Marjorie

An astro-quickie on Olly Robbins, Theresa May’s favourite civil servant, who’s been spearheading the Brexit negotiations in Brussels. In an extraordinary lapse of judgement (or was it?) he gossiped about the UK government’s strategy over a late-night drink in a bar earlier this week and was overheard by the ITV journalist Angus Walker. He said the strategy was to force agreement of her unpopular and inadequate deal or face a long delay, since No Deal was effectively off the table. All since hotly denied.

Two things are interesting about his chart. One is his Sun, almost certainly an Anaretic = last degree Aries. Theresa May herself has three planets in the final degree of a sign. The characteristics are dithering endlessly, then leaping blindly to a decision that contradict most of what went before. The tr Uranus Mars conjunction in Aries was conjunct his Sun when he made his gaffe so ramping up his excitability.  Tr Uranus will be moving to oppose his Uranus from the first days of March, so he’s in a rock n’ roll phase when sudden decisions and changes are likely.

The second point of interest is that he, like Grayling, and T May has Mars in Pisces – on the focal point of a scattered Mutable T Square to Venus opposition Neptune; and inconjunct Pluto as well as trine Saturn and trine Uranus. So Mars in Pisces to the nth degree. Pisces is not a sign where Mars is happy.

If a pre-mid-day birth, then he’s got an inspirational and attention-seeking Fire Grand Trine of a Leo Moon trine Jupiter trine Neptune, formed into a Kite by a pushily confident Jupiter opposition Pluto. Making influential Pluto the driving planet which just happens to conjunct T May’s Sun – so a close relationship in which he almost certainly holds the reins.

Rumours have it he has been sounding out merchant banks as his post-Brexit escape route.

His relationship chart with T May is close, friendly, though with a hint of illusions about it and was always destined to live through tumultuous times and many changes. There’s an irritating setback at the moment and a slump come April onwards.

Michelle Obama’s mother – Marian Robinson – wasn’t about to let the former FLOTUS’ spotlight appearance at the Grammy’s go to her head with a distinctly off-hand series of texts suggesting the ‘real stars’ weren’t her daughter.

Born 30 July 1937 in Chicago, she’s a tough cookie with a formidable and unyielding Mars in Scorpio trine Pluto trine Saturn in forced-to-be-self-reliant Aries; and her Pluto in a confident opposition to Jupiter. Her Leo Sun squares a Taurus Moon and Uranus – making her independent-minded and stubborn.

It’s not the easiest relationship with Michelle since her Leo Sun opposes Michelle’s Mars; and her Pluto opposes Michelle’s Sun; with her Mars square Michelle’s Saturn in Aquarius. Lots of gritty edges in there and power struggles.

Mercifully their relationship chart does have a mutually supportive composite Sun Mercury trine Jupiter which will help to smooth out a few wrinkles. There’s a Grand Trine of Venus trine Mars trine Pluto which will mean when they co-operate they make fast progress, though again there’ll be moments of tension as well as affection.

Marian’s ultra-determined Mars in Scorpio is conjunct Barack’s midheaven which will have led either to competitive arguments or she’ll have breathed more ambition into him. She won’t always have taken kindly to his freedom-loving streak since her Mars square his 7^th house Uranus. Her Pluto opposition Jupiter connects with his Saturn in Capricorn Jupiter in Aquarius conjunction – so she arguably did further his idealistic vision. Not a lady to be overlooked.

Actress Brie Larson is using her status as a Marvel superhero to insist on diversity amongst interviewers and film critics who tend to be overwhelmingly white males. Her ‘Captain Marvel’ is due out next month.

Born 1 October 1989 6.41pm Sacramento, California, she had homeopathic practitioners as parents who split when she was young. She was home schooled and started acting early, making the transition into adult roles with great success, winning an Oscar playing a kidnap victim in Room. She said she suffered social anxiety as a child and remains private about her personal life.

She has a complicated chart which homes into on the generational and highly-strung triple conjunction of Uranus Saturn Neptune in Capricorn which sits on her midheaven opposing Jupiter square a 7^th house Sun Mars in Libra. Since the midheaven rules career she’s likely to be creative (Neptune), walk her own path (Uranus), and be well-organised (Saturn). She may end up in an executive role. Jupiter adds a smidgeon of luck to her activities and a focal point Sun and Mars give her initiative and confidence despite her anxieties.

She has a film starry and secretive 8^th house Pluto and Venus; with her Pluto and intensely emotional Scorpio Moon both in a confident trine to her Jupiter.  Her North Node in Aquarius certainly fits her for taking up and promoting causes.

She’s in a hard working phase for the next few years with tr Saturn moving through her upper quadrant; with plenty of chances to shine in the spotlight with her Solar Arc Jupiter moving through her 5^th for many years to come. Though this isn’t her best year with a few obstacles in her way.

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Meghan’s celebrity friends may be well intentioned but they are not making things better by spouting off in all directions. Of all people they should know that the less said, the sooner peace is restored as the media switches focus elsewhere. Feeding the flames will only spread the damage, especially when resentful family members exploit any opening to get their adrenaline shot of publicity.

Her father Thomas Markle, 18 July 1944 has his Cancer Sun exactly on Meghan’s Ascendant which suggests a powerful connection with him being drawn to her outer persona – her public image. It can also be competitive. That’s all the more likely given his controlling Pluto conjunct her Sun; and his Sun is also square her 4^th house Pluto. She would have grown up feeling she was constantly dancing on his strings. His flamboyant Jupiter and Mars fall in her 2^nd house, so he’s also likely to have his interest sparked by her finances. From the letter recently published it’s clear she has supported him with money in the past.

Their relationship chart has an argumentative, competitive composite Sun, Mars, Mercury in a showbizzy but mutually unsupportive square to Neptune (only room for one ego). Plus an emotionally cool Saturn (Moon) Venus conjunction.

His relationship chart with her mother is extra controlling with a composite Sun Pluto and an unfair-treatment Saturn square Mars, so a one sided relationship. And his tie to his other daughter Samantha, despite her protestations, isn’t that close.

Prince Harry is less bothered by Thomas Markle though he feels cornered by the situation. He is much more aggravated by half-sister Samantha whose volcanic Mars, Uranus, Pluto falls in Harry’s 8^th house with her controlling and status-quo-upsetting Pluto Uranus conjunct his Virgo Sun. Her Saturn is in a cold and blocking square to his Moon. And her Neptune is conjunct his midheaven which will make her a subversive influence on his career. His relationship chart with Samantha has a ferociously argumentative composite Mars, Mercury, Sun, Uranus conjunction; and a chained-together Saturn square Pluto. And that shows no sign of getting less angry over the next several years.

It certainly explains one of the mysteries of Harry and Meghan’s relationship chart – of significant family woes  from a bleak, unyielding composite Moon square Saturn Pluto which has been elbowed recently by tr Uranus square the Moon; and tr Pluto will wend a discouraging path round all three planets till 2024.

Prince Harry doesn’t look too chipper this year with tr Pluto coming up to oppose his Sun/Moon midpoint from mid this month i.e. now, on and off till late 2020, which will produce a fair amount of inner conflict and questioning about what he wants from his marriage. That will be amplified by his Progressed Moon going through his 8^th, from the time of his marriage last year right through till mid 2021, which is an emotionally intense time of searching for new values, swinging from extreme to extreme and can feel like being in purgatory or limbo, making him less inclined to be out in the spotlight. Plus a panicky tr Neptune square his 11^th house Mars, making him indecisive about what comes next. He’s also got tr Saturn and tr Pluto moving through his 1^st house which is a heavy duty combo and also fairly reclusive.

It’s such a shame just when he should be happy welcoming a new baby and the family he has always wanted.

Amidst all the Brexit carnage and panic, a moment of fun, well high farce anyway. The witless and ill-starred Transport Secretary Chris Grayling managed to prepare for a no-deal Brexit by agreeing a £14million contract with a ferry firm that didn’t own any ferries. Mystifyingly he and the deal stayed in place until the latter finally fell to bits. Calls for his resignation appear to be falling on deaf ears, especially his own since he, as ever, stalwartly refuses to apologise or admit wrongdoing.

Looking back on his career, he has staggered from one crisis to another, being promoted time after time for no apparently obvious reasons. Most recently he was responsible for a calamitous reworking of railway timetables, shelved plans to regulate the use of drones shortly before they brought Gatwick to a standstill, and then outshone himself with this latest misstep.

Born 1 April 1962, he moved from university into the media, then public relations and thence into politics. He has a pro-active Aries Sun on the apex of a Yod to Neptune sextile Pluto. Such an emphasised Sun will make it difficult for him to modulate his use of will-power, pride and authority. He needs to learn to rein in his tendency to abuse his power. His Sun is also exactly in opposition to his Neptune/Pluto midpoint which will lead to confusion and the pursuit of odd ideas.

He also has a pushily-confident Jupiter opposition Pluto; and an ultra-determined Pluto opposition Mars – with his Pluto exactly in opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint giving him unshakeable self-belief. His Uranus conjunct Regulus opposes his accident-prone Mars/Saturn midpoint. So he’ll lurch merrily from one self-created mishap to the next, while bullshitting his way out of trouble every time.

This month looks swampy and failure-ridden with tr Neptune conjunct his Mars and that returns this November/December.

His relationship chart with Theresa May is business-like, opportunistic, a tug of war for the upper hand and surprisingly private. There’s nothing much to suggest an outright rupture either on this or his own personal chart (without birth times).

There are people and I’ve known a few who rise from failure to failure and never seem to look back. Weird world.

Pic Chris McAndrew.

More February anniversaries. Sky TV is 30 years old this month. Launched by Rupert Murdoch on 5 February 1989 at 6pm, it had a shaky start and haemorrhaged money for several years to the tune of millions of pounds a week but merged with BSB and eventually turned round to make a tidy profit.

As befits a high-tech operation it has not only the Sun but New Moon as well and Venus all in airy, IT-oriented Aquarius.  The 5^th house of sport and entertainment is well-populated though changeable, with Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn there. But what really marks the chart out as special is a successful Jupiter in Taurus in the 10^th hinting at success in later life; and even more so a ruthlessly determined Mars in Taurus opposition Pluto square Sun and Moon – so when push came to shove, there was no doubt who’d win through. And Regulus, the regal planet, is on the late Leo Ascendant.

There’ll be a period of some forced change and disruption as tr Uranus moves into hard aspect round Mars, Moon, Pluto and Sun between 2020 and 2023. But also a confident and successful push in 2022/23 when tr Pluto will trine the Sky Jupiter.

This month is the 40^th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 which brought the hard-line clerics to power, with the country grappling with rising protests, strikes, acts of civil disobedience and an aging supreme leader rumoured to have cancer. The population are restive, complaining about corruption, wishing for a sectarian state and freedom from sanctions and restrictions on personal freedom.

The Iran 7 October 1906, first Parliamentary Democracy chart, is sagging badly this year with tr Neptune opposition the Mars which usually induces a sense of failure. What might be a key time is late year when the Capricorn Solar Eclipse is conjunct the Uranus which will bring upheavals, disruptions and rebellions in the months thereafter.

Bizarrely – or maybe not – Uranus is at the same degree of Capricorn on Ayatollah Khameini’s leadership chart, 4 June 1989, so the December Eclipse will also tug sharply at his chart; and indeed the earlier Eclipses this year in Cancer in July and Capricorn in January are also in hard aspect to the Leadership Neptune Saturn in Capricorn as well; plus tr Pluto in a cornered, frustrated opposition to the Leadership Mars in 2019/2020; and tr Neptune in an undermining square to Sun/Jupiter and Jupiter. So his term is in crisis-mode.

He’s extraordinarily tough and there’s no saying when he goes another similar won’t take his place.

The 1 February 1979 Revolutionary Iran chart is on edge this year with a restless tr Pluto sextile Uranus; and outspoken from this July with tr Uranus square Mercury; with an even more volatile mood in 2020/2021 as tr Uranus square the Mars and Sun, bringing in sudden dramatic changes.

But it may well be the mid 2020s as tr Neptune nears the end of its term in Pisces when there’s a chance of settling into a more constructive phase.

Anti-EU populist parties could do well enough in the coming European Parliament elections to “paralyse” the bloc in a range of policy areas, a pro-EU thinktank report warns. They predict that nationalist, euro-sceptic, and far-right parties could win around a third of seats.

The elections will be held on May 23 to 26^th when the Saturn Pluto conjunction has drawn closer. And the opening session of the newly elected parliament will be on July 2^nd, the day of the Total Solar Eclipse which is exactly opposition the EU Sun. That usually indicates a crisis or at least a sharp prompt for change. The Eclipse located to Brussels puts disruptive Uranus on the IC and the New Moon on the Descendant, so significant events are likely. In addition the heavyweight Saturn Pluto is still together and there’s also an overly-optimistic (financially) Jupiter square Neptune. It will be a key point in EU’s destiny.

The EU 31 December 1957 11pm chart, has the devastating and confusing Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the 2^nd house Neptune, exact to three minutes of a degree (one twentieth) at the time of the election. Though that may be a financial meltdown as well; with tr Uranus exactly opposition the EU Neptune as well, which is highly strung, can be fanatical, certainly not good for clear judgement.  The Solar Arc MC is also moving to conjunct the 12^th house Pluto  five months later which could create blockages as well as shine light on behind-the-scenes dirty dealing and power-broking.

Looking at some of the key players, it is – as ever (sigh) – not that clear about winners and losers.

On the pro-federalist side: Martin Selmayr, who legend has it runs the EU, is looking deflated and out of sorts. Macron is running gently downhill into 2020 but has nothing much showing. Merkel has her life turning upside down with tr Pluto opposition her Uranus from April this year on till late 2020 as she stage manages her exit.

On the other side: Matteo Salvini, the rabble-rousing Italian Deputy PM, is poised for major changes in May with tr Uranus conjunct his Solar Arc Sun exactly over the election; as well as tr Pluto square his Uranus; but less helpfully has tr Pluto conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune; and a complete muddle of tr Neptune conjunct his Solar Arc Jupiter which is conjunct his Sun  – enormously high hopes and then the bubble bursts. Mind you that could be the Italian economy rather than the EU election result.

Steve Bannon, who has been doing the Grand European tour stoking up support for his wild and wayout schemes is jangled and tense with tr Uranus opposition his Saturn in Scorpio; intense and argumentative with tr Pluto conjunct his Mercury and again in the midst of far ranging changes in his life with tr Pluto square his Uranus.

Viktor Orban, the dictatorial Hungarian PM, who would benefit from a populist, far-right bloc, isn’t looking exactly ecstatic either over the election or into 2020/21.

I’d think it wouldn’t quite be the rout which is feared by the pro-EUers. Though the new parliament does look exceptionally fraught.

Albert Finney, the irrepressible talent who shot to fame in the kitchen sink drama Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, roistered his way through Tom Jones and latterly counterbalanced Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich, has died. Throughout a long, sometimes erratic career, he received five Oscar nominations, but never won, and refused a knighthood. He was hailed on stage as a worthy successor to Olivier, but stuck mainly to film and occasionally TV work.

Born 9 May 1936 in Salford, England, he had four planets in Taurus with his Sun widely conjunct Mars and Venus conjunct Uranus so he was a heavyweight personality who exuded a good deal of power and sexuality – no doubt contributing to his legendary love life given Taurus’s propensity for indulgence. His Moon in adventurous Sagittarius was close to Jupiter and was square a creative Saturn opposition Neptune. His Saturn was also in a tough trine to Pluto, sextiling onto his Sun and Mars – so he had grit and perseverance and a defiance which came across in his screen performances.

His Sun was square his other-worldly Neptune/Pluto midpoint and his 7^th Harmonic was strong so he was more fey than he appeared. His strongest harmonic was the 9^th – what gave him pleasure – and the impression from his long career was that he very much suited himself.