Marjorie

The trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes will start this week in California. She is charged with six counts of fraud relating to her now-defunct medical startup. The company, founded in 2003, claimed it would revolutionize the medical testing space with a new blood diagnostic technology. Theranos had reached a valuation of $10bn before it was exposed for overstating its core technologies and fabricating claims.

 Jurors can expect to hear from patients misled by Theranos results, including a woman whose test results falsely signaled a miscarriage despite a healthy pregnancy, a man who was falsely indicated to have prostate cancer, and two others who received false positive HIV test results. Holmes is expected to lean on what is known as a Svengali defense, arguing that her role in the Theranos con was largely influenced by an allegedly abusive relationship with Balwani. His lawyers have called her allegations “outrageous, salacious and inflammatory”. He has his own separate trial early next year. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

  Holmes was born 3 February 1984 in Washington, DC, daughter of a vice-president of Enron, the energy firm which went bankrupt after an accounting fraud scandal. She has an Aquarius Sun square an ultra-determined and hard-edged Mars Saturn in Scorpio with Mars in a wide conjunction to Pluto – not short of driving determination.  She also has a high-finance, head-in-the-clouds, selling-a-dream Jupiter Neptune conjunction in Capricorn. Her Uranus opposes her Gemini North Node which could suggest tendency to run against the grain of public interest.

  At the moment she has tr Uranus square her Sun exactly and both it and tr Saturn collide with her Mars as well for a few months ahead; with tr Uranus in a jolting opposition to her Saturn into 2022. October looks catastrophic for her with tr Saturn square her Mars/Pluto midpoint with much slipping and sliding courtesy of Neptune for three years ahead with 2024 bringing a considerable upheaval; though 2025 looks more upbeat.

 Ramesh Balwani, 13 June 1965, Pakistan, is much of a muchness with her having a Gemini Sun on the point of a T Square to Mars in Virgo opposition Saturn; and Uranus Pluto in Virgo square Jupiter North Node. Neither are exactly sentimental idealists to put it mildly.

    Their relationship chart has a competitive composite Sun opposition Mars and needs-space Uranus square Saturn – it was never destined to be a happy combination. Mars Saturn can indicate a one-sided relationship but in this instance it might well point to a folie a deux focused on a damaging outcome. There’s also an intense Venus Mercury opposition Pluto.

 He is not looking anything but flattened over the next fifteen months with tr Neptune square his Sun Mercury and opposition his Mars; with a high-anxiety tr Uranus opposition his Neptune from mid 2022.

ADD ON:

  Her baby boy arrived 10 July 2021 and has a Sun, maybe Moon in Cancer, opposition Pluto with a tricky Venus Mars in Leo opposition Saturn square Uranus – not a settled temperament for sure with a ramped up Venus Mars clamped down by Saturn and a prominent, control-or-be-controlled Pluto.  Pretty much following the family pattern. His Saturn is conjunct mom’s Sun and her three Scorpio planets collide with his stressed T Square.

  Forbes have an intriguing piece on her family background which points to a pushy jealous mother.   

https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2019/02/17/4-startling-insights-into-elizabeth-holmes-from-psychiatrist-whos-known-here-since-childhood/?sh=d6f6aed366b0.

 She’s described by a family friend as having been ‘an emotionally withdrawn child of a once-illustrious family being driven by a jealous mother who wanted her daughter to make a name for herself —- both parents were striving to improve their position in the world and pushed her hard despite low grades and lack of business and technical skills.’

  Both parents were Sun Aquarius. Father 1 February 1946 and mother 21 January 1951 (genealogy website). Her father was/is a charming, persuasive and controlling Sun Venus Moon Mercury in Aquarius opposition Pluto; with a hard-edged, unkind Mars Saturn in Cancer which runs down through the family’s DNA. Her mother has her Sun, Venus and Mars spread out through Aquarius with Pluto opposition Venus and widely Mars.

  If mother was the pushy one then it is likely that Elizabeth has a Pisces Moon trine Pluto and maybe Mars.

  Though the relationship chart with her father is Ivanka-Trump-papa hair-raising with a composite Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Uranus which is punishing.

Hurricane Ida marked the 20^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by coming ashore on Sunday as a category 3 or 4 and moving inland it has been downgraded to a category one storm. It is described as the worst storm behind Katrina’s category 5 which killed 1800 and caused $125 billion worth of damage in 2005.

  Katrina was always an astrological mystery since it did not show up on the eclipse angles at the time.  This time round the previous Lunar Eclipse of 26 May 2021 had the Gemini Sun opposition Moon sitting close to the Ascendant/Descendant axis with the brutal and destructive Mas opposition Pluto in place. There’s nothing much triggering this eclipse chart though the Moon is in early Gemini, but that’s minor enough.

  Similarities with Katrina are also minor – in 2005 Mars in mid Taurus was conjunct the New Orleans Sun Neptune in Taurus, whereas at the moment tr Uranus is one degree away from that conjunction. Tr Saturn is opposition its Katrina placing – and tr Pluto and tr Neptune are sitting at 21/22 Mutable signs.

  The only chart which flags up much for the location for this event is the rece4ntCancer Ingress which puts Saturn on the Ascendant opposition Mars and square Uranus which looks disruptive and damaging.

So not much of astro-note.

Portugal is gradually moving out of confinement with a 70% vaccination rate. But the newly re-elected President Rebelo de Sousa’s 2^nd Term chart, 9 March 2021, is limp and lacklustre with a Sun Neptune in Pisces conjunction which doesn’t augur well for a firm and decisive hand on the tiller ahead.

  The Bank of Portugal, 15 November 1975, isn’t showing red flags at the moment but will be dragged down by arguments in 2022 and running into a major blockage by 2023.

This coincides with a panicky tr Neptune square the 8^th house (financial) Pluto in 2023/24 on the Portugal 5 October 1910 9am chart. The Solar Arc Pluto will also square the highly-strung Neptune opposition Uranus then which suggests devastation and confusion – and could be connected to a natural disaster as well as perhaps economic problems. There will be several years of tough slog and hardship thereafter.

  On the Portugal 25 April 1974 5.15pm chart, there are upheavals, divisions and disruption from tr Pluto square the Uranus opposition Mercury this year. Again it will be 2023/24 which are the most discouraging with the two years after that not much better.

 On de Sousa’s personal chart, 12 December 1948, a Sun Sagittarius trine Pluto, he looks gloomy, uncertain and tossed about by events this year with a mixed 2022 having its upbeat moments as well as major headaches; and worse in 2023/24.

 Antonio Costa, the PM, is not in his easiest phase having a Cancer Sun opposition Saturn which are catching the tr Pluto hard aspects this year and next, so a considerable and depressing slog.

 The other two political front runners – Santos looks energised and successful this December; and Rio is not in good shape having his Leo Sun and Uranus battered by the tr Saturn square tr Uranus into early 2022; and an unhappy phase ahead through 2023/24/25.

PS: I need to look back but although some of the above may be local it does rather fit a general pattern of quite a considerable general disturbance as Pluto moves into Aquarius followed by Neptune and Uranus shifting sign.  

Justin Trudeau may be regretting his decision to call a snap election on September 20^th. It was intended to swap his minority government for a majority one on the back of vaccine-related optimism but he has slid smartly in a downward direction. His image as a golden boy of politics has been tarnished since 2015 by ethics scandals, unkept promises and blackface images.

  He was born 25 December 1971 9.27pm Ottawa, and has a Capricorn Sun square Mars opposition Pluto, so a forceful temperament. His Jupiter is in an opportunistic and adventuring square to his Mars in Pisces on the cusp of his 8^th; and he has an imaginative, neurotic, not always decisive Neptune opposition Saturn.  His Solar Arc Midheaven is squaring his Uranus exactly over the election which does sound like a change of career direction; with two discouraging/bad tempered Saturn transits to Mercury midpoints; and a devastating and confused tr Pluto conjunction with his Solar Arc Neptune.

  Erin O’Toole,22 January 1973 Montreal, Conservative Party, is doing well at the moment in the polls and has a sprinkling of Jupiters around with tr Jupiter square his Solar Arc Pluto over the election; and confidently upbeat tr Pluto conjunct his Mercury/Jupiter in December with real success through 2022/23 from tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Jupiter midpoint. He is a Sun Aquarius sextile Neptune and trine Pluto; with a hard-edged Saturn opposition Mars; and an adventurous, lucky Jupiter square Uranus.

 Jagmeet Singh, the other front runner, 2 January 1979 Scarborough, ON, is an uber-determined Sun Mars in Capricorn square Pluto. He has mixed fortunes at the election with a disastrous tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Saturn midpoint at the same time as a successful tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Jupiter midpoint. He’s looking in better spirits in October, upbeat in December and forging ahead in 2022.  

Germany is heading for momentous elections in late September which will see Angela Merkel’s exit as Chancellor.  Pundits have been confounded with the recent surge up the polls of Olaf Scholz of the leftwing SPD, though he is more popular than his hard-left party. Armin Laschet of Merkel’s CDU party has had a gaffe-ridden campaign and slid badly; as has Annalena Baerbock of the Greens.

  Germany was always in for a profound change with tr Pluto opposing the 10^th house Uranus this year, back in exact aspect this December; followed in 2022 by tr Uranus conjunct the 8^th house Pluto which will bring an even more profound and deep-rooted gear shift.

  I must admit to being surprised by Scholz’s striking success in recent weeks since he has had tr Neptune square his Gemini Sun and square his Saturn, both exactly from late July through this month and that influence runs on into early September – which would normally be undermining. Though he does admittedly have his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Saturn and opposition his Sun which would give him a lift. He was born 14 June 1958 and has a Gemini Sun trine Jupiter and opposition Saturn.

  There may well be a lengthy period of coalition wrangling after the election and Scholz’s October looks crisis and disaster-ridden but he’ll be into a more successful streak in December.

  Armin Laschet, 18 February 1961, a Sun Aquarius opposition Uranus with Jupiter Saturn in Capricorn, does have tr Jupiter in a lucky-break opposition his Uranus over the election exactly and conjunct his Sun by late December both of which are minor but upbeat; with tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter Saturn through December as well. So maybe just maybe he’ll pull up from his present position.

 Annalena Baerbock, 15 December 1980, is an idealistic Sun Neptune in Sagittarius sextile Pluto, with a determined Mars square Pluto as well as Jupiter Saturn in Libra – a mix of soft and hard.

  She’s had a lacklustre tr Neptune square her Sun Neptune earlier this year in June and July and it returns in 2022. But tr Jupiter is exactly trine her Pluto at the election and conjunct her Solar Arc Mars in late December – which again are minor influences but she may get some compensation out of the post-election wheeling and dealing.

None have Merkel’s magic touch with Germany with her Jupiter conjunct the Germany Midheaven; and their relationship chart having a successful Jupiter Pluto and enthusiastic Venus Mars.

Scholz’s chart is a bad fit with Germany with a truly difficult relationship chart linking Mars Pluto Saturn and the Sun – so if on an outside chance he got in he would not be popular. Ditto Baerbock. Aschet is a so-so mix with some merits, some anxiety and maybe a resigned sense of being stuck with him.

  As ever, elections are a tricky guesstimate.    

In Afghanistan the largest British evacuation since the Second World War brought out 15,000 people, including 5,000 Britons and their families, plus more than 8,000 Afghan former UK staff and their families. But Dominic Raab, UK Foreign Secretary, has been getting it in the neck for the negligence of the Foreign Office in not preparing escape routes in advance through neighbouring countries with claims that up to 9,000 people eligible for rescue would be left behind. His disinclination to return from holiday earlier also cost vital days.

  Born 25 February 1974 in Bucks, he has a legal background, was a Brexit-ing Minister and supporter of Boris Johnson for leader, so shoe-horned in as an ally. He has a Sun Pisces square Neptune inconjunct Pluto – supersonic ambitions but none too practical. His Mars in bulldozer Taurus is in an opportunistic square to Jupiter, an enthusiastic trine to Venus in ambitious Capricorn, semi-sextile Saturn in Gemini and inconjunct Uranus – which is quite a scattergun combination. In Brussels he was dubbed ‘turnip’ for his negotiating strategy – a play on the Dutch word for a boring vegetable.

  His life is due a total upheaval in 2022/23 with a career-loss-making tr Pluto square his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint and square his Uranus as well. Even before then he’s sagging through this year.

  None of which is of earth-shattering importance except he joins the long list of questionable Boris cronies, who stay in high position despite egregious failings.

  What intrigued me was the Foreign Office itself since over the years it has been singularly inept in a variety of situations.

  The modern version was put in place on 17 October 1968, which gives it a troublesome Yod of an arrogant/pushy Jupiter Pluto in Virgo sextile a charming, slippery, well-meaning but ineffectual Venus Neptune inconjunct a hard-hearted Saturn in Aries. The Saturn opposes a Libra Sun and Mercury, all of which can be self-defeating unless it finds a backbone. At the moment the Solar Arc Saturn is square the Mars which makes sense of this ‘setback’ and the fall out is likely to continue for some months ahead.

  The original Foreign Office, 27 March 1782 has an Aries Sun opposition Neptune and sextile Pluto; with Sun and Neptune square Saturn opposition Uranus Jupiter. So reasonable similarity to the modern chart.

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Sirhan Sirhan, the Palestinian militant who shot Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 and was sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison, may be cleared for parole after 53 years inside. Two of the Kennedy children appealed on his behalf but it still has to be signed off by the California Governor Gavin Newsom. He said he did it at the time because of Kennedy’s support for Israel.

  He was born 19 March 1944 2am in Jerusalem and has a 3^rd house Sun Mercury in Pisces – oddly enough Pisces is a sign that often crops up with ISIS zealots – Neptune’s cold-blooded idealism.  His Sun is also in a hard-edged, can-be-cruel square to Mars Saturn in Gemini.

  Robert Kennedy’s Mars in Scorpio was conjunct SS’s Midheaven and Kennedy’s Pluto conjunct SS’s Descendant so it would be a hostile and combative interface.

  When the shooting took place at midnight on 5^th June 1968 in Los Angeles, Sirhan’s Mars Saturn (in traditional astrology associated with assassination) had moved to conjunct his Descendant and Kennedy’s Pluto; and tr Saturn in Aries was conjunct Sirhan’s Solar Arc Sun; with his Solar Arc Uranus square his Mercury (Sun). There was a potent transiting Yod at that point of tr Neptune sextile Uranus Pluto inconjunct Saturn, so it was a key trigger for Sirhan with his Solar Arc Sun feeling the full force of it.

  His relationship chart with Robert Kennedy had a stressed composite New Moon opposition Pluto square Uranus – a disruptive and rebellious chemistry; with the signature ‘assassination’ composite Mars Saturn conjunct as well.

  The USA at that point having been rattled by JFK’s death five years before was even more unnerved with tr Pluto moving to square the USA Mars and then conjunct the USA Neptune. In 1963 when JFK was killed, tr Uranus Pluto in Virgo was square the USA Uranus and sitting on the Mars/Uranus midpoint. The 1960s was a longish phase of panicky upsets courtesy of Uranus Pluto in Virgo.  

Another significant point – Sirhan’s Pluto North Node in Leo is conjunct the USA ‘leadership’ North Node – which was the point badly hit by 9/11, so is an extremely sensitive marker where the USA’s pride and reputation are concerned.

   Sirhan looks on a downward slide ahead no matter what happens with tr Neptune square his Saturn this year and then his Mars/Saturn midpoint and on to conjunct his Sun before mid decade.

Charlie Watts, long time drummer with the Rolling Stones, has died. The quietest, least riotous of the group, he was married to the same wife for nearly six decades, disliked fame and the whole rock n’ roll notoriety and, apart from one lapse in the 1980s, steered clear of drugs.

  Born 2 June 1941, he was a Sun Gemini square Mars in Pisces with Jupiter and Venus also in Gemini. He had Saturn Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune and maybe a Virgo Moon. Gemini is a common sign amongst pop singers/stars though he really preferred jazz. Uranus trine Neptune of the generation produced many fine musicians and singing talents.

  His wife Shirley, 11 September 1938 (net sources) has a hard-working Mars in Virgo as well as Sun Neptune in Virgo with a self-reliant Saturn in Aries. In recent years the Watts had bred Arab horses at their Devon farm which fits her Virgo planets. Her Jupiter in Aquarius was square his Saturn Uranus so she would be a motivator and encourager when he got down.

  Their relationship chart has a close and possessive composite Sun Pluto Mercury in a chained-together square to Saturn. With a enthusiastic Jupiter sextile Mars (Moon); a needs-space Venus square Uranus; and an intense Mercury Pluto Sun sextile Mars. Evidently if he was home for too long away from touring she became irritated so it was a bond suited to separations.

  His relationship with Mick Jagger had its pluses and minuses with Mick’s powerhouse Sun Jupiter Pluto in Leo conjunct Charlie’s Pluto and Mick’s wayward Uranus conjunct Charlie’s Sun.  But the relationship chart had a high-energy and successful composite Sun Jupiter square Mars. With undertones of aggravation and tensions from Mars trine Pluto.  

Aaliyah, the young super-successful singer who met a tragically early death at 22 in a plane crash, is in the news with a 25 year old album – One In A Million – now on release on streaming services for the first time. And for less edifying reasons being named in R Kelly’s sex trafficking trial as having married him on forged documents when she was 15 and he was 27. Her parents whisked her out of the liaison a year later.

  Born 16 January 1979 in Brooklyn at 8.43 am (unverified), she did have a heavy chart with a Sun Mars in Capricorn in the 12^th square an 8^th house Pluto. Her Saturn in Virgo was in a creative square to Neptune.

  Kelly is also an ambitious Sun Capricorn square Mars and both share(d) Jupiter in Leo in aspect to Venus for PR charms.

  Their relationship chart had a passionate composite Venus square Pluto and a needs-space, differing-agendas Sun square Uranus – hot while it lasted but never designed for the long haul.

  If her birth time is sound, then his controlling Pluto Uranus fell in her 7^th house of close relationships so he’d be a disturbing influence. Worse his Mars was conjunct her Pluto for a damaging and risky connection. His Pluto was also conjunct her North Node as he directed her career and took her over.

   When she was killed in the Bahamas on an over crowded small plane with a dodgy pilot, the tr Saturn opposition tr Pluto was in a direct collision with her Solar Arc Uranus.

   R Kelly, in court at the moment denying everything, looks bullish ahead with tr Pluto picking up two of his Jupiter midpoints. But tr Neptune is dissolving the ground he stands on this year and more so in 2022/23.

  What a fated life.  Her victim 12^th harmonic was strongly marked; as were her self-defeating and self-destructive 10^th Harmonic and 16H.

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