As anxieties soar about the state of the globe, the entertainment world amuses and distracts with the latest hit Heated Rivalry about two gay Canadian hockey players. Based on a best-selling trilogy of novels by Canadian Rachel Reid, a lifelong hockey fan who worried about homophobia in the sport, it has created a storm in its television adaptation.

 Described as “balls-to-the-wall erotic programming. While not hardcore porn, the show does go well beyond suggestion, with plenty of full nudity, extended sex scenes, depictions of oral and penetrative intercourse as well as mutual masturbation — all presented with top-rate production values, idealized perfect male bodies and storylines that leave plenty of room for romance and even affectionate dialogue.”

  One viewer comments “Is it just me or does “Heated Rivalry” feel like it’s really just gay porn for straight women?”

  The fan audience is evidently mainly women. A withering review in The Guardian says the show “is content to exploit gay culture without understanding it in a meaningful way. There is a weird kind of fetish in these works that de-sexes gay men just enough to make them palatable, like pets for young women.”

  I am trying very hard not to sound like Mary Whitehouse, who campaigned against social liberalism and the permissive society on media in the 1960/70s. But there is a ???? something about the no-lines-that-can’t-be crossed approach nowadays which is unnerving especially for television coming in to family homes.

 The western societal/cultural swing away from a repressive approach to sexuality, at least on the surface, was in part a result of Freud’s writings in the early 20^th century which laid the groundwork for Kinsey’s reports on sexuality circa 1950; and was then blasted into fast-forward by the 1960s revolutionary Uranus Pluto in Virgo with homosexuality being legalised in the UK; and women’s liberation and the pill taking the brakes off the old ways.

 As ever the pendulum has swung too far the other way nowadays with concerns about children being exposed to online pornography from as young as nine which has been linked to low self-esteem and harmful views of sex and relationships.

 Looking across recent raunchy rom-coms there are some similarities.

 Rachel Reid, 2 September 1980, author of Heated Rivalry is a Sun Jupiter in Virgo with Venus in Cancer square Pluto and Mars in Scorpio.

E.L.James’ author of Fifty Shades of Grey, an erotic BDSM novel plus movies, 7 March 1963, is a Sun Jupiter in Pisces with Venus in Aquarius opposition Mars in Leo.

 Mars in hard aspect to Venus is one common trait which is shared in the publication date of the Heated Rivalry novel published 25 March 2019, with Venus in Aquarius square Mars in Taurus.

  Mars Venus does have a negative side hinting at sexual gratification split off from emotional feelings which can lead to sensitive individuals getting hurt, and even lead to abusive behaviour. 

  In these examples Mars is also in a Fixed sign – as it is in Jilly Cooper’s chart, 21 February 1937, whose novel Rivals was recently aired in a TV adaptation with its rampant sexuality at full throttle.  She had Mars in Scorpio sextile Neptune inconjunct Venus.  

  Mars rules testosterone and in Fixed signs is at its most covetous/greedy.

  It is the splitting of emotional connection from the sex which is the issue – in chakra terms the heart from the primitive base.

 No great conclusions though interesting to see if the Fire Air emphasis ahead makes a difference – Pluto in Aquarius trine Uranus in Gemini sextile Neptune in Aries.

  Although Aquarius is a sign connected to sex experts and sex obsessives – William Burroughs, Lord Byron, Rabelais, Havelock Ellis, Dr Alex Comfort. Sex up in the head. And with Aquarius’s leaning towards technology the problem of social media porn is unlikely to go away.

New Zealand has been on a long haul post-Covid with a punishing Pluto trail through its domestic 4^th house across its Sun Mars in late Capricorn and square its Pluto which has now finished. Tr Pluto is moving to square the 6^th house Uranus from mid February 2026 to late 2027 which suggests a definite shift out of a rut. It may be turbulent, bringing upheavals and forced change but it will pull away from an extraordinarily difficult past few years.

17 January 1853 12 am Wellington NZ is the chart that works best.  For a country that gives the impression of being a sedate backwater it does have a powerful chart spilling over with initiative and progressive ideas – with a Sun Mars in Capricorn square Pluto in Aries conjunct Uranus. Though it will have had a history of going through periods of constant churn. Its Saturn Uranus conjunction also has the capability of merging old and new and making it stick.

  The present prime minister Christopher Luxon, former CEO of Air New Zealand, who succeeded Jacinda Ardern, is an evangelical Christian, recognised as a social conservative. He has shrunk the civil service, introduced cuts to healthcare expenditure, the three-strikes sentencing law and a pilot military-style boot camp for youth offenders, and enacted billions in tax cuts. In foreign policy, he has increased military spending and Five Eyes cooperation in a general pro-US shift. His coalition partner Winston Peters and David Seymour have openly challenged his authority.

He is a Sun Cancer probably opposition a Capricorn Moon square Jupiter so upbeat and confident; with his Sun in an ambitious trine Neptune sextile Pluto; and a hope-for-a-better-society, though at times indecisive Neptune opposition Saturn.

 He’s in a nerve stretched year with tr Saturn Neptune opposition his Uranus and lacklustre midpoints, running into the buffers by 2027 with Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Pluto.

 His Term chart, 27 November 2023 11.18 am Wellington, NZ, is certainly getting rattled up through this year with tr Uranus opposition the Mars in May and July, returning till early 2027 which suggests high insecurity and arguments.

 Relationship charts with their main trading partners – China, Japan, South Korea, Australia seem OK moving ahead. With Russia not so much – aggravated and disappointed in 2026/27. With the EU also stressed and more so with the UK. So so with the US.

 It has been a truly difficult decade for New Zealand even before covid with tr Uranus in Aries rattling up their Sun Mars and Pluto in 2017/18. Gradually they are aiming for a resurgence which will come after new systems are put in place in 2026/27.

Super-star singer of yesteryear Julio Iglesias is being investigated by Spanish judiciary over sexual assault allegations by two former workers.

  He has been a household name in Spain since the 1960s and was established as a star in the English-speaking entertainment industry with his million selling 1984 album, which included the single “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before“. He also covered “The Air That I Breathe.”

   Born 23 September 1943 11.30 am Madrid, Spain, he was heading for a professional football career but a serious car crash when he was 20 left him unable to walk for two years. In hospital a nurse gave him a guitar which nurtured a love of music. After finishing a law degree he embarked on a singing career.

 He has a showy Jupiter in Leo conjunct the North Node on his Midheaven for confidence and good fortune in his career, along with Venus in Virgo in his 10^th for a charming image. An 11^th house Virgo Sun conjunct Neptune and Mercury is square an 8^th house Saturn in Gemini for a hard-working and defensive streak in his personality. He also has Mars Uranus in his 8^th which suggests subterranean depths of volatile energy. His Venus squares Uranus making him emotionally changeable. A 9^th house Cancer Moon as well as Pluto would give him international influence, strong opinions and point to an early interest in a law career.

 He has been married twice with three children from the first and five from the second. When he had his accident in 1963, his Progressed Moon had just started to move through his 6^th house of health. Tr Pluto squared his 8^th house Uranus for a tremendous upheaval. Tr Uranus through his 10^th changed his life’s direction. Tr Neptune into his 1^st would leave him confused for a while about his identity and image.

  There is no saying whether the allegations are true or not. What is clear is he is in a slump at the moment with tr Neptune opposing his final degree Virgo Sun exactly now till March 2026 and tr Neptune opposition his Neptune Mercury (with tr Saturn adding its blight as well) in coming weeks and month. Thereafter it looks tricky for several years ahead with late 2027/28 flagged up as stressful and worrisome.

  The EU is facing a troubled few years ahead with dashed hopes on the financial front, underhand secrets and dirty dealings exploding into the open, and severe perhaps existential challenges at the end of the decade.

 On the 31 December 1957 11pm Brussels chart, tr Pluto will square the 2^nd house Neptune  through 2026/27 which will bring confusion, indecision and uncertainty – maybe even scandals since the EU Jupiter is conjunct the Neptune.  In 2026 as well the Solar Arc Sun will square Saturn for a discouraging mood and setbacks.

  Tr Uranus will start to square the 12^th house Pluto from June 2026 on and off till April 2027 which will bring an upheaval and make obvious the necessity for radical change both in transparency issues, decision-making and in communication. Tr Uranus continues on in 2027 to oppose the 3^rd house Mars in Sagittarius which will bring jolts, jangles, high insecurity, perhaps disruptions to communications and travel and the likelihood of impulsive over-reactions.

  There will then be tremendous pressures financially and in terms of future direction by 2029/30 with tr Pluto opposition the 11^th house Uranus and square the 8^th house Moon. And an undermining tr Neptune square the Sun in 2029/30.

The Maastricht Treaty chart, 1 November 1993 12 am Brussels, with different aspects is not much smoother ahead with sudden changes of direction due to tr Uranus conjunct the Solar Arc Midheaven from July 2026 into 2027. The Solar Arc Uranus Neptune will square the Mars Pluto and Moon in 2028/29 which will be a life changing crisis. Plus tr Pluto square the Sun in 2028/29.  If it holds together it will be an entirely different entity altogether by 2030.

  The 2004 enlargement 1 May 2004, which brought in largely east European countries –  the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia – and Cyprus, will be under heavy pressure late decade with tr Pluto square the 10 degree Taurus Sun following on from the panic and uncertain tr Neptune square the Saturn just before.

 Both EU charts above show anxiety ahead vis a vis Nato with setbacks, dither and divisions this year on the Maastricht/Nato relationship chart with tr Saturn Neptune opposition the Sun Pluto and tr Uranus opposition the Saturn Neptune. The 1957 EU/Nato relationship will be under considerable pressure and challenges for change with tr Pluto square the Sun this year and next.

 What is striking is that USA relations with both EU charts are in essence cemented together and though showing some strain increasing towards late decade, they will not be as bad as the EU/Trump chemistry.  He will be displaying his standard histrionics towards Europe this year and on. 

 Jerome Powell, head of the US Federal Reserve,  has said the criminal investigation into him is a pretext. “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.” Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell, calling him a “stubborn mule” and a “numbskull” for declining to cut borrowing costs more aggressively and has repeatedly said he would “love” to fire him.

 Powell said: “Public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats,” he said. “I will continue to do the job the Senate confirmed me to do.”

 Powell born 4 February 1953, is a steady Sun Mercury in Aquarius opposition Pluto. He has a yod onto a focal point Mars in Pisces inconjunct Saturn Neptune sextile Pluto – with his Mars sitting on the cusp of Trump’s financial 8^th house – which makes sense as Powell’s assertiveness hits Trump at a deep level psychologically by disagreeing with him and in the pocket book. Powell’s Jupiter in Taurus is square Trump’s hidden 12^th house Pluto for another tussle for the upper hand and last word. With Powell’s Sun North Node also opposition Trump’s Pluto. So he will trigger all of Trump’s vengeful rage and tendency towards underhand tactics.

 Powell’s 2^nd Term chart, 23 May 2022 has a panicky Solar Arc Neptune conjunct the Term Mars now as well as an ebullient SA Mars conjunct the Term Jupiter – with tr Uranus moving to square the Gemini Sun as his term comes to an end in May – though evidently he could stay on to 2028 if he wanted.

 The relationship chart between the US Federal Reserve and Trump is showing signs of alarm from late June with tr Uranus square the composite Neptune.

 The US Federal Reserve chart itself, 16 November 1914 9 am, is under worrisome influences this year with tr Neptune in a highly uncertain square to the Saturn Pluto in Cancer until January 2027. With jolt, jangles and shocks from mid June 2026 into 2027 with tr Uranus in a high-insecurity opposition to the composite Mars – when it registers on the Trump/Fed Res relationship as well.

A financial analyst said: “Markets will start to price in greater inflation expectations, inflation risk premium, and term premium if the Fed’s independence comes under further attack. We don’t appear to have hit it yet, but every action is another step closer to it.”

 If nothing else reins Trump in, the markets will.

Away from tawdry politics, meltdown neurosis about the state of the world and flim flam celebrities, there is the inspiring and remarkable tale of Charlie Dalin, a French offshore sailor. Having been diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer, he decided against the odds to compete in and won the Vendée Globe yacht race around the world last year. He took 64 days plus a few hours, beating the previous record by 9 days while taking immunotherapy pills.

It is the world’s toughest solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world yacht race, often called the “Everest of the Seas,” rounding the three great capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Cape Horn) and is regarded as a legendary human adventure of endurance. Held every four year, about 40 professional sailors take part with nearly half never finishing, many capsize. One was never found.

 Since finishing last year he has since undergone surgery.

  Born 10 May 1984 4.50pm Harfleur, France, he was brought up by a single mother who worked as a bus driver and a sales assistant and a local sailing club loaned him a boat.

 He has an extraordinarily fixed and enduring chart with an 8^th house Sun Venus in Taurus opposition Mars Saturn in Scorpio with Pluto in Scorpio as well. His 12^th house Virgo Moon is trine a 4^th house Jupiter in Capricorn trine his Venus Sun in an Earth Grand Trine, formed into a Kite by Sun Venus opposition Mars Saturn.  Stubborn to the nth degree in terms of hanging on through thick and thin, disciplined and willing to put up with cruel conditions (Mars Saturn).

   With Mars in Scorpio as a leading planet off the Grand Trine/Kite he will be competitive/ambitious to an extreme degree and it was evidently coming in second in the previous Vendee which pushed him to compete last year, while suffering the debilitating effects of cancer and its treatment.

  His chart also has a focus on Earth with its knack of coping with practicalities.

  His Neptune is conjunct his IC so living beside the sea will be his ideal but it is not strong in his chart.

  His chart reminded me of Chay Blyth, the Scottish lone round-the-world yachtsman, born 14 May 1940, 4.30am Hawick, Scotland. He was also a Sun Taurus in his case conjunct Uranus with Mercury Saturn also in Taurus, plus Neptune in Virgo in his 6^th house and a Capricorn Midheaven.

  I met him years ago and quizzed him about his chart, surprised to see so much Taurus and feet-on-the-ground energy, and asked how he coped. What stuck in mind was he said he had ‘no imagination’ which he thought helped with potential risks. He handled whatever happened and got on with it and did not spend time thinking about the worst that could happen.   

ADD ON: Skipping down a list of women solo sailors there is a smattering of Virgo planets though a less obvious Earth weighting. Pluto appears strongly in most.

Jeanne Socrates – Mars Mercury Neptune in Virgo with a Leo Sun conjunct Pluto.

Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz  was a Sun Pluto in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces with Mars Mercury also in Cancer. Neptune in Virgo and Uranus in Taurus.

Ellen McArthur also Cancer Sun conjunct Venus square Pluto. Jupiter in Taurus and Mars in Virgo.

Kay Cottee Sun Mercury in Aquarius with Mars in Scorpio square Pluto.

Naomi James, Sun Mars in Pisces inconjunct Pluto; with Saturn in Virgo and Jupiter in Capricorn. Four other planets in Air.  

  The two Trump henchmen, son-in-law Jared Kushner and son Donald Jnr, will be a better guide ahead since neither is likely to be tossed aside as other high-level appointees might be when/if they fall out of favour.  

 Donald Jnr, 31 December 1977, starts a long trail of transiting Neptune undermining his Venus in Capricorn from this June onwards and moving on to square his Sun in 2029/30. None of which looks successful or confident. His Solar Arc Uranus will conjunct his Venus for further upsets this year, emotional and financial.

  Tr Saturn will square his Jupiter and then his Venus Sun from early this February 2026 to January 2027 for another discouraging patch. Tr Uranus is square his Saturn throughout 2026 for tensions and eruptions of impatience. His Solar Arc Sun will oppose his Saturn for a downbeat 2027. Early 2028 he has SA Mars square his Jupiter for an impulsive, over-confident push.

 None of which may mean disaster for him since working at that high level is stressful. But he looks to be hitting the skids by 2029 with an undermining tr Neptune square his Sun and worse tr Pluto opposition his Mars in 2029/30 which will be trapped and frustratingly stuck.

  His relationship with his father is none too upbeat this year with tr Saturn and then Neptune conjunct the composite Sun; with tensions and upheavals from tr Uranus square the composite Uranus. If Trump senior continues to sing and dance, 2030/31 will be worse between them.

Jared Kushner, 10 January 1981, follows roughly the same trajectory as Trump Jnr since his Mars at 8 degrees catches the tr Pluto conjunction throughout 2028/29 which will be completely blocked. And 2029/30 look fraught in terms of money and ambitions.

 Before then, his relationship chart with Trump Snr will be edgy and impatient this year from May onwards with tr Uranus square their composite Saturn at one degree Virgo. Tr Neptune will square their composite Sun throughout 2027 and right through the 2028 election which suggests either that joint ventures are not producing hoped-for results – and/or that Kushner is well out of favour. The election itself has tr Uranus square the composite Uranus upsetting their apple cart. [Though to be noted Kushner has had health problems recently – so any recurrence would obviously affect the above.]

  Of the other two top level wingmen:

 Marco Rubio, 28 May 1971, is having an unstable and chaotic time from now until early 2028 with tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius and conjunct his Saturn in late Taurus and Gemini Sun – there could be scandals (Jupiter Neptune) as well as overly optimistic plans being exposed as unrealistic. His relationship with Trump will be mired in confusion with losses and rising worries from exactly now to mid February and again mid August to mid December 2026.

 J.D. Vance, 2 August 1984 8.11am Middletown, Ohio, has more of a mixed bag with some pluses as well as minuses. Tr Uranus is square his Ascendant at the moment as he attempts to alter his image. Tr Neptune (and Saturn) is square his 5^th house Jupiter this year and into next which will deflate his confidence with failed plans; with an uncertain SA Neptune opposition his Saturn in 2027 and a lacklustre SA Neptune opposition his Sun exact in early 2028. His SA Pluto will also upend his 4^th house Uranus this year perhaps hinting at domestic upheavals.

  But by the election in 2028 he has an upbeat Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Jupiter and Solar Arc Midheaven opposition his Jupiter which will restore his self-esteem and morale; with tr Jupiter in Libra propping up his Libra Moon late year and heading to bring success as it is conjunct his Pluto after the Inauguration. Though he won’t enjoy what comes after since tr Pluto opposition his Leo Sun and square his Saturn will make 2029/30 extremely tough going.

  His relationship chart with Trump has not much showing apart from some aggravation at the moment – and birth times being accurate – issues around health and money looming large.

 None of which means Vance would win if he stood in 2028 – much river to flow under the bridge before then – but the fate of Donald Jnr and Kushner might suggest with more certainty that the Trump years are over by 2028 and on.

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  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.