An unprecedented second state visit for Trump kicks off tomorrow. For him a vanity trip with photo ops galore amongst the Royals at Windsor. For the UK it is realpolitik with the hope of lower tariffs and a better bilateral relationship with the US than other countries.
Though Epstein managing to send tremors from beyond the grave (or wherever) with the Mandelson scandale may put a minor damper on the forced jollity.
Trump’s chart relocated to London puts his ‘influential’ Pluto and flamboyant Mars in Leo in the 10th, though Pluto close to the MC can have its downside. Perhaps his natal keeping-secrets 12th house Pluto is exposed when it relocates to the 10th with possible career damage.
Transiting Mars is exactly conjunct the relocated Ascendant hinting at a combative, pro-active approach though there should be less risk since almost all of the events will be out of the public view.
Trump’s relationship with King Charles has a friendly composite Sun Venus conjunction and a chained-together Saturn Pluto with ripples of disagreement from Mars trine Uranus – but will almost certainly glide by without incident.
Prince William has a superficially amiable composite Sun Venus trine Jupiter in his relationship chart with Trump but that hides a deep-dislike composite Mars Pluto conjunction beside Uranus Saturn.
The UK regards Trump with a degree of irritation and the composite UK/DT Sun opposition Moon square Mars is being undermined at the moment and through 2026/27 by tr Saturn Neptune in hard aspect.
More pointedly, Trump’s relationship with Keir Starmer is not in great shape despite all the greasing and grovelling. Their composite Sun Mars is being ground down by tr Pluto in opposition exactly now until early December this year.
Trump’s personal chart looks a touch downbeat over this week with tr Saturn square the Mercury/Uranus midpoint; and pushing against headwinds until early December with tr Pluto opposition his Saturn/Pluto midpoint. In part one assumes due to Charlie Kirk being shot.
On the Epstein front, DT’s relationship with his posthumous chart is nerve stretched now and through 2026; worse in 2027. For some reason (which fascinates me) Trump’s entangled relationship chart with Ghislaine Maxwell is facing a crucial turning point exactly now and again till early 2026. There is a ‘fated’ composite yod tying their destinies together onto an apex composite Sun at 28 degrees Pisces. That Sun is catching the separating tr Saturn conjunct exactly now, with the approaching Virgo Solar Eclipse adding its contribution of a crisis – and that effect runs on for several months.
Just to mop up the Royals – with King Charles having had a meeting with Prince Harry for the first time since 2022, there is much excitable talk about a reconciliation and prodigal son return. Though Charles’ relationship chart with Harry has a sagging confidence tr Saturn Neptune square the composite Jupiter extending through 2026 – so not all moving ahead smoothly.
More significantly Charles’ relationship with Meghan looks upset this month with the Solar Eclipse conjunct their composite Venus and an emotionally-dampening tr Saturn Neptune in opposition throughout the winter; with more disappointment through 2026 as tr Neptune Saturn oppose the composite Mars Sun. From which one might assume she is not delirious about a Harry UK return.
Meghan’s relationship with Harry with its final degree composite Mars in Virgo is also catching the Virgo Solar Eclipse and tr Neptune Saturn in opposition throughout the winter pointing the arguments and aggravations in Montecito. With hints of a major reset or rift come 2026 as tr Uranus squares their composite Sun and opposes the Uranus.
More than 100,000 people crowded into London yesterday for one of the UK’s largest ever Right-wing rallies organized by Tommy Robinson; with cheer-leading from Katie Hopkins, Lawrence Fox and Elon Musk (on video). Twenty-six police officers were injured, including four seriously as supporters “kicked and punched” officers. 25 people have been arrested for offences including affray, violent disorder, assaults and criminal damage.
Robinson has been active in far-right politics for many years on an anti-Islam crusade and has served five prison terms between 2005 and 2025. In 2013, he illegally entered the USA using a friend’s passport; in 2018 he violated a court order by publishing a Facebook Live video of defendants entering court; in 2021, he was subjected to a five-year stalking prevention order for harassing the journalist Lizzie Dearden and her partner and was found to have libelled a 15-year-old refugee in Huddersfield and was ordered to pay £100,000 plus legal costs. After breaching an injunction about repeating the libel, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court in October 2024. He has admitted to gambling before declaring bankruptcy; and owed a considerable sum to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), as well as to creditors. (wiki).
Born 27 November 1982 in Luton, he has a rebellious and rabble-rousing Sun, Uranus, Mercury, Venus conjunct in Sagittarius with Neptune also in Sagittarius and an Aries Moon. His Moon is possibly/probably opposition Pluto Saturn in Libra square Mars in Capricorn adding an exponentially aggressive streak to his personality. His ambitious and forceful focal point Mars is doubly emphasised being his only Earth in a ‘hot air’ Fire Air chart.
His Mercury is conjunct the Fixed star Antares which tends to make the individual headstrong, tough, belligerent, pugnacious and destructive to themselves by their own obstinacy. Has a suspicious attitude and can make wrongful accusations.
His Chiron is conjunct Algol which could suggest that a tendency to destroy is his Achilles’ Heel. His unhealable wound is an attraction to darkness and risk. There will be a positive end to it but clearly he hasn’t found it yet. His Cancer North Node suggests the same – that empathy is his spiritual path if he can get onto it.
At the moment he’s revved up with his Progressed Mars square his Jupiter – in a reckless mood keen to utilise the prevailing mood. Mars Jupiter has a tendency to go on crusades and to dress aggression up in idealistic or moral garb. But by 2026/27 his Solar Arc Sun Uranus will conjunct his Mars for an almighty eruption which suggests he could go way over the top – and indeed be at some risk himself. This all runs alongside his tr Uranus opposition his Sun Uranus for his midlife crisis – hinting that either a) a change of direction is needed or b) he’ll double up on his ungovernable stance and end up running out of road.
His alleged connection to Israel would fit astrologically since his Saturn Pluto conjunct sits on the Israel Ascendant; and his Neptune is conjunct the Israel Jupiter opposition Uranus; his Chiron Algol are conjunct the Israel Taurus Sun; and his Cancer North Node is conjunct the Israel Venus.
It is less clear how he connects to the UK – except that his Uranus Sun Mercury fall in the UK 3rd house which rules everyday communications, neighbours, communities etc. And squares the UK Pluto which will give a tendency to cause disruption to the established order. His afflicted focal point Mars also falls in the UK domestic 4th so he will focus his anger on what he sees is wrong with the internal foundations of the UK.
Maurice Tempelsman, a diamond trader and latterly escort and friend to Jackie Kennedy has died. She famously said “The first time you marry for love, the second for money and the third for companionship,” although in the last instance the pair never tied the knot.
Her marriage to JFK lasted ten years until his assassination; and her surprising, publicly unpopular match to Greek shipping mogul Ari Onassis after the shooting of her brother-in-law Robert Kennedy, continued none-too-happily until his death seven years later in 1975. She then returned to New York and lived under the radar until she succumbed to cancer in 1994.
Maurice Tempelsman was a discreet, well-connected businessman, not handsome like JFK or wealthy at the level of Onassis. But he and Jackie had a mutual interest in art, politics and the French language and he became her main financial adviser in 1975, managing her $26 million Onassis inheritance. When she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, he moved his office into her New York apartment and escorted her to hospital appointments; and was at her bedside when she died in 1994, remaining close to her two surviving children.
The relationship charts and synastry of her three attachments are fascinating.
With JFK, 29 May 1917 3pm Brookline, Massachusetts, there was a composite New Moon conjunct Pluto square Saturn in their relationship chart which points to a more-whole-when-together bonding with the New Moon; close and possessive with Pluto and unambiguously chained-together with Saturn Pluto. A high-octane match (and lifestyle) with a composite Mars trine Uranus – and not always easy.
His Gemini Sun was conjunct her 7th house Jupiter which would smooth round rough edges and be a morale boosting combo; and his high-vitality Jupiter Mercury Mars also fell in her 7th so it would be for her a heady, exciting relationship. His Neptune was conjunct her Sun for the Camelot dream, though at times the reality would fall short. His Virgo Moon conjunct her Mars in her 10th for a few argumentative moments.
Aristotle Onassis, 20 January 1906 10 am Smyrna, Turkey, whom she married in a panic, concerned for the safety of her children, did have his Jupiter in Taurus, like JFK, in her 7th house of relationship which would help. And his Sagittarius Moon in her 1st was trine her Sun which is good. But his Pluto fell in her 8th conjunct her Venus and opposition her 2nd house Saturn and square his Mars which hints at intense, dominating streak from his end which was in part compensated for with money which was important to her. But his Saturn and Mars in her 4th hints at an uncomfortable and aggravated domestic life.
That relationship chart has cross overs with composite Pluto, Mars and Uranus so echoing a theme of a not-altogether harmonious duo. Plus a yod onto the Sun which also squared Neptune – tied together for good or for ill and ending ultimately in disappointment.
What is curious (or maybe not) was that Maurice Tempelsman, 26 August 1929, was born only four weeks after her and had relatively similar placings. His Sun Neptune in Virgo was in her 10th for shared artistic interests and his intuitive guiding of her life in her latter days. His Jupiter in Gemini was conjunct her Jupiter, and on the cusp of her financial 8th house. His steady Taurus Moon fell in her 6th house of work and health.
Their relationship chart had a hidden 12th house composite Sun trine Uranus and Venus square Uranus – so it thrived on discretion and being unorthodox. There was also a composite Mars square Saturn, perhaps indicating a workaholic streak or a need for one partner to suppress their assertiveness to make it work.
What is worth noting is that she had a Taurus North Node conjunct her Descendant which suggested that close relationships did not come easily to her. And a Taurus Node tends to bring a tumultuous life before (hopefully) settling into calmer older years.
Sting is being sued by his former bandmates in Police, Andy Summers and Stewart Copelamd, for what they claim are lost royalties from the hit Every Breath You Take. Sting’s representatives have responded with the claim that the band members may have been “substantially overpaid” royalties. The band split up in 1984 after seven successful years amid personal and musical animosity.
Sting, 2 October 1951 1.30am Wallsend, England, has a stellium in Libra with a quick-witted 3rd house Sun conjunct Saturn and a family-focused 4th house Moon conjunct Neptune. His Sun Saturn oppose Jupiter and square Uranus – giving him luck, an inventive and rebellious streak and a tendency to go his own way. He also has a flamboyant Pluto Mars conjunct in Leo in his 1st house so he’ll come across as a full-on personality.
He is facing a few unsettling months as tr Uranus squares his Mars in December the second half of March 2026. Mars Uranus can bring sudden jolts of insecurity with a tendency to provoke over reactions. His Mercury in late Virgo will also be triggered by the approaching Solar Eclipse and undermined by tr Saturn Neptune in opposition over the winter. Tr Neptune will continue on to oppose his Saturn in 2027/28 for a time of uncertainty.
Stewart Copeland, 16 July 1952 Alexandria, Viginia, the drummer, is a Sun Cancer with Jupiter (and Moon) in Taurus, the latter falling in Sting’s 10th for a good career combo. Though his dogmatic Mercury Pluto conjunction in Leo and South Node falling on top of Sting’s Mars Pluto would cause clashes. And his Jupiter square Sting’s Pluto may well have led to tussles for the upper hand.
Sting’s relationship chart with him is on edge with a separating tr Uranus square the composite Sun now and into 2026; with bad feelings rolling on through 2026/27 as tr Neptune opposes an ‘unfair treatment’ composite Mars Saturn conjunction.
Andy Summers, 31 December 1942, England, guitarist, has his Capricorn Sun falling in Sting’s performing 5th house which would help. But his Sun square Neptune clashing with Sting’s Sun Saturn in Libra would create distrust and suspicion. His ‘leadership’ North Node in Leo conjunct Sting’s Mars might also have led to divergent ambitions.
Summers’ relationship chart with Sting is less stressed though there will be sharp words through the winter and hard feelings through 2027/28.
Peter Mandelson has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US, as the Foreign Office claimed that “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.” Not sure how they managed to miss it given photographs of him emerged several years back attending an Epstein birthday party in Paris the year after Epstein was charged with counts of unlawful sex acts with a minor.
In 2000, both Mandelson and the Prince Andrew were witnesses at the wedding of merchant banker Sir Evelyn de Rothschild to Lynn Forester, an American broadcasting entrepreneur who was a longstanding friend of Epstein. The FBI hold Epstein’s phone book which has ten numbers for Mandelson and 16 for Prince Andrew. Only a few people in the book, which seems to have been compiled by Ghislaine, are listed with multiple numbers. All this has been in plain sight for some years.
One reason may be that Mandelson and Trump are natural allies and may have had financial connections in the past. Plus Mandelson has a chameleon-like ability to reinvent himself after various scandals in the past, allowing him to rise once again without blushing into high office.
He was born 21 October 1953 in London with a chart similar to Richard 111, the Hunchback King, and to Vladimir Putin (his October 1952 birth date being accurate). Mandelson has a Libra Sun conjunct evasive Neptune on one side and Saturn on the other, trine Jupiter in Gemini and sextile a focal point influential Pluto. His Uranus opposes a Capricorn North Node square his Neptune, Sun, Saturn – designed to be at the heart of the zeitgeist, a maverick and rebel, ego-centred, lucky, confident, executive material but not a natural cooperator, slippery.
The upcoming late Virgo Solar Eclipse is conjunct his Mars as well as three of his key midpoints, with more jolts and jangles to come across the winter.
His relationship chart with Epstein was tight with the signature (promiscuous) Mars Venus conjunction (that trails across all the Epstein related charts ) plus Sun and Mercury all trine Pluto and sextile Neptune – ambition, money and sex. His relationship chart with Trump has a power-couple composite Sun Jupiter Pluto Venus conjunction – sociable and profitable.
His relationship with Keir Starmer, has an over-hopeful composite Jupiter opposition Neptune being undercut by tr Pluto in hard aspect at the moment; with more discouragement to come in 2026.
Starmer’s woes keep getting deeper – he has the tail end of Solar Arc Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune which has made recent months beyond devastating; and has just acquired Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Sun Pluto for the year ahead which could potentially grind him to a halt altogether. It won’t get easier.
The shooting of young Tik Tok MAGA influencer and Trump confidant Charlie Kirk has alarmed US political insiders of all persuasions as well as the White House. Though it has a certain irony given his recent comments on the right to bear arms. He said he was “very pro-second amendment”, adding “I fully acknowledge and admit that when you have gun ownership, you’re going to have gun deaths. “There is a cost to liberty. If you argue for second amendment rights and argue that you’re going to get gun deaths to zero, that is a falsehood. Liberty comes at a price. So I believe yes, there will be costs and consequences to having firearm ownership but the positives far outweigh the negatives.”
Against a historical backdrop of Lincoln, the Kennedys, Martin Luther King Jr and Reagan, in recent times political violence in the USA has become a growing feature – Gabrielle Giffords, a Democratic lawmaker in 2011. Steve Scalise, the Republican Congressman, 2017. More recently the violent attack on the US Capitol in 2021, and the two assassination attempts on Trump last year. In April, Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, was the target of an arson attack; in June, Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state legislator in Minnesota, was killed in her home along with her husband in a politically motivated murder. Overall the U.S. homicide rate was 5.76 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023; Canada was 1.98 per 100,000 in 2023; the UK 0.99.
Charlie Kirk, 14 October 1993 Arlington Heights, Illinois, was a college dropout who at 18 formed Turning Point USA, a rightwing student organisation that grew to become a key pillar of support for Trump. He had huge reach, with 5.2mn followers on X and 73mn on TikTok; and The Charlie Kirk Show, ranks fourth in the news category on Apple Podcasts.
He became a key propagator of America First talking points, describing the Russia-Ukraine war as a “border dispute”, opposing gay marriage and diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, as well as arguing abortion was murder and denying climate change.
He had an enthusiastic Sun Jupiter (and Moon) in Libra trine Saturn in Aquarius and square an inspired/deluded Uranus Neptune conjunction in Capricorn. With his Saturn in a tough-minded square to Pluto in Scorpio. He also had an intense, penetrating and aggressive Mars Mercury in Scorpio which may have aided in his technique of making discussion opponents look ignorant – except one gathers when he ran into Cambridge University debaters which did not go so well.
His Venus in late Virgo was about to catch this month’s Solar Eclipse and he has a couple of Mars midpoints under pressure from tr Pluto as well as tr Neptune Saturn hard aspects.
What is astro-puzzling is his chart comparison with Trump whose faithful bondsman he has been since the 2016 election. Admittedly Kirk’s Sun Jupiter in Libra and Saturn in Aquarius chime well with DT’s Gemini Sun. But everything else is heavily conflicted. Kirk’s Saturn opposes DT’s Mars and Kirk’s Pluto is conjunct DT’s IC. Kirk’s Mars squares DT’s Pluto and Kirk’s Uranus Neptune opposes DT’s Saturn. Put them in the same room for a week and there would have been trouble.
That translates in their relationship chart to a toxic and explosive Mars Pluto conjunction opposition Uranus plus an illusory composite Sun Venus square Neptune. A relationship that thrived on crisis, hatred and unhealthy levels of excitement. They needed an external enemy to joust against.
As a mark of Trump’s reliance on him and friendship all American flags are to fly at half mast until Sunday.
On the USA chart the Solar Arc Saturn is almost exactly square the US Neptune for a moment of worry and uncertainty – with another 20 months of similar as the SA Sun moves to square the USA Mars in early 2026 and then opposes the USA Neptune in spring 2027 – so this longish phase of high anxiety and confusion which started in 2024 won’t lessen in effect until almost the end of 2027.
ADD ON: Charlie Kirk’s views
On his radio show, he claimed Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson were “affirmative action picks” and went further, “Black women do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.”
After Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement, he fantasized about her becoming more conservative. “Submit to your husband, Taylor. You’re not in charge.”
On X, once commenetd, “Gun control, like vaccines and masks, is focused on making people feel ‘safe’ by taking freedoms away from others. Don’t fall for it.”
Civil rights
“We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the mid-1960s.” (source)
The death penalty
“[The death penalty] should be public, should be quick, should be televised… I think at a certain age, it’s an initiation… At what age should you start to see public executions?” (source)
Democrats
“The Democrat Party supports everything that God hates.” (source)
Empathy
“I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made up new age term that does a lot of damage.” (source)
Feminism
“Reject feminism. Submit to your husband, Taylor. You’re not in charge.” (source)
Gay people “You might want to crack open that Bible of yours. In a lesser referenced part of the same part of scripture, is in Leviticus 18 is that, ‘thou shalt lay with another man shall be stoned to death.’ Just sayin’! So Miss Rachel, you quote Leviticus 19… the chapter before affirms God’s perfect law when it comes to sexual matters.” (source)
George Floyd
“This guy was a scumbag.” (source)
Jews
“Jewish donors have been the number one funding mechanism of radical open-border, neoliberal, quasi-Marxist policies, cultural institutions and nonprofits. This is a beast created by secular Jews and now it’s coming for Jews, and they’re like, ‘What on Earth happened?’ And it’s not just the colleges. It’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.” (source)
Martin Luther King Jr.
“MLK was awful. He’s not a good person. He said one good thing he actually didn’t believe.” (source)
Muslims
“They aren’t even hiding their intentions. Muslims plan to conquer Europe by demographic replacement. Will Europe wake up in time?” (source)
ADD ON: Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, said in a statement Friday evening that her late husband’s message and mission will be “stronger, bolder, louder and greater than ever” and that her “cries will echo around the world like a battle cry”.
She was born November 20, 1988 and is a force to be reckoned within her own right, founding Everyday Heroes Like You, a nonprofit supporting under-recognized charities, and hosting the Midweek Rise Up podcast. She is also the CEO of Proclaim Streetwear, a clothing brand, and Bible in 365, a ministry project, as well as working as a real estate agent in New York. She studied political science and international relations at university, played basketball and volleyball, won Miss Arizona USA in 2012; and has a doctorate in Christian leadership.
She has her Sun, Mercury and Pluto spread out through Scorpio with her Sun in an expansive opposition to Jupiter in communicative Gemini. She also has the triple conjunction of Neptune, Saturn Uranus in an excitable square to Mars in pro-active Aries plus a go-ahead Aries Moon. Her Venus in Libra was conjunct her husband’s Sun Jupiter for an affectionate bond. With her Scorpio planets sitting across his Mars, Mercury, Pluto in Scorpio – which would not be the easiest or most light-hearted combination but clearly their joint devotion to their cause was what drove them on. Their relationship chart has a possessive, influential, controlling composite Sun, Pluto Mercury conjunction in a power-couple square to Jupiter. There was also a true-believer Uranus Neptune conjunction and a hard-edged Mars Saturn conjunction hinting at a power-imbalance in the relationship. Though from the outside both look as driven as the other.
She will understandably go through a stressful time ahead with tr Uranus opposing her Sun through coming months into early 2026 and tr Neptune Saturn square her Uranus; followed by tr Saturn Neptune in an undermining conjunction to her Mars in 2026; and her Solar Arc Sun in an confused, indecisive conjunction to her Neptune in 2027.
USA VIOLENCE: Other incidents – former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s octogenarian husband, Paul, whose skull was fractured in 2022 by a rightwing home intruder; the 2020 plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, by members of a paramilitary group; a failed attempt in 2022 on the life of Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative Supreme Court justice, by a militant supporter of women’s right to choose.
The most notorious event was the January 6 2021 storming of Capitol Hill in which the mob targeted the lives of Mike Pence, the Republican vice-president, and Pelosi. That attempt to stop certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory claimed four lives. In the following months, several law enforcement officers present that day died by suicide.
Edward Luce, FT: “Blaming both sides equally would be intellectually dishonest. On Trump’s first day in office, he pardoned more than 1,500 felons over the January 6 violence — a group he has repeatedly depicted as heroes. Federal agencies have for years warned that America’s chief terrorist threat comes from the far right — from both lone wolves and organised militias. Biden’s administration stepped up monitoring of such threats. Trump’s FBI and his Department of Homeland Security have shuttered those units.
Trump’s rhetoric is routinely suffused with violent imagery. Earlier in the week, Trump posted an AI-generated meme depicting himself as Lt Col Kilgore from the movie Apocalypse Now. Trump, who issued an executive order last week changing the name of the US Department of Defense to the Department of War, posted an image of himself dressed as Kilgore under the heading “Chipocalypse Now” with an image of a burning Chicago in the background.
There is no precedent in the American story for a president who depicts his role in this escalatory way. “
Russia has backtracked saying it had no intention of targeting Poland as PM Donald Tusk said the Russian drones flying over Polish territory were the closest the country had been to war since then 1940s. Analysts say it not so much a strategically calculated attack as an experiment to see whether Poland and Nato are serious. In the event the response was swift and decisive, with Poland deploying jet fighters, missiles and electronic warfare systems in an unmistakable display of force, and Nato mobilising support aircraft from the United States, Italy and the Netherlands. Recent incursions into Nato airspace have affected Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and even Croatia.
NATO, 24 August 1949 11.42 am Washington, DC, is on alert at the moment with tr Uranus square the Virgo Sun with challenges mounting towards the year end into 2026 with Solar Arc Sun square the Pluto. Ominously the relationship chart between NATO and the Russia 8 December 1991 chart with a hostile Mars Pluto conjunction will be triggered by the upcoming Virgo Solar Eclipse conjunct the Mars exactly and tr Neptune Saturn moving to oppose both Mars and Pluto now and through 2026/27. With a nerve-stretched tr Uranus square the composite Neptune over the winter and the February Eclipse catching the composite North Node.
The Poland, 10 November 1918 chart, has its Solar Arc Neptune square Saturn now for a worrisome, uncertain moment; and the Mars in final degree Sagittarius is being squared the the Eclipse and tr Saturn Neptune over the winter as well for more insecurity. The February 2026 Eclipse is also opposition the Poland Saturn for a time of heavy responsibility.
Relations between Poland and Russia are edgy now into 2026 and more so towards the end of the decade.
The risks of geography with troublesome neighbours.
Israel bombs Qatar, alarming Middle Eastern countries – Russia sends drones over Poland outraging NATO and western allies. All of which seems more redolent of the potentially violent March 2025 Aries Solar Eclipse than the upcoming late September low energy late Virgo one. It is a stretch but the March 2025 Solar Eclipse had Mars at 22 degrees Cancer and transiting Mars has now moved a quarter cycle to 22 degrees Libra. On past experience transiting Mars can be a trigger for later events marked up on the original Eclipse chart.
The bombing of Hamas chiefs in Qatar, has probably killed any chance of saving the remaining hostages held in Gaza. The ceasefire talks with Hamas have been reduced to rubble, which might be what beleaguered Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had actually intended, with a fresh crisis helping his prospects of political survival. The Middle East itself is on the brink of conflict, wrecking the one great diplomatic achievement of Donald Trump’s first term in persuading Israel and Arab states to sign the Abraham Accords.
The strike seems likely to have destroyed Qatar’s role as a mediator in the conflict. Qatari sources said the USA promised them last month that Hamas officials would not be targeted on their territory.
What’s next?
The ominous point (yet another) on the Israel chart is when tr Uranus squares the 10th house Mars in Leo from 3rd to 30th December this year and again mid March to early April 2026. That is explosive, nerve-stretched, insecure and has a tendency to provoke rash over reactions. From mid February 2026 as well tr Pluto will start to oppose the Israel 10th house Moon on and off till late 2027 which suggests a mutinous electorate.
The late February 2026 Solar Eclipse also opposes the Israel Mars which could be a conflagration point.
The Qatar chart 1 September 1971 12 am Doha, has Pluto in late Virgo catching the approaching Virgo Solar Eclipse and tr Neptune Saturn opposition over the winter; plus tr Uranus square the Midheaven and Mercury both at the same degree as the Israel Mars. Relations understandably will be downhill for several years ahead.
Relationships with several Middle Eastern countries also indicate 2026 as a time of stress and reset/upheaval of relationships. The UAE/Israel relationship chart is showing signs of aggravation now and for the next three years with tr Uranus in hard aspect to the T square of Sun, Mars, Pluto. Relations which are toxic at the best of times are being blown apart. Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia all look in different ways unlikely to be shaking hands anytime soon with Israel.
Hamas, 14 December 1987, is certainly done for with the Solar Arc Mars Pluto crossing its Sun Saturn conjunction, now and over the next two years which looks like annihilation but the mess left behind won’t sort quickly. Even the Arab countries disliked them but the Netanyahu response has won few friends.
“For what can war, but endless war, still breed?” John Milton
“An endless war against terrorism can tend to inflate the terrorists, because being at war is attractive to some angry, unemployed, disaffected youth.” Mary Robinson
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Sun Tzu
“War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” Bertrand Russell
Is France the canary in the coal mine for European democracies including the UK? Facing unmanageable state debt, overburdened with welfare and state sector spending with a population unwilling to grasp the nettle and vote for cutbacks, the runaway train hurtles ever faster towards the buffers.
William Hague, ever a sane voice in a political storm, points to the years before the 1789 French Revolution when ministers knew they were presiding over an unsustainable situation and attempted to save the French state from eventual bankruptcy. All of them were thwarted by the vested interests of their day: tax-exempt nobles and churches, restrictive trade guilds and regional parlements. Plus ca change. ‘Today’s vested interests are trade unions and political parties who refuse to take any responsibility.’
‘The UK, France and Germany are in a strikingly similar position – established governing parties are on a road to disaster, facing defeat at the hands of populist parties that are untested, more divisive, with less sense of financial responsibility and a weaker commitment to defending the continent.’
With markets breathing down its neck and debt spreads widening, France is facing economic meltdown unless it can pass an austerity budget to rein in the Eurozone’s worst deficit.
To remedy this, another commentator pointed out, the Left says “take it from the rich and big business, the Right and centre say slash state spending to ‘slim down the mammoth’, and the National Rally says the culprits are immigration and the EU”. “Each has its magic solution, which generally entails not asking the average French person to make any effort whatsoever.”
There is not much to add to the previous France post: France – in the eye of the storm, 27th August 2025.
The Revolutionary France chart of 1789 is certainly under water with Eclipses plus Scheat plus tr Neptune Saturn all assaulting its last degree Virgo Sun.
France 5th Republic chart, 28 September 1958 6pm is equally at a critical point with the Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the North Node almost exactly now. With a great deal of insecurity and aggravation from tr Uranus conjunct the Mars and next year square the Pluto into 2027; with major confusion and dented hopes as tr Pluto squares the over hopeful Neptune Jupiter in 2026/27. And tr Saturn Neptune oppose the Libra Sun in 2026/27. If anything it gets worse towards the end of the decade with Solar Arc Saturn square Mars and opposition Pluto.
Emmanuel Macron may not survive much longer politically though he insists he is not giving in and his departure will solve very little. His original Presidency chart of 14 May 2017 11.25am is in an unstable three years with the Solar Arc Pluto square the Uranus in 2024 when an ill judged snap election gave him even more problems. SA Pluto moves into to a divisive, inflammatory square to Mercury by 2026 as the same time as the Solar Arc MC is conjunct the Presidency Uranus – all wobbling on a cliff edge.
His relationship chart with France certainly indicates 2026 as the year when it all blows up with tr Saturn Neptune opposition the composite Mars Uranus.
Tomorrow September 10th sees a general strike amusingly entitled Block Everything – the French as ever turning their face against reality and obdurately refusing to accept the need for change.
