Marjorie

Tramping the Catalan secessionist movement under foot appears to be the Spanish government’s continuing tactic with murmurs that a fresh wave of arrests of nationalists may be unleashed. PM Rajoy stands accused of using the judiciary as a political tool. ‘The speed with which the justice system has responded to the Catalan crisis is in marked contrast to the glacial pace with which it is handling the hundreds of corruption cases involving members of the ruling Popular party.’ (Guardian). 19 of the elected candidates are in prison, on bail or in exile, and face charges that carry up to 30 years inside. An official report into the largely peaceful demonstrations organised by Catalan grassroots organisations in October described them as “sowing the seeds of hate towards the Spanish state”.

A bully-boy strategy is guaranteed to harden attitudes even amongst those Catalans who would favour a unified Spain. Memories of Franco’s dictatorial treatment of the region still rankle and there is a centuries-old dislike of Madrid in the north. Catalans versus Castilians – history never dies.

The Catalonia 11 May 1258 JC chart, is highly unsettled through 2018 with Solar Arc Saturn (forces of repression) conjunct the rebellious Catalonia Uranus; and an explosive tr Uranus opposition Mars from mid-2018 into 2019, with more emotional outbursts following.

The Spain 19 January 1479 JC chart seems to work better than the modern 1975 one. The Aquarius Sun and Jupiter in Taurus have been rattled by the 2017 Eclipses and will be again in 2018. Over confidence could be a problem ahead which what may precipitate the fast-downward slide it’ll hit from April 2018 till 2020 with tr Neptune conjunct Mars and opposition Saturn.

It poses a headache for the EU, not that they care much about democracy or secessionist movements. But relations with Spain are moving into a troubled period till 2020. In some ways more difficult than EU/UK relations. And that shows up both on the EU/Spain 1479 relationship chart as well as the EU/Spain 1975 one.

Politicians never learn. Like Palestine and the RCs in Northern Ireland. Treat them badly, when some turn violent out of frustration meet that with retaliating violence and so it escalates. When it would be perfectly simple in the case of Catalonia to give them more autonomy within a unified Spain and let it all settle down.  NB: PM Rajoy was Jesuit-educated, is pro-bullfighting and has had several corruption allegations made against him all denied and found unproven by the courts. Judges are political appointees.

California’s Thomas fire is now the largest blaze in the state’s history, wreaking havoc on an area greater than New York City, Brussels and Paris combined; and is still only 65% contained. Governor Jerry Brown says devastating wildfires are now the ‘new normal’. This recent outbreak follows a series of deadly fires in the CA wine country in October that burned more than 10,000 homes and killed more than 40 people.

California is facing one of its most tumultuous periods since the 1930s – the last time it underwent a Uranus Return on the state chart, 9 September 1850, which has an exact Uranus Pluto conjunction in last degree Aries. Although California was not the worst hit by the Great Depression, what altered its politics, religion and culture in the mid 1930s was the Dust Bowl migration of poor farmers, who moved in desperation from the prairies to work in agriculture, oil production and film making. Immortalised in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath.

Through 2017/2018 tr Pluto is square the CA Saturn in Aries for bleak times and hardship; into 2018 tr Uranus will conjunct the CA Uranus Pluto from late April, on and off into early 2019, which will be a tremendous upheaval. There’s a downbeat Solar Arc Venus conjunct Saturn, around now as well as a disappointing and undermining Solar Arc Sun conjunct Neptune. Tr Neptune will oppose the CA Virgo Sun from May 2018 to late 2019 which will also be morale-sapping. And by 2020/21 the Solar Arc Saturn will conjunct the CA Mars for what could be another disaster. By 2023/24 tr Pluto will have caught up to square the CA Uranus Pluto for another series of radical changes.

The 1930s wasn’t a disaster for California since the film and other businesses were flourishing, but it certainly underwent a major transformation.

A tough chart needn’t mean a bad outcome if a demanding lifestyle is chosen. Rescuing violent gang members certainly qualifies. Father Gregory Boyle runs the largest and most successful gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world in Los Angeles. His Homeboy Industries supports 10,000 men and women a year, who are working to overcome their pasts, find a new future, and break the inter-generational cycles of gang violence. He has just published a new book Barking To The Choir, a follow-up to his earlier bestseller Tattoos on the Heart. “Gang violence is about a lethal absence of hope,” he says. “Nobody has ever met a hopeful kid who joined a gang.”

Born 19 May 1945, one of eight children, was ordained as a Jesuit, and after a stint in Bolivia settled to work in LA.

He has a late Taurus Sun widely trine Jupiter; Mars in Aries trine Pluto, sextiling onto an innovative Uranus; and Mars opposition Neptune square Saturn and North Node in Cancer; and a Virgo Moon. His Mercury in stubborn Taurus also squares Pluto. Mars Pluto Uranus connected even by sextiles and trines is an explosive mix – and he said in his younger days he used to get very angry. His Mars square Saturn would also make him prone to erupt. But such a focal point Saturn does give – eventually – executive and organising ability, and self-discipline.

He’s had leukaemia for the past 14 years which makes his work even more laudable.

He’s got several well-aspected Harmonics, especially the 22H and obsessive-dream 11H; as well as the breakthrough/genius 13H; and the spiritual seeker 7H.

Historically the Jesuits had a terrible reputation but in more recent times they have been behind the promotion of liberation theology which emphasizes a concern for the liberation of the oppressed.

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Why would you turn up at a family lunch to greet a new incomer who has an African-American mother with a blackamoor brooch on? Princess Michael of Kent has never gone out of her way to be likeable but that is a faux pas of astonishing proportions. (Photo credit: Mark Cuthbert)

Born 15 January 1945 of German-Hungarian descent with a Nazi father, she married Prince Michael, the first cousin of the Queen, after her first marriage to a banker was annulled by the Vatican.

She’s a Sun Capricorn trine Jupiter; with a fairly hard-edged and definitely unsentimental chart. A cool, opinionated Air Grand Trine of Neptune in Libra trine Uranus trines her Aquarius Moon which opposes Pluto; and she has a resentful Mars in Capricorn opposition Saturn square Neptune.

Neither Prince Charles nor Prince Harry look enamoured of her this month; though Charles is more resigned at being tied to her by duty. Though that may not survive as the Queen’s influence fades. Even HM herself is looking seriously disappointed in her with perhaps ructions come the spring. As I understand the Kents still live in Kensington Palace with the Queen presumably footing the bill.

The other Royal ladies certainly dislike Princess Michael with Kate more aggravated than usual this month with her; and she sets Camilla‘s teeth on edge, with more tensions coming towards 2019.

Not that her relationship with Prince Michael is that easy either, since her Saturn is conjunct his Jupiter Sun in Cancer dampening his enthusiasm and joie de vivre; with her argumentative Mars in opposition; her Mars and Sun in Capricorn fall in his financial 2^nd house (go figure), his Mars (Pluto) probably opposes her Moon, and her Uranus is in his 7^th. He does have Saturn Uranus on his Descendant so was always likely to pick a fairly contradictory and autocratic partner who was hard work.

“Astoundingly bad in virtually every way – a conspicuous evidence of desperate efforts to cobble its under-explained and yet somehow overcomplicated mythology into something coherent.” (The Wrap). You didn’t like it, then? Netflix’s newest offering Bright and its most expensive to date, starring a “lost and on auto-pilot” Will Smith, has clearly misfired at a cost of $90 million.

It is described as an urban fantasy crime in a world where both humans and others – Orcs, Fairies, Elves, Centaurs, Dwarves etc – co-exist. Dogged LAPD cop Smith with an Orc rookie constable discover an ancient, powerful magic wand, only to encounter a darkness that will ultimately alter the future and their world as they know it. Metacritic gives it 29 out of a 100 and a sequel has been commissioned. Only in Hollywood.

Will Smith, 25 September 1968 1.45 am Philadelphia, PA, has had a sterling career in commercial terms, starring in box-office record-breaking blockbusters, but he’s clearly misjudged this one. He has a quick-witted 3^rd house Libra Sun conjunct a free-spirited and rebellious Uranus and a Scorpio Moon, which is a tricky mix to balance – both freedom-loving as well as intensely emotional and possessive especially about family. Plus a super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Virgo. But what marks his chart out as unusual is a Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn in Aries in his 10^th. Yods, sometimes known as ‘finger of destiny’ usually give a sense to the individual that they’re different from those around and they can feel uneasy initially about not fitting in. Until they find their direction and then become single-minded in pursuit of their chosen goals. A focal point Saturn is demanding in terms of self-discipline, self-control and maturity. If mishandled it can be self-defeating. His Saturn also opposes his 4^th house Venus Mercury, so he will fall into moods of discouragement, feeling he’s not loveable enough or good enough.

Saturn in the 10^th often ends up in an executive position, being a good organiser. But he’ll be going through tough times in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto square his Saturn which will – after a fair struggle – push him onto a new track. 2020 won’t do his confidence much good with tr Neptune opposition his Jupiter then, which may be financial disappointments; as well as an accident-prone Solar Arc Mars opposition his Saturn which could affect his career ambitions. But for all that he’s got stamina and will be boosted along the way through till 2021 by his lucky Jupiter and Jupiter midpoints picking up helpful transits from Pluto.

There’s more to him than a pretty smiling face, that’s for sure. But undoubtedly Saturn now in Capricorn will be dimming his morale a touch as it squares his Sun in January.

Catalonia’s forced election hasn’t gone the way the Spanish government hoped with separatist parties holding a slim, though reduced, majority in the new assembly. PM Mariano Rajoy’s hard-line tactics have backfired, with Spanish stocks falling and the euro weakening on the result. It’s not clear who will be given the right to form a government, with Catalonia at the moment under direct rule from Madrid and the separatist leader, Carles Puigdemont, still exiled in Brussels. The majority of Catalonians would probably opt to stay in Spain with more autonomy for the region, but his heavy-handed approach (Saturn in Scorpio opposition Mars Moon in Taurus square Pluto) increased local resentment amongst a proud and stubborn people against the central government. 16% of Spain’s population live in Catalonia, and it produces: 25.6% of Spain’s exports; 19% of GDP; 20.7% of foreign investment.

Carless Puigdemont, 29 December 1962, Gerona, is a Capricorn Sun trine a rebellious Uranus Pluto in Virgo, which in turn is in a pushily-confident and opportunistic opposition to Jupiter. He looks generally bullish in the year ahead, especially from early January. Though less certain of his prospects from mid May as tr Uranus opposes his Sun/Mars and will be less sanguine about his cause in two years time when he’s hit by Solar Arc Saturn square his Sun; and tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Saturn for two years.

The Spain, 22 Nov 1975 12.45pm chart, looks set back on its heels exactly now with tr Saturn opposition Mars; with tensions rising from July 2018 onwards as tr Uranus squares the Saturn; and financial worries in 2019.

South Korea’s most famous pop singer. Kim Jong-Hyun, has devastated his fans in a suspected suicide with thousands lining the streets crying. South Korea has one of the world’s highest suicide rates in the world and it is the chief cause of death for under 30s, due it is thought to a highly competitive education system and a corporate culture that has little tolerance for failure. The entertainment is notoriously tough and K-pop singers can face demanding lifestyles with every aspect of their lives – from their musical style and fashion to diet and even mobile phone use – dictated by powerful management agencies. He had been in the public eye for 10 years, his music making inroads across Asia and into Europe. In a note made public a day after his death, he said he felt “broken from inside. The depression that gnawed on me slowly has finally engulfed me entirely,” adding that he “couldn’t defeat it any more”. The fear is now for copy-cat suicides.

Born 8 April 1990 in Seoul, he had an Aries Sun square Saturn, Neptune and Uranus in Capricorn, so he was part of the highly-strung triple conjunction generation of that period, who can be tinged with genius, but are also chaotic and can be obsessive. The Saturn square his Sun would make him feel he was never good enough; and Saturn Neptune can be neurotic. More pointedly he had an intense Pluto in Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius which would give rise to acute frustrations. His sensitive, musical Venus in Pisces was trine Jupiter in Cancer; and he had an over-worrying Virgo Moon probably trine his Capricorn planets which would exacerbate his tendency to brood. His Mercury in Taurus was also trine Uranus Neptune, with much the same effect.

Tr Pluto had been squaring his Sun through 2017 which would ramp up the pressure on him; and he had been through high-stress in 2016 with his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars; as well as tr Pluto and tr Uranus hitting on his Neptune and Uranus before that – so his inner turmoil would have been building for some years.

South Korea, 15 August 1948, does have a bleak, hard-driving chart with the Leo Sun conjunct Pluto on one side and Saturn Mercury on the other – so not much room for compassion for for those who can’t match up to Saturn in Leo’s demand for great accomplishments. Given that his crushing Mars Pluto square collided with the SK Sun Pluto Saturn it’s not a stretch to suggest it was the country’s ethos which finally defeated him.

The Last Jedi, universally praised by critics with a soaring box office, has run into a hostile backlash from some fans who are burning their Star Wars shirts in disappointment. The fandom world is bizarre at the best of times, with fans having an unhealthily-obsessive investment in their fantasy characters and the actors who play them. It can easily turn toxic when they aren’t given what they want and expect. In this case part of the gripe appears to be that what was a white guy franchise has now diversified in the new younger generation with a wider racial spread and, heaven forfend, more women.

On the charts for start of principal photography in early 2016 and release this month, apart from the tumultuous Uranus square Pluto, and priggishly self-righteous Saturn in Sagittarius, both have Mars in Scorpio. Mars having just returned on its two-year cycle as the movie opened.

This is an obsessively driven placing for can-be-aggressive Mars, which loves and loathes with equal intensity and will carry a grudge to the ends of the galaxy and beyond when it doesn’t get its way. It can turn rancid in individuals who don’t have much of a life or much self-confidence. Instead of sorting themselves out, they make other peoples’ lives a misery by acting out their resentment, venting their spleen and sarcasm and dreaming of revenge.

The shame is that when properly directed the do-or-die determination of Mars in Scorpio can move mountains and achieve the impossible. Though sitting in a multi-plex chucking popcorn at the screen isn’t exactly the arena where it can showcase its talents. The guys who made the movie Yes; the passive watchers NO.

Feel the fear and do it anyway is pretty much Saturn’s motto. Getting to grips with it will be crucial as it moves through Capricorn, its own sign, from now till 2020.

One of the most misunderstood signs of the zodiac, Saturn is two-faced, not in the sense of being devious or slippery, quite the contrary. It rules Capricorn, so presides over the New Year, facing backwards to lament the dying year and looking forward to plan for the next 12 months. Mourning and celebrations go hand in hand. Utterly realistic, it demands an acceptance of time’s inexorable march, of mortality and inevitable loss and, at the same time, rewards self-discipline, self-control and brings a bounty for conscientious effort.

It also contains within it the sinner and the saint – the horned god of lust and indulgence; and the bringer of rules and justice, order to society. Now in its own sign for the first time in 29 years, which doubles up the energy, it’s worth considering its strengths. Capricorn itself is dual-faceted, dubbed unfairly as exclusively coldly ambitious and materialistic, it is also highly creative. The old astrological glyph was of a goat body with a fish tail pointing to its symbolic role as the ‘stander on the threshold’ between the watery realms of the unconscious and inspiration, and the grounded earthy realm where dreams are made real. Capricorn takes an idea and turns it into a viable business or an artistic achievement.

Saturn is essentially about structure; it plans, prepares, thinks long term to a feasible goal, then gets foundations laid, builds slowly and securely so the end result stands the test of time. It won’t necessarily be aesthetic, since Saturn isn’t concerned with cosmetic fripperies, but it is enduring. With the same steady ambition as Capricorn, it is willing to forego instant gratification for long term goals. Like the symbolic mountain goat, it starts in the foothills and works its way up to the peak, along a winding path if necessary.

Saturn restricts, so oversees limits and boundaries which may not feel like fun but are essential, psychologically as well as practically, in life. Neptune dissolves boundaries, Pluto invades across them to grab all the territory, Uranus blows them up, but Saturn stands firm for order, delineation, marked borders. In action, it is like a gardener who prunes plants back, lopping off overgrown branches, to stimulate fresh growth and produce a more manageable shape. It is concerned with material security and can come across as a money-grubbing scrooge, so less than generous and open-hearted. It can be cold, putting up a defensive wall against any encroachment, tending to put things above feelings, and is better at ‘doing’ than ‘being’.

There have been financial recessions during the last three Saturn in Capricorns which occurred in the 20^th Century but none are much of a guide. The late 1980s was tied into a triple conjunction with Uranus and Neptune, so was an immensely complex time. The 1960 one was a Saturn Jupiter conjunction, somewhat similar to 2019, but the recession passed over quickly. The 1930 Saturn in Capricorn was tied into Pluto and Uranus, resulting in the Great Depression, to which again 2019 bears some similarities though Jupiter will help to soften the effect.

The key lesson to be learnt from Saturn is that you reap what you sow. Resounding pats on the back for work well-prepared and punishment for sloppy, wing-and-a-prayer, half-hearted efforts. Go for quick fixes and cutting corners and chickens will come home to roost with a loud squawk.