China’s grip on Hong Kong has tightened with a draconian new security law which has attracted international condemnation.
Officials say the law is essential for stability but opponents called it a “nail in the city’s coffin”. The new law allows for closed-door trials, gives the police rights to detain suspects for up to 16 days without charge and penalties including life sentences, among other things.
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee defended the law which was fast-tracked through its final phase on Tuesday saying the legislation would help the city “effectively prevent, suppress and punish espionage activities, conspiracies and traps from foreign intelligence agencies, and infiltration and sabotage by hostile forces”. Commentators fear the law could also be used to target HongKongers overseas, or their families and friends back home. The city has previously offered bounties for information on activists who fled overseas, and arrested four people in Hong Kong for supporting people abroad who “endanger national security”.
The Hong Kong 1 July 1997 chart has had a ruinous tr Pluto conjunct the Neptune through 2023 till late this year, which extends on as tr Pluto opposes the 5th house Venus this year and next putting a damper on self-expression and spontaneity. There is also a Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto exactly now pointing to jarring changes and disruption. The second half of this decade does not offer much hope of positive change with tr Neptune Saturn in Aries impacting on the Capricorn Sun square Mars and tr Pluto conjunct the Uranus.
The relationship chart between HK and China 1912 has similar astro-challenges with a hostile/trapped tr Pluto opposition Mars till late this year and conjunct the Uranus in 2025/26 and square the composite Saturn as well which looks discouraging and agitated.
The present HK chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, a hardline former HK policeman, is under investigation by the EU as to whether he should be sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act. His Term chart, 1 July 2022 10.20 am, with a ruthless, domineering Mars square Pluto will undoubtedly follow Beijing’s party line. The mood last year and this has been punitive with some jolts and tensions erupting this June onwards.
You can say what you like about the old empire and colonialism but in a toss up it was a million times better than this.
Oprah Winfrey has become the latest in a line of celebrities shunning the fat-is-fabulous trend to streamline their shape and take strain off their joints and kidneys. After knee surgery in 2021 she went on a diet and exercise regime, helped along by a weight loss drug she admitted last year.
She was born 29 January 1954 4.30am Kosciusko, MS and had a poor and abusive childhood. She has a charming Sun, Venus in Aquarius in her money-making 2nd house trine a 6th house Jupiter (which is prone to indulgence and expansion). More significantly she has Mars in Scorpio square an 8th house Pluto, hinting at the fears which will have dogged her steps throughout her life.
Weight is often not just a way of filling an emotional void but more importantly a protection. Being small, slight and vulnerable is scary. Being heavyweight with layers of fat erects a defence for security and safety. Mars Pluto is about total domination so the child fears their life never mind their bodily integrity is at risk.
Adele, 5 May 1988 8.19 am London has her Mars square Pluto opposition Sun Jupiter in Taurus with her Moon in the 6th as does Lizzo born a week earlier.
Producer Shonda Rhimes has a Mars opposition Pluto. Kirstie Alley has a Mars opposition Pluto. Gabourey Sibide has her Mars in Taurus (conjunct her Taurus Sun) on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune. Monique has a Mars sextile Saturn inconjunct Jupiter.
Jupiter and Taurus have a hand in weight gain as does the Moon on occasion but the recurring Mars Pluto theme is striking.
When Oprah finally got a grip of her weight problem after a life of yo-yo ups and downs, tr Saturn was moving through her 1st Quadrant. That is sometimes a point where the body says ‘enough’. But is also a time when unresolved psychological/emotional issues surface to be resolved. Tr Saturn was also in 2022 shaking up her Mars square Pluto; followed in 2023/24 by tr Uranus opposition her Mars square Pluto – so that defensive structure in her robust personality was being put under pressure to change.
One reason diets often don’t hold is that the underlying fears about vulnerability and attractiveness surface and the old defence mechanisms come back into play.
At least the cartoonists raised a smile at the foregone conclusion of an election described as “farcical” with Putin heading into a fifth term.
The Russia 8 December 1991 7.45pm chart hints at strong emotional reactions domestically this year and next and an increasingly discouraging struggle where neighbours are concerned through 2025/26 with tr Pluto conjunct the 7th house Saturn. With 2027 looking ruinous with hints of violence.
The Russia 8 November 1917 chart will have a blip of luck in 18 months’ time; but otherwise will be sagging domestically with tr Neptune Saturn squaring the 4th house Venus in 2025/26; with 2026/7 looking explosive and disruptive perhaps from internal dissidents with tr Uranus square the 12th house Mars. Tr Pluto opposition the Neptune by 2028/29 will see devastating confusion, perhaps with a natural disaster though also perhaps a political collapse.
What is intriguing is the 1917 chart had its Progressed Mars go retrograde in November 2005 as Putin started to seriously strip away democratic protections with the Russian parliament and in the regions. The following year the USA saw its Progressed Mars also go retrograde for many decades thereafter. A retrograde Mars usually indicates a lessening of vitality and effectiveness.
Putin’s initial Presidency chart 31 December 1999, which dipped badly last year, will get a sharp elbow in the ribs come this July/August and on; with calamities, confusion and lack of will in 2025/26 with tr Pluto conjunct the Neptune. But it is 2026/27 which may see his grip on power being destabilized with Solar Arc Uranus squaring the Pluto. Tr Saturn also squares the Sun in 2025 which sometimes see the curtain come down on administrations and if all that doesn’t shift him, then by 2028 tr Uranus will square the Pluto for more earthquakes under his feet.
My estimate would be overall that Uranus moving into Gemini from 2025 onwards will be the catalyst for his final exit.
ADD ON: The Germany 1871 chart had its Progressed Mars retrograde between March 1910 and August 1990. In 1990 East and West German became united again with Unification Day celebrated on 3 October 1990. Blaschke describes Mars going direct as unleashing an inner reservoir of power that has been building up throughout the retrograde period. It is associated with will power and drive, which would certainly describe Germany’s economic resurgence in the years following.
The coming together of Neptune Pluto in the past has produced megalomanic dictators (Attila the Hun, Tamerlane the Great, Stalin, Cecil Rhodes, Hitler, Mao Tse Tung), scandals (Dreyfus, Oscar Wilde, Panama Canal), great erotic art (the Kamasutra, Canterbury Tales, Burton’s Thousand and One Nights), and science of intangibles (alchemy, electricity, radio waves, x-rays).
400–420 in Taurus and Gemini; 892–919 in Taurus and Gemini with Saturn as well in 912; 1383–1411 in Taurus and Gemini; 1876–1902 in Taurus and Gemini.
Ebertin adds to its individual characteristics – clairvoyant visions and second sight, highly active imagination, self-torment, obsessions.
Pluto’s emphasis on sexuality and Neptune’s boundary-dissolving qualities produced some memorably complicated relationships. Of which Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, Edward and Wallis, Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson as well as Stanley Spencer (below) are but a few examples.
Lord Louis Mountbatten, (uncle of Prince Philip), 25 June 1900 6am Windsor, England, married the much wealthier Edwina, 28 November 1901 7am Romsey, England. She had affairs throughout the marriage, latterly including Nehru, doing little to hide them. He accepted them and even developed friendships with some of them – making them “part of the family”. Her daughter Pamela Hicks describes her mother as a man eater and a detached, rarely seen mother who preferred travelling the world with her current lover to mothering her children. Louis Mountbatten admitted: “Edwina and I spent all our married lives getting into other people’s beds.” He is also suspected of homosexual liaisons, some underage.
He was a Sun Cancer with his Gemini Moon in a possessive conjunction to Pluto in a needs-space opposition to an adventurous Uranus Jupiter in Sagittarius with Neptune also in late Gemini in an escapist conjunction his Sun and an anxiety-riddled opposition to Saturn. He had a see-saw chart so was endlessly searching for another half to give him balance. Edwina’s Sagittarius Sun was conjunct his Uranus for major differences and her evasive Moon Neptune in Cancer in an angry and elusive opposition to Mars in Capricorn collided with his Sun. She also had a rebellious Uranus opposition Pluto and an earthy Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn.
Both of them were a ferocious mess as personalities – and their relationship chart did not give much hope of a settled life with a composite Moon Pluto opposition Jupiter Uranus square Sun opposition Mars – a rolling tempest of a relationship.
The Duke of Windsor, 23 June 1894 9.55pm Richmond, gave up the throne to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, 19 June 1896 10.30pm and subsequently stuck together in exile in what seemed to be an unhappy liaison. He had a Cancer Sun in an impulsive square to Mars, with a Pisces Moon and a 4th house Pluto, Neptune conjunction in Gemini conjunct Jupiter in his 5th house, with an indulgent Venus in Taurus – reckless, trapped by his lineage and a playboy. His 8th house Saturn was trine his Pluto Neptune Jupiter which could have been a stabilizing influence but instead seemed to have induced depression. Wallis’s late Gemini Sun and Venus fell in his romantic 5th as well as her Neptune Mercury in Gemini. She did have her upbeat Jupiter in Leo in his 7th house which would offer him support. But their relationship chart with its out-of-step Full Moon, never in tune with each other’s moods, would take its toll. Their composite Venus, Pluto Neptune fell in the composite 4th for a trapped, confused and extravagant domestic life.
Novelist and garden designer Vita Sackville-West, 9 March 1892 4.15 pm Knowle, England, married penniless diplomat Harold Nicholson, 21 November 1886, after a chaste engagement without so much as a kiss and thereafter they had an open marriage. Both had same-sex relationships before and during their marriage. She had the Neptune Pluto conjunction in Gemini in her 10th house giving her creative talent and influence and a tendency to control. Her Leo Moon was square Uranus hinting at a need for constant change. She also had an unstable Saturn in Virgo opposition Jupiter square an excitable Mars in Sagittarius which would amplify her need for excitement and constant travel.
Harold, who later became a politician and then a journalist/biographer, had a Sun, Venus in Scorpio opposition Neptune Pluto so would feel the full brunt of the creative, erotic, confusion-inducing fates that oversaw his birth. He had several homosexual affairs and Vita discussed with him their shared homosexual tendencies They remained famously devoted to each other and wrote almost every day when they were separated because of Nicolson’s long diplomatic postings abroad or Vita’s insatiable wanderlust.
His Sun Venus fell in her 4th house and and was trine her Jupiter and Pisces Sun for a mutually supportive bond.
Their relationship chart was riddled with strained quincunxes – Saturn inconjunct the composite Sun; and Mars inconjunct the composite Neptune Pluto conjunction. Pieces that did not quite fit together. The Sun was also square Uranus – a union that needed a good deal of space and individual freedom. And the composite Moon may have been square Neptune Pluto – possessive and evasive. Somehow they made it work.
Nowadays seems unduly prudish in comparison.
ADD ON: An additional weirdness was Vita’s long passionate relationship with Violet Keppel-Trefusis, daughter of the favourite mistress of Albert Edward (“Bertie”), the Prince of Wales, who became King in 1901. He paid visits to her mother at tea time regularly until he died in 1910. Her father who was aware of the affair, was conveniently absent at these times.
Violet met Vita when she was ten and formed an attachment. On learning in later years that Vita was to be engaged to Harold Nicolson and was involved in an affair with Rosamund Grosvenor, Violet became engaged to Denys Trefusis to make Vita jealous. But because of Vita’s exclusive claim, and her own loathing of marriage, Violet made her husband-to-be promise never to have sex with her as a condition for marriage. As Vita and Violet cavorted together in the south of France gossip about their loose behaviour reached London. There then ensued a merry-go-round with two agitated husbands in pursuit, which climaxed when Harold told Vita that Violet had been unfaithful to her (with her husband Denys). Vita flew off the handle. Violet clung on via letters. And after to-ing and froing the affair ended and Vita stayed married to Harold.
The aristos at their worst.
Violet, 6 June 1894, London, no birth time, had a Sun. Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto conjunction in Geminis square Mars in Pisces – which was a whirlwind of over excitable chaos. Plus an indulgent Venus in Taurus; and an impulsive Mars trine Uranus perhaps trine a Cancer Moon.
Her Mars was conjunct Vita’s Pisces Sun for a spark of attraction though was also a recipe for arguments. Violet’s Venus was in opposition to Vita’s Uranus again hinting at the thrill of the unconventional but not a recipe for calm togetherness.
Their relationship chart did have an affectionate and mutually supportive composite Sun, Jupiter, Venus conjunction but it opposed Uranus for constant tensions and separations. There was also a Grand Trine of Mars trine Saturn trine Pluto Neptune hinting at a streak of unkindness, power-imbalance and considerable confusion.
All too exhausting.
ADD ON: Interesting that Vita S-W had a Taurus North Node and became one of the pre-eminent gardeners in the world with her husband in creating the Sissinghurst Garden. Traditionally Taurus NN have a powerful sex drive and tend to live out periods of intense emotional turmoil as they are pulled back into the Scorpio South Node. Moderation is lacking and they can be defensive in a hostile way if confronted. Reaching out for nature is what brings contentment ultimately. She was on her Nodal Return when she and her husband bought Sissinghurst.
Artist Stanley Spencer’s marital life has been described as “the most bizarre domestic soap opera in the history of British art”. He was renowned for his First World War memorial paintings and his life in rural Cookham murals. His paintings originally provoked shock and controversy and foreshadow some of the much later works of Lucian Freud.
He left his first wife, Hilda, having been vamped by Patricia Preece, who on marrying him, left immediately after the wedding with her lesbian lover and conned him out of his house, the assumption being she only married him to restore her bankrupt family’s fortunes. He returned intermittently to his first wife whom he faithfully visited during her last illness. Just to add to the confusion Patricia Preece’s paintings, well remarked at the time, appear to have been painted by her lover Dorothy Hepworth.
Spencer was born 30 June 1891, no birth time, London and was a Sun Mars in Cancer with the inspired, imaginative and often tormented Neptune Pluto in Gemini amplified in his chart conjunct Venus and North Node and squaring a Saturn opposition Jupiter. No surprises his life read like overblown fiction – fantastical, prone to cons and falsehoods, mystical and clearly talented.
His first wife Hilda, 20 November 1889, was a late Sun Scorpio with her Venus in Scorpio trine his Sun and her Mercury in Scorpio in an argumentative trine to his Mars. Their relationship chart has a passionate Venus Mars conjunction; and a power-couple, overly hopeful Jupiter trine Neptune Pluto but it was also riddled with doubt and suspicion from Neptune Pluto square Saturn.
Patricia Preece, 22 January 1894, was a Sun Aquarius with an ultra-determined and duplicitous Mars in Sagittarius opposition Neptune Pluto. Her Venus did trine his Sun and her Mars squaring his Venus would provide a spark of attraction; though clashing as it did with his Saturn it was always destined to end in tears. Their relationship chart has an affectionate Sun, Venus, Jupiter conjunction which would be reassuringly affectionate but that sat side by side with an unkind/cruel/unpleasant Mars Saturn conjunction trine Pluto. Neptune
Dorothy Hepworth, 30 September 1894, was a Sun Libra and Moon which fitted with Preece’s Aquarius Sun and Leo Moon. But that apart it would be an uneasy match – though their relationship chart did have an affectionate Sun, Mercury, Venus opposition Pluto Neptune Jupiter conjunction – love and control and duplicity all sitting together; plus a one sided Saturn trine Mars.
Oddly enough Spencer’s relationship chart with Hepworth was the most aggravated of the quartet with a composite Pluto Mars Neptune.
His first wedding to Hilda on 23 February 1925 has a composite New Moon (probably) so she would make him feel whole with a doubting Venus opposition Neptune square Saturn; a push-and-pull Pluto Jupiter and a Grand Trine onto a Kite with Jupiter as the leading planet. More pluses than minuses though according to biographers her self-confidence waned during her marriage to Spencer and she painted more after the marriage split. He was a man of “idiosyncratic vision, unassailable conviction, egocentricity, and brilliance.” They could both be stubborn and argumentative.
His wedding to Preece, 29 May 1937 had a power-couple (struggle for the upper hand) Jupiter opposition Pluto square Venus which does hint at manipulation (Venus Pluto) with a hyper-determined Mars trine Pluto inconjunct Venus.
The art world has always been awash with complicated liaisons and not on the whole renowned for committed marriages but this does seem to be weirder than most.
A new book THE SECRET ART OF DOROTHY HEPWORTH AKA PATRICIA PREECE by Denys J. Wilcox is out later this month.
Billie Piper, an actress with a rare reputation for talent in recent years, a child star and former singer, has been opening up about growing up in a male dominated world and her difficulties co-parenting with her divorced second husband the scandal-prone Laurence Fox.
He was sacked by GB News last year after sexist comments he made on-air about a female journalist. He recently lost a libel case with two people he called paedophiles on social media, and was arrested last October on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to Ulez cameras.
They share teenage sons from their marriage which ended in 2016. Her first marriage was to Chris Evans, a tv presenter 16 years older.
She was born 22 September 1982 in Swindon, England, maybe 10.20pm with a Virgo Sun and Neptune both square a 7th house Neptune (on this birth time) which makes sense of multiple relationships. She also has an impulsive, headstrong Mars Uranus in Sagittarius possibly conjunct her Moon which again will make for difficulty in finding domestic stability. Plus an unyielding Saturn Pluto conjunction
Laurence Fox, 26 May 1978, is a Sun Gemini with a Capricorn/Aquarius Moon. He also has a hard-edged, overly reactive, angry Saturn Mars in Leo which sits in her 4th house of family; and his pushily-confident Jupiter square Pluto collides with her Mercury. Their relationship chart significantly has a composite Mars Pluto conjunction for a power-imbalance and hostility from that.
Chris Evans, 1 April 1966, of whom she speaks highly, is a pro-active, excitable Sun Mars in Aries; with an aggravating opposition from his Mars to her Saturn and his unsettled Uranus Pluto conjunction sitting close to her Venus – none of which are recipes for long term contentment. Again the relationship chart has a dominating composite Mars Pluto trine; with a composite Sun opposition Saturn square Pluto. Power/submission would be issues.
Even the wedding charts do not look hopeful.
To Evans: 6 May 2001, a Sun inconjunct Pluto, square Uranus and square Neptune, with Mars inconjunct Saturn and Jupiter opposition Pluto. Muddle, mayhem, one sided,
To Fox, 31 December 2007: there was an aggravated Sun opposition Mars, trine Saturn; Saturn opposition Uranus; and Jupiter Pluto opposition Mars. Arguments would follow.
In the Vogue interview she said: “There was a point where I realised I had been drawn into siding with men on a lot of things.” “I’d grown up in a world that was dominated by men.” “They always had the last word at home, which could be frightening.” “I became very famous very young, and went into the music industry, which was another place where you were told what to do by men.” “Sometimes I wanted to appeal to them, so that I could feel safe. Sometimes I wanted to be them because it looked like they were having a better time than I was. It was a period of time in the 1990s where it was just very, very male heavy. I felt a huge amount of frustration about that. And I carried that into my romantic relationships.”
The old patterns repeat until as she describes she had a phase in her early thirties where she felt ‘unhinged and mentally not well’ and started to let go her old destructive patterns. That would be when tr Uranus first opposed her Saturn Pluto conjunction but more so tr Pluto moved through Capricorn squaring her Saturn Pluto. Women who have been dominated and overly submissive often take into their forties after their tr Pluto square their natal Pluto to become empowered and learn to stand up for themselves
Albert Einstein, the theoretical physicist, reckoned to be one of the greatest and most influential scientists of all time was born 145 years ago. Best known for developing the theory of relativity, he also made important contributions to quantum mechanics and was a central figure in the revolutionary reshaping of the scientific understanding of nature in the first decades of the twentieth century.
He was born 14 March 1879 11.30am Ulm, Germany, and was a child prodigy in mathematics. He had a Sun Pisces, which is a sign surprisingly common amongst first ranking mathematicians and scientists, whose sense of vision and insight are strong. He was undoubtedly ambitious with a 10th house Sun as well as a communicative Mercury in Aries conjunct a serious, well-organised Saturn and Venus also in pro-active Aries. His Pluto in Taurus was in a determined trine to Mars in Capricorn. And his Neptune in Taurus was in a creative trine to Uranus in his quick-witted 3rd house.
His first wife who was also a physicist/mathematician, Mileva Maric, 19 December 1875, is thought by some to have contributed to his early theories but other dispute that. She had a Sagittarius Sun and Mercury on his 6th so they would have a shared work connection. Her Venus was in his 7th for a love attraction; and her Jupiter in his 5th for children and fun. She had a child with him out of wedlock and another two once they were married. But it did not last which given their relationship chart is hardly surprising. That had a composite Sun in an evasive/disappointing square to Neptune. But the real trouble came from a composite Mars opposition Uranus square Pluto which is explosive, controlling, hostile.
There’s nothing much to suggest she was a seminal influence on his work though at the time she would boost his confidence and creativity.
He was unfaithful with a cousin whom he married and later started an affair with his secretary and appeared to have had several mistresses as well. His Sun/Moon midpoint was exactly square his Neptune which would not make for a strong sense of commitment.
His breakthrough genius 13th harmonic was his strongest. His creative 7H, leaving a legacy 17H; and global name 22H are also well aspected.
The UK may not be gripped by such mortal terror as the USA given their abysmal political choices. But the agitation is undoubtedly rising as election fever sets in despite none having – as yet – been declared.
In the immediate future the UK chart is facing tr Uranus square the 11th house Saturn which rules the legislature from May 12 to 28 which could indicate the aftermath of an election – though there is no one astro-signature for an election. That influence repeats end of the year into early 2025. The April 8 Solar Eclipse is square the 10th house UK Moon and conjunct the UK South Node – pointing to challenges and changes involving a) the ruling class as represented by the 10th house Moon, though that could as easily refer to the Royal Family as key symbolic figures and b) tapping into the UK’s indecision when it comes to alliances and partnerships. The October Libra Eclipse falling on the UK’s Ascendant could be a crisis of confidence in terms of image perhaps triggered by a new beginning, It will be a major turning point.
The Lunar Eclipse on 25th of this month set for London has Jupiter exactly conjunct the Ascendant which would suggest a confidence boost and it runs alongside tr Pluto opposition the UK Jupiter, in place till early April. The 8 April Solar Eclipse set for London has the New Moon conjunct the Descendant which usually denotes significant events. So there will be a sense of imminent change of a radical variety.
Previous Solar Eclipses around these degrees were in 2005 – when Tony Blair won a third election with a reduced majority – and became President of the Council of the EU. Wedding of Charles and Camilla. Terrorist bombings in London. The Civil Partnership Act granted same-sex couples similar legal rights to those of married heterosexuals. Same eclipse degrees in 1986 when Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of Windsor dies. Channel Tunnel announced linking UK to France.
Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party were always due for yet more jolts and jangles late this April into early May with his Taurus Sun opposition Uranus and the Tory Party Sun Saturn in Taurus being elbowed by disruptive, liberating and wild card tr Uranus. Before that, the 25th March Lunar Eclipse is conjunct his PMship Midheaven which does point to a crisis. The April Solar Eclipse is also conjunct Sunak’s Pluto on his birth chart which is a subtle influence suggesting a major reform is required otherwise stagnation will set in. On his personal chart he looks boosted by one of his Jupiter midpoints in August and beyond, and in mood for a change come 2025 – but losing for him would not be a total wipeout, given his family’s wealth and California connection though a defeat clearly would not be good for his ego.
Keir Starmer’s Leadership chart, 4 April 2020 is not a racing certainty for a win with tr Pluto conjunct the catastrophic Mars/Saturn midpoint mid April to late May, and repeating on and off till late 2025. With tr Uranus square the Jupiter/Neptune midpoint late April to mid May which is over hopeful.
His personal chart has one cheerful blip May 12 to 29th, repeating late December to March 2025. Which would be a small window for success, followed by a major change in his life. But all the indications are that a Labour win would be a poisoned chalice followed by setbacks, aggravations and failed policies. Starmer’s leadership chart is in even worse trouble in 2025/26.
The Labour Party 12 February 1906 chart which does have tr Uranus square the Sun Venus over late April/early May which could indicate a change, followed by an upbeat tr Uranus conjunct the Jupiter in August, running into 2025. But it then runs into Solar Arc Sun Venus conjunct Pluto by 2026 which will be grinding to a halt, followed by a downhill slide from tr Neptune Saturn in Aries hitting its Mars in Aries square Uranus opposition Neptune for several years thereafter.
Nothing settled, I fear.
Lindsay Hoyle, 10 June 1957, who took up the Speakership on 4 November 2019 has been struggling with tr Pluto square his Neptune this year which won’t have improved his judgement and it repeats on and off till late 2025. Plus tr Pluto square his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint which also accompanies career missteps and it also runs on through next year.
His Term chart, started on a Saturn Pluto conjunction which is drawing to the exact aspect by early in 2025 which might suggest a dead halt. The Term Mars is catching the April Solar Eclipse for major arguments which have already kicked in.
His personal chart suggests major changes in his life in 2025/26/27 which might indicate he moves on.
Dinae Abbott, 27 September 1953, has a Sun Libra with a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Virgo and a hope-for-a-better-society Saturn Neptune in Libra trine Jupiter and sextile Pluto for influence and success – as well as being in an opinionated square to Uranus. She’s up and down for the next three to four years and not in a progressive phase.
The dreaded Tory donor Frank Lester who made the racist remark is a bull-headed Sun Mars in Taurus.
ADD ON: Penny Mordaunt is being talked up as a Sunak replacement, 4 March 1973, Torquay, England. A New Moon, Venus and Mercury in Pisces with her Sun square a Saturn opposition Neptune and sextile Mars in Capricorn, she is determined with her heart in the right place from Saturn Neptune though it often lacks the killer instinct to make it to the top. Her Mars widely square Pluto and square Uranus as well as inconjunct Saturn will make her impulsive with an uncertain grip on her temper at times. She is on a roll in 2024/25 with tr Pluto conjunct her Jupiter in Aquarius with highs late May/early June following on from a few catastrophes in the second half of May, repeating New Year to mid March 2025.
Lee Anderson, 6 January 1967, A Sun Capricorn square Mars, also has tr Pluto in hard aspect to his Jupiter at 1 degree Leo so will be pushing ahead confidently in 2024/25 but apart from one lucky break, looks less than enchanted especially in 2025.
Diane Abbott, 27 September 1953, does seem to arouse strong reactions, after a positive start in Westminster, especially in recent years since she went hard left and started to suffer from health problems like diabetes which appeared to make her muddled. Without a birth time it is not possible to say but I might suspect her focal point Pluto, depending on the house position might be part of the problem. A strong Pluto can attract hostility. She also may have an Air Grand Trine of a Libra Sun trine North Node in Aquarius trine (maybe) a Gemini Moon – and that plus Uranus square Saturn Neptune will reinforce her dogmatic theorizing. Too much Air (like Corbyn) can produce an ideologue.
“Great work can come out of chaos” is one of the themes of a new warts-and-all film about the work of Merchant Ivory, at one point box-office titans behind sumptuous period masterpieces like Remains of the Day, A Room With a View, Maurice and Howards End. The polished, upper class mien of their films was in complete contrast to the ‘blood-curdling bust-ups’ between the partners in their private lives as they swapped partners; and on set as they ran out of money and refused to pay the actors. But none of that appeared on screen. Their films launched the careers of Hugh Grant, Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Graves and Julian Sands, made stars of Emma Thompson and Daniel Day-Lewis. ‘The roaring trade in Jane Austen adaptations might never have happened without them. You could even blame Merchant Ivory for Bridgerton.’
The atmosphere on set was often fraught and one friend said of Ismail Merchant, described as a “conman” with a “bazaar mentality” – “You never went to bed without dreaming of ways to kill him. But you couldn’t not love him.” The documentary also makes a case for Ivory as an underrated advocate for gay representation. It was their gay love story Maurice that was their riskiest undertaking coming as it did in 1987 at the height of the Aids crisis. After The Remains of the Day was nominated for eight Oscars, the brand faltered and was dismissed by the director Alan Parker as representing “the Laura Ashley school” of cinema.
Producer Ismail Merchant, 25 December 1936, Bombay and Director James Ivory 7 June 1928 Berkeley, California. Merchant is a confident and ambitious Sun Jupiter in Capricorn trine Uranus; with a creative Saturn opposition Neptune square a Sagittarius North Node; and an intense Mercury opposition Pluto. And a Taurus Moon.
Ivory was a Sun Venus in Gemini sextile an excitable Mars and Uranus in Aries and opposition Saturn; with his Mars in an ultra-determined square to Pluto.
On the synastry there was not a strong connection apart from both having Venus in an Air sign and Ivory’s Moon maybe in Aquarius to match Merchant’s Venus. And a lucky Jupiter Uranus cross over. On the relationship chart, however, there was almost certainly a composite New Moon = more whole when together; as well as an ever-optimistic Jupiter opposition Neptune. Both of which would hold their partnership together. And what would threaten to blow it apart regularly was a composite Pluto opposition Mars square Uranus – OK for a trailblazing partnership but not exactly harmonious. Blood-curdling sounds about right.
