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Menzies Campbell, a prominent Liberal Democrat, whose expertise in foreign affairs brought clashes with Tony Blair over Iraq and helped his party secure a surge of seats in the aftermath, has died.

 Born 22 May 1941 at 1.40 am Glasgow, he read law at Glasgow university at the same time as John Smith, the future Labour leader, Donald Dewar, later the first minister in the Scottish government and Derry Irvine, later Lord Chancellor. He was also a top class sprinter, representing GB in the 200 metres and the 100-metre relay team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1967, he twice ran 100 metres in 10.2 seconds — a record which legend says led to him being termed the “fastest white man on the planet”.

  He was well regarded in politics as an elder statesmen but proved less capable as party leader. He served as MP for North-East Fife in Scotland for 28 years from 1987. His wife of 53 years, Elspeth died in 2023.

 He had a communicative 4^th house Gemini Sun conjunct Jupiter Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune in Virgo in the 8^th – lucky but not obviously an ambitious high flyer. His sociable Venus in Gemini in his entertaining and sporting 5^th house ruled his 9^th house of international affairs.

  His Mars in Pisces was inconjunct Pluto sextile his Libra North Node – which would help with his competitive athletic career but proved less able to handle the cut and thrust of political leadership.

  When he was was elected head of the LibDems his Solar Arc Neptune was opposition his Uranus, moving on to oppose his Uranus/Jupiter midpoint, which would be undermining; with a pressured SA Sun square his Pluto on one leg of his Martian yod. When he resigned 22 months later tr Saturn was opposition his focal point Mars.

 It was an unfortunate blip in an otherwise exemplary career.

France is in disarray with its final degree Virgo Sun in crisis as it reels from the shade cast by this week’s Solar Eclipse with yet another cross to bear as former president Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to five years in jail – the first ever for a former French president. He has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Gaddafi. The ruling means he will spend time in jail even if he launches an appeal.

  Since losing his re-election bid in 2012, Sarkozy has been targeted by several criminal investigations including overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign; and trying to bribe a judge.

  Born 28 January 1955 10 pm Paris, he has an entertaining 5^th house Aquarius Sun; a pro-active and argumentative Mars Moon in Aries in his 7^th; a lucky though can be opportunistic Jupiter Uranus conjunct in his career 10^th; and a beyond-obstinate and self-willed Pluto opposition Mercury square Saturn. His evasive Neptune square Uranus Jupiter, trine Mercury, falls in his 2^nd house of finances.

 At the moment the Solar Eclipse is conjunct his Descendant and tr Neptune Saturn are moving just above it unsettling his relationships (and social standing). His Solar Arc Neptune is square his Mars at the moment for a sense of sinking failure and dashed hopes. With heavy pressures in 2027 from SA Pluto square his Sun.

 His wife Carla Bruni, 23 December 1967 6.10pm Turin, Italy, a singer and former fashion model, is also under judicial supervision after being charged with putting pressure on a witness.

 She has a 6^th house Capricorn Sun square a 10^th house Saturn in Aries opposition a 4^th house Uranus in final degree Virgo – which last is being elbowed by this week’s Solar Eclipse.  Her Progressed Mars is square her Sun, her Solar Arc Midheaven is opposition her Neptune; the Solar Eclipse is conjunct her IC for a domestic upheaval; and she is heading for her Second Saturn Return in early 2026. A calamity and catastrophe requiring a serious revisioning of her life ahead.  

Dark murmurings about plummeting respect and support for the Monarchy with continuing contamination from the Epstein scandal are reinforced by King Charles’ refusal to banish Andrew from public view. Piling on the damage will be the new Norman Baker book on royal finances:  Royal Mint, National Debt: More Things the Royals Don’t Want You to Know published next month.

 With a country sagging under welfare debt and rising taxation, the obfuscations around the Monarchy’s money matters won’t wash for much longer. No inheritance tax is paid. The duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster do not pay corporation tax or capital gains tax. According to Norman Baker Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall is no better than a ‘medieval slush fund’, which gives him an income of £24m a year.

 There are three astrological ways of viewing the UK monarchy – the first is the UK 1801 chart itself with its 10^th house Cancer Moon, generally regarded as a pointer to the Royal Family.

 The second is the House of Windsor chart, 17 July 1917, the name change from ‘Saxe-Coburg and Gotha’ due to anti-German sentiment during the First World War.

The third is the start of the Hanoverian monarchy with Geroge ! crowned 1 August 1714. For some odd reason it appears to have ceased when Victoria’s son, Edward VII succeeded in 1901 as head of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. But the original chart will hold good.

 What is intriguing is that 2031 is highlighted on all three charts as a moment of change under pressure. The UK chart has the Solar Arc Pluto square the 10^th house Moon then as well as tr Pluto in Aquarius square the 8^th house UK Mars.

 The House of Windsor has the Solar Arc Pluto square its Cancerian Sun in 2031 as well.

 The Hanoverian monarchy looks seriously stressed from 2029 right through to the mid 2030s with the Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the Mars in final decan Cancer in 2029, with the SA Saturn/Pluto exerting extreme pressure around 2031 moving on to a dead halt SA Pluto conjunct Mars in 2035; plus tr Pluto opposition the Leo Sun in 2035/36.

 The House of Windsor and Hanover charts point to disruption and upheavals before then. Windsor has tr Pluto opposition the Saturn Neptune in early Leo and tr Neptune Saturn square the Pluto (Moon) over coming years; with the SA Neptune Saturn square the Uranus in 2028/29. Hanover has an insecure, rattled SA Uranus conjunct Mars now. The UK’s Solar Arc Moon will catch the tr Uranus square before the end of this decade.

 Prince William who evidently has plans for a slimmed down, modernised monarchy, is looking undermined till early 2028 with tr Neptune (Saturn) square his New Moon in Cancer. With tr Neptune opposition his Mars in 2029/30 and then opposition his Saturn in 2031 – which will be an extended phase of high uncertainty.

 There was a theory that since Prince William was born on a Solar Eclipse whose Saros series ends in 2036 that he would be the last monarch. I’m not sure whether that holds good. Previous Eclipses in this series which fell in 2000 and 2018 coincided with his gap year before university; and Prince Louis being born. So not exactly startling.

  By 2036 tr Uranus in mid Cancer is approaching a conjunction the the UK 10^th house Moon and a square to Prince William’s Saturn in Libra.  William’s 2037 Solar Return looks fairly grim with Pluto Midheaven opposition Saturn in his 4^th – but that could be external pressures from the war-or-hardship-associated Saturn Pluto.  Though tr Pluto moving through his 2^nd house of money opposition Saturn in his 8^th does suggest a downturn in his finances.  

I would be more than sorry to see the monarchy go though they are their own worst enemy especially where their wealth is concerned. William is less money-minded than Charles, his grandmother Queen Elizabeth or indeed his great grandmother, the famously profligate ‘Queen Mother.’ So he presumably would be willing to scale back and downsize. 

Norman Baker, 26 July 1957, has his disruptive Sun Uranus in Leo conjunction sitting on King Charles’ Ascendant and his controlling/influential Pluto sitting in Charles’ 2^nd house of finances so he will have the urge and ability to cause considerable upset both to Charles’ image and his finances.

 Baker’s Sun, Uranus, Mars, Mercury, Pluto all sit in William’s 8^th with Baker’s Neptune on his Midheaven – so as above though in a different way.  His relationship chart with Williams is not wonderful but is less hostile and damaging than with Charles.

Claudia Cardinale who has died aged 87, had looks, smouldering Italian intensity  and a  quirky intelligence which made her prized by European directors for Rocco and His Brothers,  Girl with a Suitcase, Visconti’s The Leopard and Federico Fellini’s 8½. She was then persuaded over to Hollywood for The Pink Panther opposite David Niven; and went onto make many other hits including the Sergio Leone Western Once Upon a Time in the West and Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo.

 In her personal life she lived for 42 years with her partner,  Pasquale Squitieri, and had two children. Outspoken on women’s rights causes over the years, she was a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the Defence of Women’s Rights.

 Born 15 April 1938 at 8.30am Tunis, with Sicilian parents, she originally intended to become a teacher.

 She had a controlled, creative and private 12^th house Aries Sun square a 4^th house Pluto; with her Pluto sextile Mars Algol in Taurus in her 1^st and inconjunct Jupiter giving her extra-determination and a hint of ferocity. An earthy, distinctive Uranus Venus conjunction in Taurus sat on her Ascendant with her Scorpio Moon in opposition; and her filmic Neptune in her  performing 5^th house.

 Relocating her chart to Hollywood put her Neptune conjunct the Midheaven. With her Sun in the entertaining 5^th house.

Another golden oldie gone.

Javier Milei, the Argentinian president, former eccentric TV pundit, is in trouble with his chainsaw economics faltering, his sister embroiled in a corruption scandal and his political rivals circling with a recent landslide defeat in local elections with midterms approaching in late October.

  On the global right, he is an icon, a rock star president. Elon Musk called him a “beacon of hope”. President Trump hailed him as a “hero”. Kemi Badenoch sees him as the “template” for all conservative leaders. He has closed nine of 18 ministries, laid off 48,000 public sector workers and the state news agency has been shut.

He has brought inflation down but according to economists that is a “mirage” as a result of keeping the peso’s value artificially strong, hurting economic growth, sucking in imports and preventing Argentina from building the stock of dollars it needs to repay a mountain of foreign debt. He is refusing to ditch libertarian reforms since evidently his core belief is that compromise is failure.

  Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, said that the US “stands ready to do what is needed within its mandate to support Argentina” as Milei seeks an emergency credit line of up to $30 billion from the US.

 Milei’s Term started 10 December 2023  at 11.56 am Buenos Aires, with an ambitious and outspoken 10^th house Mars in Sagittarius conjunct the Sun which is in an unfortunate square to delusional Neptune in Pisces. There is a superficially amiable Jupiter in Taurus opposition Venus square a control-freak Pluto. With Uranus opposition the Scorpio Moon, hinting at an electorate not in tune with extremist ideas. The Jupiter also trines Mercury for confidence  but sextiles onto an impractical 12^th house Saturn in Pisces.

 The Moon has moved by Solar Arc to oppose the Uranus exactly this year.

  His personal chart, 22 October 1970 11.59 pm Buenos Aires, has a 4^th house family-oriented Libra Sun and a flamboyant though not realistic Leo Moon in his 2^nd house of finances. Where he gets his do-or-die determination with failure not-an-option approach is his intense Pluto in Virgo in his 3^rd conjunct Mars in early Libra. Plus he has a super-confident Jupiter as well as Venus Neptune  all in Scorpio in his entertaining 5^th house.

  The Virgo Solar Eclipse is conjunct his Pluto this year as his power-base crumbles. With tr Saturn Neptune opposition his Pluto and Mars for major setbacks now, across the winter into 2026; followed by a catastrophic 2027 as his SA Pluto is conjunct his Venus and his SA Mars in conjunct his Neptune.

 The Bank of Argentina, 28 May 1935 looks disrupted and unnerved ahead with tr Pluto continuing to square the Uranus through 2026; tr Uranus in a jolting conjunction to the Sun after mid 2026 into 2027; and an outright panic about failure in 2027/28 as tr Neptune opposes the Mars.

  Trump/Milei economics do not appear to be paying off.

Previous post: November 20 2023

Javier Milei, the right-wing libertarian oddball, Trump and Bolsonaro admirer, has won a clear victory in the Argentina elections which some political analysts say is a reflection of the electorate’s desperation for change rather than support of his far-right ideology. He has promised to cut back the Argentinian state to its bare minimum and introduce radical economic reforms. Elon Musk said on hearing of the victory “prosperity is ahead for Argentina,” which just goes to show how warped his judgement is.

  Failed economic policies have left Argentina, one of the world’s most perpetually unstable economies, in one of its worst crises yet. Annual inflation is above 140 percent — the third highest rate in the world. More than two in five Argentines live in poverty and the value of the currency has plummeted downwards.

  There is nothing in any of the charts to suggest the redeemer has arrived, quite the opposite – details from earlier post 17 August below.  He will be sworn in as president on December 10 which has a lacklustre, impractical Sun square  Neptune, never a good sign for an administration. With a superficially showy Jupiter opposition Venus and a reforming Uranus trine Pluto.

  His own chart, 22 October 1970 12.59pm Buenos Aires (birth certificate) will flounder with tr Neptune opposition his Pluto Mars conjunction in 2024/2025 and even before then tr Pluto square his Sun for the next 14 months and tr Uranus squaring his hope-for-a-better-society Saturn opposition Venus Neptune this year right through till 2025.

  The Argentina 25 May 1810 chart and the Bank of Argentina chart 28 May 1935 are both highly Mutable chart with Gemini Suns and a raft of other Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo planets – all of which will be deflated by tr Saturn in Pisces through into 2025.

 Oddly enough Milei’s relationship chart with Argentina is relatively upbeat in essence with a composite Sun Jupiter trine Pluto so he obviously brings enthusiasm and hope to the table. Though 2026 will bring a more hostile mood when tr Pluto opposes the composite Mars.

Post August 17 2023

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 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 later of woe.

A deep dive into the complexities of mediaeval astrology and its relevance to present day predictions comes in a revised edition of Alexey Borealis’ two volumes of the “Mysteries of Medieval Astrology” merged into one comprehensive Predictive Astrology Textbook. For anyone keen to expand their understanding of horary as well as natal astrology, it is a rewarding read.

  The author’s dedicated aim is to resurrect astrology as a predictive discipline in the face of what he sees as its modern role as a ’pseudo-psychological science.’

 Alexey Borealis with a background in mathematics, physics and astrophysics, understandably has a focus on precision and claims to make horary predictions with near-perfect accuracy and to consistently time the occurrence of predicted events within days, and sometimes within hours. In the course of his studies he found the writings of the 17th century French astrologer, J.B. Morin de Villefranche his guiding star when answering two fundamental questions: What can the native expect during the life the chart represents? And when will events occur?

 ‘Morinus wrote that a person can principally influence any aspect of their life, except for choosing parents and siblings. However, it’s challenging for a person to resist their inner nature.’

 Borealis: ‘My assumption is the stars, to some extent, imprint a person’s destiny in the brain’s neural network. Psychologists would agree that a person can change many aspects of their stereotypical behavior, but not everything. Some deep configurations of neurons are so stable that it is nearly impossible to alter them in adulthood.’

 Horary astrology is not my area but one reviewer writes:

“The book –  a methodical, well-structured guide to horary astrology. Each chapter is thoughtfully designed to build upon the last, progressively deepening the reader’s understanding and practical skill. What helps sets this work apart from others is the inclusion of exercises and “homework” at the end of each chapter—complete with answers and chart analysis — which transforms passive reading into active learning.”

 This is a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to the knotty problem of prediction which for those who wish to expand their technical knowledge will be an invaluable addition to their astro-library.

[Both Morin and Alexey Borealis have their Moon at mid Pisces which serendipitously was triggered by the recent Lunar Eclipse.]

From: www.wessexastrologer.com

John Stapleton, renowned as the personable UK TV presenter, who for five decades worked across the board on diverse programmes exposing fraudsters, reporting from war zones, interviewing prime ministers and fronting breakfast shows, has died aged 79 of Parkinsons. In a long career he worked on Newsnight, Panorama, Nationwide, TV-AM, GMTV’s News Hour and Watchdog for the BBC with his wife the late Lynn Faulds Wood.

  Born 24 February 1946 11pm Oldham, England, he had a charming Venus Mercury in Pisces in his performing 5^th house with his Pisces Sun close by in his domestic 4^th house. His Venus was on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile an influential Pluto on his Midheaven. He would compensate for slight social awkwardness by entertaining an audience – and Pluto on his midheaven used correctly would make him a legend in his lifetime.

 His Venus was further emphasised being on the focal point of a Mutable T square to an upbeat Sagittarius Moon opposition Uranus giving him a diplomatic streak and an amiable approach in his public relations.

 His Venus Mercury were also trine his Mars Saturn in Cancer giving him the ability to maintain gravitas in high-risk war scenarios, with serious subjects while being able at the same time to fall back on lighter-hearted subjects.  His 9^th house Mars was conjunct Sirius, giving him courage and an authoritative air when reporting on international crises.  

 His Progressed Mars has been moving across his Pluto recently  which would be challenging and highly pressured.

An interesting multi-faceted man.

Sarah, Duchess of York’s unwelcome publicity emerging as more emails are disclosed about her support for Epstein after his initial conviction is hardly earth shattering. But it continues a pattern which is intriguing, hinting that Ghislaine Maxwell is more of a central player in present events than might be supposed given her incarceration.

  Given that Sarah’s connection with Epstein was apparently mainly financial, one would have expected to see that in the synastry. But it is not – and yet is startlingly obvious in her synastry with Ghislaine Maxwell.  GM has her controlling Pluto on Sarah’s Midheaven and her Venus, Mars, Sun, Mercury conjunct Sarah’s Saturn in Capricorn in her 2^nd house of personal finances. 15 October 1959 9.03 am London.

  Sarah’s relationship Ghislaine is showing considerable upheaval across the winter with tr Uranus opposition the Sun Mars (square Uranus) – with more disappointment in 2027/28. And admittedly her relationship chart with Epstein is also showing a distinct disruption across this winter.

 Relationship charts between Prince Andrew and Epstein hint at more turbulence across this winter. Ditto Ghislaine and Bill Gates.

 In one sense, while tawdry, none of this is hugely important. In another sense there is a resonance of much that is still unexplained – and some of which may well tumble out fairly soon.

 Maxwell herself, 25 December 1961 3.30pm Maisons Lafitte, France,  looks surprisingly downcast at the moment given her move to a cushier prison, with her Solar Arc Saturn square her Sun exactly now and tr Neptune Saturn square her Sun and Sun/Mars midpoint through 2026; with a blocked SA Sun opposition Pluto in 2027.

See previous post: The Epstein ghost continues to haunt the USA 13th July 2025

ADD ON: Embarrassing parents come at a whole new level for poor Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie as they face yet more toe-curling revelations.

  Beatrice, 8 August 1988 8.18pm London, had the recent Lunar Eclipse conjunct her Pisces North Node – for a time of inner revisioning of her path ahead (if she is so minded). Tr Saturn Neptune will square her Venus Moon in Cancer continuing on from recently and through 2026 into 2027 which hints at disappointments and downward adjustments in her relationship to her mother. Beatrice anyway has tr Saturn moving through the lowest point of her 1^st quadrant until 2028 which is often when unresolved psychological problems emerge – i.e. facing difficult realities.

  Her relationship chart to her mother is also undergoing continued pressure with the recent Lunar Eclipse opposition the composite Sun; upsets over the winter and emotional aggravation through 2026/27.  Her relationship with her father, edgy at the best of times though covered over by a superficial niceness – is also showing signs of upset due to the Lunar Eclipse with yet more angst from mid 2026 for several years.  It won’t get easier.

 Princess Eugenie was probably more resigned to the excesses of her parents since she arrived as their marriage was splitting. If anything I would suspect her relationship with her father is the one occupying her mind moving forward with tr Neptune Saturn conjunct her Aries Sun in 2026.

 Her relationship chart with her mother hints at inherent irritations due to differing agendas and needs and again was rattled by the recent Lunar Eclipse. Her relationship chart with her father is downbeat at the moment and in coming months with tr Neptune Saturn opposition the composite Jupiter; and worse in 2026 with a frustrated, enraging tr Pluto conjunct the composite Mars – and on thereafter as well. That relationship chart also was keyed up by the Lunar Eclipse.

 The eclipses this month certainly seem to have knocked them sideways – which with Andrew’s 8^th house Mercury in mid Pisces on one leg of a yod is maybe not surprising.

Actor Matthew McConaughey has followed his memoir Greenlights – a collection of life lessons, bullet-point anecdotes and bumper-sticker musings with a book of poetry called Poems & Prayers. It is a portrait of his faith in the broadest sense and its impact on his everyday life. He advocates a world of relentless positivity that rejects the concepts of hate or “can’t”; a world of conservative discipline and traditional family values. Which in no way reflects his background with his god-fearing parents’ tumultuous and often violent marriage and his subsequent drug habit.

 He was born 4 November 1969 7.34 pm Uvalde, Texas, and initially assumed acting would be a fun hobby, believing his real calling was to become a monk. But a Benedictine friend said he needed to communicate and not live as a hermit. He says at the heart of his personal battle is learning to distinguish between himself as the nice guy who is liked by everyone and is conflict-averse and the good man who is values-driven and bound to disagree with some.

   His first success as a leading man came in the legal drama A Time to Kill (1996) and in the 2000s, he made a series of  romantic comedies, before moving onto more dramatic roles, like The Lincoln Lawyer,  Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street and a starring role in the first season of HBO’s crime anthology series True Detective with Woody Harrelson. In 2023, he said they could potentially be brothers since his mother had been close to Harrelson’s convict father at one point.

  He has an oddly disjointed chart with a 6^th house Scorpio Sun and Neptune (not conjunct). He does have a ‘nice guy’ Venus Jupiter conjunction in Libra in his performing 5^th house, along with a maverick Uranus. His Virgo Moon and Pluto (not conjunct) are in his 4^th house of home and family making him crave security in his personal life but also being hyper-sensitive about threatening undercurrents, a legacy of his parents’ troublesome marriage. With his Pluto trine Mars in Aquarius, sextile Neptune carrying a good deal of fear. His Mercury in Scorpio opposes Saturn in Taurus squaring onto his Mars which will also carry a fair amount of anger and depression which he clearly fights against.

 The Virgo Eclipse is conjunct his Pluto this week with his Progressed Moon conjunct as well so a significant time for him. His next two years will be sunk deep in thought with tr Pluto continuing to move round his Fixed T square of Mercury, Saturn and Mars. Though Jupiter moving through his 2^nd and 3^rd houses will help to lighten his mood.

  An interesting character for Hollywood.