jupiter inconjunct a wilful Uranus. Not easily held under control.
The PSNI is Sun Scorpio square Uranus and Mars Neptune in Aquarius with the tenacious, unsentimental Saturn opposition Pluto. The recent Lunar Eclipse caught the Scorpio Sun as this crisis blows up. And tr Uranus is square the Uranus this year into early 2024 for a bumpy ride.
What a strain to live under – not even being able to tell your family what you do for a living.
