The unexpected death of hugely successful BBC radio personality and DJ Steve Wright has brought an outpouring of accolades about his talent and warmth.  He won huge audiences with his ‘zoo-crew’ and a gallery of characters played by Wright himself, notably Mr Angry, ranting on the phone from Purley. He was zany, mischievous and highly entertaining. Yet despite it all his friend Jeremy Vine writes: ‘The great mystery of Steve was that the three hours of radio was the only time when he showed off. You would never pick him out of a bus queue. He avoided showbiz parties. He was humble, even shy. He undercut all his own achievements. I wonder if, as a colleague has recently offered, he had made it his mission to spread joy to others because he had known sadness himself.’ Even his close friends knew little about how he spent his time outside his studio.

 He was certainly obsessive about his work, flying to New York, before the internet, to spend the weekend in his hotel room listening to US radio shows. His preparation and work ethic meant he would arrive at 9am for an on-air start at three.

  After his wife suddenly left him he became known as an eccentric loner, sleeping during the week in a small flat round the corner from Broadcasting House and living meagrely, despite a reported salary in excess of £500,000, on a diet of microwave TV dinners, mini bottles of white wine, crisps and chocolates. Over the years he struggled to control his weight, which at times ballooned to 18 stone.

  He was born 26 August 1954 Greenwich, England, no birth time, and was a quiet, unacademic child who always wanted to go into entertainment, had a show while still at school, and joined the BBC in the gramophone library in the early 1970s. He moved around between the BBC and other outlets settling in two decades ago to Radio 2’s afternoon slot where he remained until moved in 2022.

  He had a chart divided into two halves. His workaholic, perfectionist and communicative Virgo Sun and Mercury were trine Mars in Capricorn and sextile an obsessively conscientious Saturn in Scorpio. That would make him determined but not exactly light-hearted. His mischievous, oddball streak came from a lucky Jupiter Uranus in Cancer in a square to a creative, musical and kindly Neptune Venus in Libra. His emotional life would be troubled with Venus Neptune Uranus and his Leo Moon probably square Saturn.

  His Sun and Pluto fell in the BBC’s 4^th house with his Sun opposition the BBC’s 10^th house Uranus so it would be a strong though not always easy connection and his musical Venus Neptune and Saturn fell in the BBC’s entertaining 5^th house.

 The relationship chart has a successful Grand Trine/Kite of Uranus trine Neptune Jupiter trine Mars, with Uranus opposition Venus.

  When Steve Wright’s afternoon show was summarily moved by the BBC, which according to friends devastated him, tr Saturn in Aquarius was square his Pluto, and tr Pluto was opposition his Uranus so it would represent a considerable upheaval. His Solar Arc Neptune was also conjunct his Mars bringing a sense of failure. Plus tr Pluto square his Mars/Pluto midpoint which would feel like a catastrophic blow.  With his entire workaholic life focused on his show he was always going to be in trouble when events moved him on.

  Like many a zany comedian his quirkiness hid a good deal of inner desolation.   

The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth is a three part documentary that marks the anniversary of the Columbia disaster, when the US space shuttle disintegrated on the return journey of its 28th mission, killing all seven astronauts on board. There are interviews with family and friends of the lost cosmonauts and an examination of what went wrong, unpicking the failures of Nasa.

 The shuttle took off on 16 January 2003 at 9.39am Orlando, Florida and disintegrated on 1 February 2003 at 8.59am EST over Texas and Louisiana.  Both take off and descent took place under the unyielding, can-be-destructive Saturn opposition Pluto which for take off and disintegration was square the Pisces Ascendant. This Saturn Pluto opposition was around for 9/11, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. On the take off chart there was also an ominous Mars in last degree Scorpio square Uranus and Sun conjunct the fixed star Procyon (= can raise to great heights and bring crashing down). When the crash occurred the Sun had moved to conjunct the Neptune and was moving to oppose the overly optimistic Jupiter in Leo.

  As to be expected the Columbia Disaster chart has a high-risk/destructive 16^th harmonic with the Sun linked to Mars and Pluto; and both Mars and Pluto on the focal points of yods. The 18^th harmonic was also notably super-stressed and dangerous with Mars opposition Pluto.

 The take off chart had similarly Mars, Pluto heavy aspects on its 16^th and 32^nd harmonic.  

  The Challenger disaster of 28 January 1986 when a shuttle exploded on take off killing all on board occurred at 11.38am off Cape Canaveral, Florida. Mars in late Scorpio was opposition Algol and the Sun was square Pluto. Again the 16^th and 32^nd Harmonic were marked. Even more so was the 18^th harmonic with a fearsome Mars Pluto opposition Saturn which has associations with ‘fires and explosion’ in numerology.  

  Looking at other disasters: Both 9/11 and the Hiroshima bomb had marked 16H, 18H and 32H harmonic charts.

 The Titanic sinking is interesting – from a ghoulish point of view. In that the hull-laying chart is almost the most  indicative of what is to come, 31 March 1909. It had a Mars Uranus conjunction which had moved to exact by Solar Arc direction over the sinking. With a catastrophe and accident prone 16^th harmonic with Mars linked to Saturn, Pluto.  The chart of the sinking itself 14 April 1912 11.40pm is also indicative of being at risk of sudden violent calamities. At that point tr Neptune had moved to cross over the Mars Uranus conjunction which suggests panic and failure.

 Both charts had marked 16H, 18H, and 32H charts. And what is a fascinating sidelight they both had strong 10^th harmonics  = rise and fall, hinting at over-confidence and too much stress being put on appearances.

  After-the-event accidents are interesting from an astrological viewpoint; but only the Titanic disaster had a hope of being prevented if the astrology had been understood. Space Shuttles tend not to have hull-laying moments so only the take off is available.  

Bill Roache, the Coronation Street TV soap star still going strong at 91 after more than six decades in the role, has been declared bankrupt for the second time in his life owing a whopping £550k in back taxes. It follows an HMRC win over a Cayman Islands scheme aimed at minimizing taxes which was declared tax avoidance.

 The previous bankruptcy stemmed from a 1991 libel action he brought, which despite winning, landed him with huge costs at which point he sued his lawyers leading two years later to his creditors estimating he had £600,000 in unpaid debts.

  This year’s contract with Coronation Street is reckoned to be worth a rumoured £250,000.  Nothing by half measures.

  I wondered what in his chart led to such a devil-may-care (or unlucky) approach to his finances.

  He was born 25 April 1932 7.30am Ilkeston into a well-to-do family with a violent alcoholic grandfather and grandmother who was a successful businesswoman.  He has an Earth Grand Trine of a Taurus Sun trine an 8^th house Capricorn Moon trine Neptune in his 4^th with his Sun square Saturn in Aquarius conjunct his Midheaven. Taurus is acquisitive and so is a Capricorn Moon especially in the 8^th – and Neptune is impractical and unrealistic.

  Plus he has an excitable, over impulsive Mercury, Mars, Uranus in Aries square Pluto with Mars trine Jupiter in Leo – so he will leap first and think second. Mars Pluto will make it difficult for him to let go of hurts/grudges which may explain suing his lawyers, not always an advisable course of action whatever the rights or wrongs.

  His North Node in his 11^th according to Schulman makes him “his own worst enemy” with the hint that ‘he must never allow the fires of passion to cloud his vision.’   The North Node in Pisces demands at some point he move away from earthly matters towards a more spiritual outlook.

  His first bankruptcy was around his Second Saturn Return and this third tax dust up around his Third Saturn Return. His First Saturn Return saw him break into the TV big time with his Coronation Street permanent residency starting then.

  Somehow I don’t think he ever quite got Saturn’s message.

Born on the same day but with differing temperaments and separate paths in life. The planets and aspects can be identical but if the birth time is different and thus the planets sit in different houses there can be a world of distinction.

  Pakistan split from India but celebrated its independence  at 9.30am the day before on 14 August 1947 where India waited till midnight to begin their new journey. Both have fixed, enduring charts with a flamboyant Leo Sun square Jupiter in Scorpio but with an undertow from a can-be-self-destructive Saturn Pluto conjunct Venus hinting at hardship, deprivation and a tilt towards war-mongering.

 Pakistan has the volatile, eruptive Mars conjunct Uranus on their Midheaven suggesting a hair-trigger fuse, a tendency to be overly-reactive and defiant, with a warrior ideal. Their 11^th house Mercury, Pluto, Saturn, Venus, Sun hints at their tendency to have military or hybrid military/political governing classes. Neptune in their 1^st house may hint at an evasiveness or even an image linked to narcotics.

  India has its can-be-destructive, unyielding Saturn Pluto closer to the IC and Sun Venus in the 4^th so their focus is internal, wrestling with domestic hardship and inspired by  an affection for the homeland. The volatile Mars Uranus falls in the India 2^nd house and Jupiter in the 6^th so money and employment will be areas of primary interest and attention.  In many ways India is a more insular country. Pakistan is outward looking (11^th house) and keen on its independence (left hand chart).

  House transits which show the broad context of changes will also differ with another axis and Midheaven/Ascendant. Pakistan has tr Neptune square the MC in 2025 for a directionless drift and disappointment with neighbours as tr Neptune enters the 7th. Where India will be less undermined by Neptune except where money is concerned but will be rebellious and independent come 2025 with Uranus moving across its Ascendant.

 Another example is TV presenter and property expert Jonnie Irwin, who has just died, and former racing driver, Red Bull Formula 1 principal Christian Horner were born on the same day 18 November 1973. Jonnie Irwin seemed mild mannered in contrast to Horner who has been accused of controlling behaviour, though to date has not been found guilty.   Neither has a birth time so to illustrate the difference houses can make the following is entirely speculative.

 Both have an intensely determined Scorpio Sun; with a volatile, excitement-junkie Mars in Aries opposition Uranus and inconjunct Sun; and an emphasized Saturn on the focal point of a yod to Jupiter sextile Neptune and square Pluto.

  Jonnie Irwin dealt in property so giving him a 2am birth time puts his creative Venus in his 4^th; with a communicative Sun, Neptune in his 3^rd, good for presenting work. Pluto would sit in his 1^st giving him a controlled image with a well-organised, businesslike Saturn in his 10^th. His Jupiter in his entertaining 5^th would help him on TV. His volcanic Mars would be buried in his 8^th so less visible. So he would come across as reasonably battened down as well as chatty and good at performing.

  If Christian Horner, being sportingly inclined, has Mars in his 5^th house, his adrenaline-junkie tendencies will be more obvious and more significantly, on this scenario, his Pluto will be in his career 10^th making him influential, controlling and can-be-dominating.

 A different birth time can alter the trajectory of the planets and what gets highlighted and what suppressed.  The strong similarities will always be there but distinct variations as well.

  Mind you I have known twins born close together in time who picked up different strands of the same energy and acted them out in different ways. Two Scorpios, I recollect, whose mother said one lived all the positive traits and the other the negative.

  There is an X factor which the chart won’t show which can be explained by those who believe in young souls and old souls. The more evolved will be more self-aware and able to get the best out of their chart, maximise its potential. Where the unevolved will stumble along blindly and not make the most of the hand of cards they were dealt. It always sounds elitist so makes me cringe slightly but there may be a mite of truth in it.

I’m sure everyone will have examples to illustrate. Feel free to pitch in.

ADD ON: Most useful piece on dwads with easy to read chart from Mel Priestley below. URL won’t load so have put in quotation marks.

‘https://www.melpriestley.ca/how-to-use-twelfth-parts-dwads-in-astrology/’

The Mountain Astrology piece backs up the notion of twins dividing up the planetary traits, some shared, some different.

Duad Charts describe the differences in Twins

Some thoughts on the astrology of twins

 Against growing international criticism but with the backing of most Israelis, Netanyahu is pushing ahead with an attack on Rafah, where half of Gaza’s population is trapped, promising never to stop until Hamas is completely destroyed. Now in its fifth month with a third of the Hamas personnel killed and circa 25,000 Palestinians, the violence on both sides continues.

 Although most Israelis would not vote for Netanyahu and believe him to be motivated by personal interests( ie. avoiding jail for corruption) they regard this “as a no-choice war.” The trauma of 1200 dead on October 7 last year and the 130 hostages still held have shaken their sense of security. “This is a matter of survival. The October 7 hangover will be with Israelis for years, if not generations to come,” said Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst. “This is what trauma is. It crowds everything else out.”

   The suffering in Gaza has barely featured in the Israeli media.   

     Israel’s military leaders have made clear they expect fighting to continue throughout the year.

  The Hamas Attack on 7 October 2023 with its brutal, destructive Pluto square Mars flags up a ‘hot spot’ when the Progressed Moon squares the Mars exactly, moving on to oppose the Pluto. I initially had a start time of 2am for the attack which would put the flash point this July 2024 amplifying and triggering the Mars Pluto with more in August. Though I see wiki has 6.30am start which will bring the trigger earlier to April/May.  And there will anyway be a shift in late April/early May when tr Uranus returns to its initial degree.

 Netanyahu’s chart, 21 October 1949 10.15 am Tel Aviv, also flags up those two timelines. Through March he has tr Neptune opposition his Sun/Mars midpoint inducing a sense of panicky failure. Then a calamitous tr Uranus square his Mars/Pluto midpoint in late April/early May; and tr Uranus Mars Algol square his Mars in Leo in July. His relationship chart with Israel flags up August as high tension.

 The Israel country chart, 14 May 1948 4pm Tel Aviv, looks disappointed and battered through March with tr Neptune square the Jupiter and tr Uranus square the Mars/Pluto midpoint; confused and devastated in April with tr Pluto opposition the Sun/Neptune midpoint, at crisis pitch in May when tr Uranus squares the destructive Mars/Saturn and then will conjunct the Sun at 23 Taurus.  Tensions are unlikely to recede.

  The one faint hope of a solution comes with the demand for Israel to release Marwan Barghouti, a man some Palestinians see as their Nelson Mandela who is a prime candidate to take over from the hopeless Mahmoud Abbas and could be a unifier between Fatah and Hamas. He has been in prison for two decades. Israelis see him as an arch-terrorist and his triumphal return  would undercut Netanyahu’s long held strategy of supporting Hamas as a way of splitting the Palestinians and making a two state solution less likely.

Barghouti, a leader in the West Bank during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, is serving five life terms for his role in several deadly attacks; and is one of 9,000 security prisoners Israel holds. In recent years Barghouti has renounced violence and strongly supported a two-state solution.

  His date of birth is iffy with wiki having 6 June 1959. It looks feasible with his New Moon and Mercury in Gemini being trapped by the tr Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto of 2002 when he was captured; plus tr Neptune in Aquarius opposition his Uranus.

  He has one ‘lucky break’ through late May to mid June which also shows up as a significant timeline on his relationship chart with Netanyahu as a phase of change (and disruption). So it might be possible. That influence repeats late November to mid December and spring 2025. Though on this chart he also looks at high risk and struggling through 2025.

  It’s difficult (impossible) to see where this ends either on the astrology or politically. Hamas cannot be destroyed totally and the Israeli right-wingers are violently opposed to a two-state solution with a strong Palestinian leader. And so it goes on.

The Royal Society of Literature is the latest to fall prey to the modern phenomenon of ‘progressives’ versus the old guard. The new president, Booker-winner Bernardine Evaristo has insisted the society cannot take sides in controversies and must remain impartial when she was criticised for not supporting Salman Rushdie when he was nearly killed in 2022 at a literary festival. This prompted Rushdie to ask her on X/Twitter: “Just wondering if the Royal Society of Literature is ‘impartial’ about attempted murder? (Asking for a friend.)”

 The “wokification” of organisations and hyper-sensitivity about causing offence to a few while in reality offending the great silent majority seems to be widespread. Forced diversity and inclusiveness appears to lead to an end result which supercedes the essential purpose of the society. The National Trust in recent years has got tangled up in controversies totally unrelated to historic buildings and land; The English Premier League banned a female football fan from matches over social media posts that were deemed transphobic. The Civil Service, Universities etc etc – all seem to be infected or invaded by activists punting their own particular obsession and grievance.

  The Royal Society of Literature was founded 30 November 1820 in London with a stellium in knowledgeable, communicative Sagittarius which makes sense. The Sun and Mars Mercury are square Jupiter in Pisces; and Uranus Neptune in Sagittarius are square Pluto in Pisces and Saturn in Aries.

   Their highly strung Uranus Neptune has been assaulted in recent times by the Solar Arc Sun in opposition and tr Neptune in square and conjunct the Pluto – all of which runs on for another year or two. 

  Trying to spot a trend I wonder whether it is the Uranus Neptune signature in general which is problematic. Bernardine Evaristo herself, 28 May 1959, a Sun Gemini square Pluto has a Uranus square Neptune. The younger thirty year old generation born in the 1990s has a Uranus Neptune conjunction. It can make for a wilful, nervy, opinionated temperament holding rigid attitudes and in certain cases can be confused, tending to cause turmoil.

   The Royal Soc Lit is a niche organisation but its present problems are symptomatic of a bizarre social phenomenon which is becoming widespread of activists infiltrating organisations in an attempt to impose their world view on others. Almost fascist in certain cases – think as I do, speak as I do or I will silence you.

  I never liked Rushdie but he should be robustly defended  against fatwas and actual assassination attempts especially by writers.    

Add On: The National Trust founded on 12 January 1895 has not surprisingly a traditional, conservative Capricorn Sun with the signature Neptune Pluto in Gemini of that time; and a harsh Saturn in Scorpio opposition Mars in Taurus square Venus in Aquarius opposition a Leo Moon which will put a veneer of charm over a less pleasant underside. Being a Fixed Grand Cross it will be endowed with endurance and the ability to last over time but won’t find change easy. The years from 2024 through till late this decade will be ones of massive and stressful change as tr Pluto wends its way round those Fixed planets.

The EPL, 27 May 1992, is a Gemini Sun Venus Mercury square Jupiter with a highly strung Mars in Aries square Uranus Neptune in Capricorn.  It certainly has the wilful/confused, stubbornly opinionated Uranus Neptune traits of the above. It will be undergoing considerable changes as tr Pluto trines the Gemini planets and then tr Uranus is conjunct in the years after 2025.  Plus the SA Uranus Neptune will be colliding with its unyielding Saturn square Pluto at the same time. Which will be pressures not connected to the above issue – but there will be huge organizational challenges and changes across a few august bodies.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/11/grant-shapps-army-resources-squandered-political-agenda/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/11/ministry-of-defence-93-diversity-networks-gender-lgbtq/

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‘Firebrand, poet and heart-throb’ is the essence of the man captured in the film Bob Marley: One Love, about the Jamaican reggae singer and social reform activist who became a global figure in popular culture. He is played by British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir and the film is co-produced by Ziggy, Marley’s eldest son, along with his sister Cedella.

  Ziggy Marley, his son says: ‘People love my father – but he had violent tendencies, he was a fighter’.

 Bob Marley was born 6 February 1945 2.30am St Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, the son of an English plantation overseer who deserted Marley’s black teenage mother, Cedella. Growing up mixed race was difficult in Jamaica, where he was made to feel an outsider. It was something that would torment Marley when his Rastafarianism and Afrocentrism took him to Africa, he says. He had a number of children: three with his wife Rita, and several others with different women. The Bob Marley official website acknowledges eleven children. He was nearly assassinated in 1976 in Jamaica when gang warfare was at its height though there was also speculation of US involvement because of his political leanings. A year later he was diagnosed with skin cancer which eventually killed him in 1981 in his late 30s.

  He had a quick-witted, intelligent, communicative 3^rd house Aquarius Sun; with an Air Grand Trine of idealistic, musical Neptune in his 10^th trine Mercury in Aquarius trine Uranus with Neptune opposition Venus and Mercury opposition an 8^th house Pluto – talented, charming, influential, could be dogmatic. His Neptune opposition Venus square Saturn in Cancer hinted at the difficulties of his childhood and obstacles to be overcome in his campaign to create a fairer society. His lucky, successful Jupiter in his 10^th conjunct his Midheaven was trine his Mars in Capricorn and sextile a Scorpio Moon give him depth and intensity.

  He did not have a revolutionary’s Uranus Pluto or an especially afflicted Mars for violence but he would be forceful.  

He had strong creative 5^th and 7^th harmonics. A significant 13th harmonic as a pioneer who broke behind. And 17H for leaving a legacy behind for future generations.  

Albert Pierrepoint, the UK’s most notable executioner who hanged several hundred serial killers, Nazi criminals and murderers over a 25 year career started his vocation early on life following in his father’s footstep.  “In my [youthful] imagination,” he wrote in his memoir, “Death was an adventure . . . and Execution was romance.” At the end of his working life he wrote: “All the men and women whom I have faced at that final moment convince me that . . . I have not prevented a single murder. Capital punishment, in my view, achieved nothing except revenge.”

  His execution diary has recently been sold at auction and may result in an updated memoir coming out.

  He was born 30 March 1905, London and was a Sun Aries square a Uranus Neptune opposition.  His Mars in Scorpio opposed Algol and squared Saturn which makes sense of a state assassin.

 His father Henry, 30 November 1877, a Sun Sagittarius had his Pluto conjunct Algol square Uranus, sextile Mars. His uncle Thomas Pierrepoint, 6 October 1870, a Sun Libra had his Mars in Leo in a ruthless square to Pluto and trine Saturn trine Neptune.

Charles Henri-Sanson, 15 February 1739, high executioner of France who beheaded Louis XVI by guillotine, and another three thousand people during the French Revolution including Robespierre, some of them in a gruesome fashion, had an afflicted Mars conjunct Chiron on the focal point of a yod inconjunct a revolutionary Uranus sextile Pluto; with his late Taurus Moon probably conjunct Algol.  

Giovanni Battista Bugatti, the Official executioner for the Papal States. With a tally of 514 kills, 6 March 1779, had a cruel Mars Saturn in Scorpio sextile Jupiter with Mars opposition Algol; and a Pisces Sun square Uranus.

  All too ghoulish but noteworthy the presence of Algol in nearly all the charts as well as an afflicted Mars.

Continuing on from the previous post of the recent US nitrogen gas execution, see post January 26^th 2024.

  One of my objections to the death penalty apart from it not being a deterrent, is that it contaminates not only society but those who are tasked with carrying out the executions.  Though admittedly the forms of execution nowadays are nowhere as sadistically stomach turning as the methods of centuries ago. Civilization has crawled forwards an inch or two.

The interview of the century between right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin turned out to be a very long damp squib as the Russian leader excavated Russian history back to the 8^th Century to legitimize his invasion of Ukraine. Even Carlson wilted as his noble attempt as he saw it to better inform clueless English-speaking audiences who had been misled by their corrupt media outlets, fell in its face.

  ‘It marked a new level of infamy for Carlson, who has frequently criticized US support for Ukraine, has referred to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, as a “Ukrainian pimp” and “rat-like”.

  The interview was aired on Tucker Carlson Tonight, a streaming service which Carlson launched in December 2023 after he was  fired by Fox News for getting “too big for his boots”, a book later claimed. Hillary Clinton said Carlson was a “useful idiot” for Putin.

  Born 16 May 1969 10.07 am San Francisco, Carlson is a New Moon in Taurus opposition a creative, evasive Neptune and trine a super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Virgo in his journalistic 3^rd house which makes him a communicator on steroids. His Pluto is also in an ultra-determined, ruthless square to Mars in outspoken Sagittarius in his performing 5^th house – not a shrinking violet.

 He is having an uncomfortable, jarring year with tr Uranus conjunct his Sun and opposition Neptune from mid June onwards into 2025 at which point tr Uranus picks up the conjunction to his Moon. He also has a confidence-sapping tr Neptune opposition his Jupiter exactly now till early March. Plus a disruptive tr Pluto trine his Uranus now and on and off till late 2024; and a discouraging tr Pluto square his 10^th house Saturn in 2024/25. Not his best of times.

  Moscow may be a possibility for him since relocating his chart there puts his pushily-confident Jupiter Pluto on the Midheaven with his evasive Neptune in his 1^st and his New Moon in his 7^th making him yearn for support and a strong partner.

  If Putin’s October 1952 birth date is accurate then Carlson’s Taurus New Moon will warm to Putin’s Jupiter in Taurus. Carlson shares Mars in Sagittarius with Putin so there may be a resonance of a dominating childhood father drawing him to the Russian strongman.  But the relationship chart also has a uncommitted and slippery composite Sun Mercury square Neptune and a stressed Mars.  

  Carlson’s astrocartography is the only interesting aspect of this non event.