Marjorie

Comedians are notoriously tortured souls and Mel Brooks – a brilliant and successful filmmaker, comedian, composer, actor – Blazing Saddles, Robin Hood: Men in Tights etc – is no exception. A biography just out by Patrick McGilligan according to the Times review is “is a damning chronicle of narcissism, mental cruelty, prejudice, treachery, moral bankruptcy, financial impropriety and chronic shouting.”

Brooks harboured insecurities, especially self-loathing and fury at the world, partly due to his father dying when he was two and learned to survive by making people laugh. But without an audience he evidently became sullen, passive aggressive and worse. When his pregnant first wife, who bore him three children, attended the premiere of one of his musicals she was reportedly banned from the cast party and sent home so he could have sex with his new fling Eartha Kitt. He bragged about his liaisons with actresses and kept a little black book of hookers’ phone numbers. After the divorce he evaded child-support payments for years. And then he met actress Anne Bancroft (The Graduate) and miraculously stayed married to her for 40 years.

Born in New York on 28 June 1926 he has a stark Sun Pluto in Cancer square Mars in Aries, which would certainly explain his browbeating, bullying and rages; with an immensely stubborn and enduring Fixed Grand Cross of Jupiter in Aquarius opposition Neptune square Saturn in Scorpio opposition Venus in Taurus.

His Aquarius Moon was probably opposition Anne Bancroft’s Jupiter which would help to smooth a few of his rough edges; and her Sun Venus in Virgo was trine his Venus in Taurus which would give a resonance.

But it certainly wasn’t all singing and dancing with his Pluto square Mars hitting on her Saturn in Capricorn, which would evoke major irritation. But she was used to tough conditions with her Saturn opposition Pluto. His Uranus opposed her Sun Venus so he would exasperate her and they both needed their own space.

Their relationship chart does have a well-aspected composite Jupiter which would be essential for keeping morale high and lessening the strain – Jupiter squares the composite Sun Mercury and was conjunct the composite North Node. And the Sun Mercury was in a steady and long-lasting trine to Saturn. But there was also a power-struggling, dominating composite Mars opposition Pluto so there would be dark, difficult moments.  Her Virgo Sun arguably helped her put up with his tantrums.

She was born 17 September 1931 New York – her time is unverified and his is not known. She died in 2005.

Prince Harry and Meghan may move abroad after the birth of their baby, perhaps to Africa to combine their Commonwealth role along with charity work for two or thee years. Harry has links with several African countries including Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi; and Meghan has charity connections out there also.  It’s normal practice for young married Royals to have several years in semi-obscurity to settle into a personal life before embarking on a gruelling round of public duties. The Queen and Prince Philip spent years in Malta; William and Kate disappeared off to Wales while he undertook his search and rescue work.

Meghan’s chart relocated to Africa has Venus on the Midheaven through eastern Africa and her Sun Mercury through the western side so it brings out the best in her certainly career-wise.

Harry’s chart has an ambitious and energetic Mars on the Midheaven through central to eastern Africa; a domestically-settled Moon on the IC through western though also a grimly determined and slightly risky Saturn Pluto Midheaven on the west coast – Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Mauretania.

For both, their most successful Jupiter Midheaven lines runs through the Middle East and north up through Russia.

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Adele has split from her financier husband Simon Konecki. They’d been together since 2011, had a baby a year later but only married in 2016. According to reports they had been living separately for some time.

She was born 5 May 1988 at 8.19 am London and has a friendly 11^th house Sun Jupiter in Taurus. But she also has the unpredictable and changeable triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn straddling her Descendant which rules close relationships. Her Uranus is also conjunct her Sagittarius Moon so magnifying her tendency not to stand still in relationships.  Her 12^th house Venus in light-hearted Gemini also opposes her Moon, Uranus and Saturn – so she’s emotionally fairly fickle.

Simon Konecki,17 April 1974, is a late Sun Aries in an independent-minded opposition to Uranus and sextile a hard-edged Mars Saturn in Gemini. His Mars Saturn is conjunct her Venus and opposition her Moon, Uranus conjunction which is an explosive and disruptive connection. His charming Jupiter Venus in Pisces sits in her 10^th so career-wise and for public consumption it looked good, but emotionally would be at cross purposes much of the time.

Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun Venus Mercury; but also a truly difficult composite Mars opposition Pluto which would lead to power struggles and ultimately hostility; and may be tied into the composite Moon which would make it even more difficult. One of those can’t live with them, can’t live without them duos.

Tr Pluto is at present squaring the Mars Pluto opposition for the next two years for a tense split.

A truly depressing tale has ended up with life sentences in California for parents David and Louise Turpin for starving and torturing all but one of their 12 children. They were chained to their beds, severely under nourished, were taken occasionally to Disneyland but were only allowed to shower once a year and had never seen a dentist or a doctor.

It’s a bizarre story with few sensible explanations as to why they behaved as they did.

David Turpin, 17 October 1961, is a Sun Libra in a wobbly up and down square to Saturn Jupiter in Capricorn with a Capricorn/Aquarius Moon. He does have a can-be unpleasant Mars, Neptune, Mercury in Scorpio sextile Pluto, which suggests a vengeful or cruel streak. His Venus in last degree Virgo is trine Saturn and Jupiter – so he would alternate between superficial charm and coldness.

His can-be-dominating 5^th harmonic is startling, bringing together Neptune Mars Uranus and Saturn into a conjunction – which certainly suggests perversion, cruelty, high-level neurosis.  His 7^th harmonic which can be mentally on a fine balance is marked; as is his obsessive 11H. And his destructive/self-destructive 16H is fairly brutal, controlling and inclined to megalomania.

His wife Louise, 24 May 1968, is a feisty Sun Mars in Gemini though that squares his Pluto, so he may well have had her under his thumb. She has a fated Yod onto a focal point Saturn in Aries which has heavy karma attached and requires real maturity to live up to its lessons. Her Saturn opposes his Sun; and her Moon probably in Taurus opposes his Scorpio planets – not a relationship that brought out the best in either of them. Their relationship chart has a delusional composite Sun square Jupiter Neptune. But would really need birth times to make sense of what was an unthinkable folie a deux.

“Violent dissident republicans” are being blamed for the death of a Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee during riots in Londonderry. She was standing near a police vehicle which was under attack after the police had carried out searches for weapons and ammunition. Masked attackers appeared to throw petrol bombs, fireworks and other debris at police Land Rovers. The unrest comes ahead of the Easter weekend where republicans mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, a time when dissidents are traditionally active. Her death is being treating as a “terrorist act” probably by the New IRA. Crowds gathered today to mourn her.

She was born 31 March 1990 and was an upfront Sun Aries square a highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn in an adventurous opposition to Jupiter; and her Mercury in Aries was in a serious square to Saturn in Capricorn. She also had a courageous and stubborn Mars in Aquarius square Pluto so wouldn’t be scared of crisis or conflict.

The Northern Ireland chart, 7 December 1922  does have emotions running very high at the moment with tr Pluto opposition the Cancer Moon, and that’s around till late 2020; with the Solar Arc Neptune also conjunct Venus for confused emotions and sadness.

The ‘New IRA’ have said they were responsible and have apologised to her family, saying that a civilian should not have been attacked. They were formed (wiki) on 26 July 2012 which, if accurate, gives a brutal and explosive Mars in Libra opposition Uranus square Pluto which collided with Lyra McKee’s Aries Sun square Neptune Uranus, so a disruptive interface. The relationship chart has a mega-destructive composite Mars Pluto Saturn opposition Sun. There are usually stark crossovers between perpetrator and victim even where the killing is random.

There is pressure on the New IRA chart this year with tr Pluto square the Saturn, till late 2020, and tr Uranus square the Sun also into 2020 – so perhaps, just perhaps, it could help to quieten down the old feuds.

‘The brain-dead eco snobs’ otherwise referred to as ‘eco pagan pixies’ or ’well-heeled social parasites’ at the forefront of Extinction Rebellion have laid themselves open to satire as well as irritation as they cause havoc on the streets of London in the name of climate change. Plastic bottles and bags proliferate; careless talk is thrown around about workers, who have to earn a living, abandoning their jobs to join them on the streets; and luvvie Emma Thompson has swept in – by air from Los Angeles – to give them succour.

The reality is that the UK is way ahead of most countries in reducing CO2 emissions. The UK has made some of the largest reductions in the OECD and has recorded a 38 per cent decrease in CO2 output since 1990; and has almost entirely abandoned coal as an energy source. Emissions in the UK are now at their lowest point since the 19^th century. The worst offenders are China (by far), India, USA and Russia.

And even for the UK the demands of the activists are unrealistic. To achieve zero net emissions by 2025, entire industries would have to be wiped out and there would be wholesale restrictions on household items, eradication of air travel and a ban on meat production. A Zero Carbon Britain would need to build around 130,000 new wind turbines in an off-shore location to achieve net emissions by 2030 – which would take up a space twice the size of Wales.

Emma Thompson, has long been an outspoken campaigner for environmental issues and human rights, at times attracting criticism for her strident tone.  Born 15 April 1959 she’s an upfront Aries with an afflicted Mercury in Aries square Mars in Cancer opposition Saturn and inconjunct Pluto – so she will have a tendency to come across as rough-edged and at times overly forceful and aggravating.  She doesn’t look as if she is winning much this year with tr Neptune slipping and sliding its way round three of her midpoints; tr Uranus causing a catastrophe or two as it collides with her Mars/Pluto midpoint with the prospect of worse in 2020 as her Solar Arc Mars is conjunct her Pluto and tr Pluto starts to square her Sun – maybe she’ll go full suffragette and get herself incarcerated to make a point.

Which isn’t to say there isn’t a sensible, indeed urgent point to be made about climate change. But the strategy of XR appears to be short circuiting badly.

Even a Fox news presenter accused the Attorney General William Barr of acting as if he was Trump’s defence lawyer rather than the nation’s senior law officer, when he gave a press conference effectively in support of Trump before releasing a redacted copy of the Mueller Report.

What’s interesting despite all the hollers of ‘no collusion’ and ‘no obstruction’ is how dire Barr’s chart looks. He’s walking into a shedload of misery from May 1^st till mid-August with tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Saturn midpoint which Ebertin describes as ‘waning powers, self-torment, a grievous loss’. And more woes and depression from mid May onwards. He may have health issues due to strain. These influences repeat on and off till late 2020. His term chart, 14 February 2019, is starkly explosive with Pluto opposition North Node square a Mars Uranus conjunction – and slippery with a focal point Neptune.

His relationship chart with Trump has a friendly composite Sun Venus and a chained-together Saturn Pluto – all looks calm on the surface until next year but underneath on the midpoints this May to August is edgy in the extreme with losses and additional pressures running alongside, all of them rolling into 2020.

Mueller looks deflated at the moment but picking up more enthusiasm and success after mid May onwards. His relationship with Barr is exceptionally pressured at the moment and there’s movement of a jolting variety on both his relationship charts with Trump and Barr come July onwards. So there’ll be more to follow.

Trump himself has tr Pluto in the depressing and discouraging opposition to his Saturn till mid May, repeating till late 2020; with the deeply frustrating and enraging tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Node at the same time.

He’s now facing the blowback to his overuse of ‘fake news’ since the public now don’t believe what’s being handed out to them about his shining white innocence. Not even Fox. The gods of irony are chortling.

Emmanuel Macron is spinning through a series of crises, some of them self-created with the Notre Dame fire adding to his challenges. The gilets jaunes (yellow vest) protests against economic inequality and rising fuel prices forced him into a humiliating climbdown that will add to the national deficit and make it less likely he can push through any more much needed and promised reforms.  His isolated Presidential style of government is coming under increasing criticism. His initial hope for a Franco-German pact to move towards a more federalist EU has been dashed. And he’s now at daggers drawn with Italy, the UN and the EU and siding with Egypt over his support for Haftar, the Libya rebel leader at present bombing Tripoli, in the hope he can secure Libyan oilfields for France. The volatile situation in Libya could land Italy with another wave of migrants and spike oil prices if the crude oil supply is disrupted.

Four planets including his Sun in fiery Sagittarius and Mars in bombastic, flamboyant Leo give him inspiration, confidence a sense of entitlement but not much practicality or team-building ability either within France or across Europe.

His Solar Arc Sun and Mercury have been in a ‘collision’ opposition to his Mars in recent months over the increasingly violent internal demonstrations; and he’s had a trapped, frustrating tr Pluto square his Sun/Mars which continues on till late this year.

At the moment over the Notre Dame tragedy he has tr Pluto square his Saturn/Neptune midpoint which usually accompanies a major depression and a highly disconcerting event. That runs on and off till late 2020.

His Presidency chart has tr Saturn square the Midheaven  and square Jupiter through this year for setbacks; and it has tr Pluto trine the Sun for a definite challenge to change. Tr Neptune is in a panicky failure square to the Presidency Mars in November/December this year. So more slipping and sliding to come.

On his personal chart tr Saturn is heading for his Ascendant from early next year, though it zig zags back into his 12^th till late year – this is the start of a lower profile few years of lessening success, so it doesn’t augur well for the next election in 2022.

Relocating his chart to Libya puts Neptune into his 10^th with Pluto firmly in his 8^th so not a propitious region for him.

The activist group Extinction Rebellion (XR) has threatened to shut down London until the end of April by blocking roads in protests in order to draw attention to climate breakdown. Two days of disruption so far have seen 120 arrested and many tens of thousands of workers had their travel plans disrupted.

XR was set up in 2018 with one hundred academics signing a call to action over climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological collapse. A declaration was issued on 31 October 2018 when it was deemed founded as a civil disobedience movement. Activists have pledged a willingness to be arrested and go to prison, similar to the mass arrest tactics of the anti-war Committee of 100 in 1961. They take their inspiration from grassroots movements such as Occupy, Gandhi’s independence movement, the suffragettes, and Martin Luther King. It wants to rally support worldwide around a common sense of urgency to tackle climate breakdown.

Laudable aims but if they put livelihoods at risk in major cities and cause chaos they won’t be popular.

The 31 October 2018 chart has an exact Venus in passionate Scorpio opposition a reformist, rebellious Uranus at zero degrees in Taurus square a leadership Leo North Node – with Venus conjunct the Sun and the Node possibly conjunct the Moon. So its start certainly keys up Uranus’s entry into earthy Taurus. With progressive change pointed up by Uranus trine Saturn in Capricorn.

The Sun is also trine idealistic Neptune; but with Neptune   in aspect to both the Mars/Saturn and Sun/Pluto midpoints, there’s a possibility of it all petering out after a while, since it lacks vitality and doesn’t have the stamina to overcome the resistance in its path.

For all that there is a notable 17^th Harmonic which usually suggests leaving a legacy for history, so something will stick.