Cohen – Trump’s Ray Donovan up against the heavy squad

    

 

An “extremely rare” search warrant, requiring a considerable burden of proof, was issued for the offices and records of Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime fixer and attorney. “It’s a tactic generally used against organized crime, against very serious, very serious criminals and lawyers who are operating outside of the protections of the law.” — Alan Dershowitz. Cohen appears to be under federal investigation for possible bank fraud, wire fraud and campaign finance violations, presumably involving the Stormy Daniels affaire. It was apparently referred by Robert Mueller to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

That suggests the matter is not directly related to the Russia investigation. The risk for Trump is if Cohen caves for a deal and tells what he knows about Trump’s business and personal dealings over the years. It could potentially expose Trump’s Emperor-has-no-clothes finances never mind the multiple Non-Disclosure Agreements over the years for various dalliances. (See Daily Beast below – The Most Dangerous Day of Donald Trump’s life.)  Firing Mueller or Rod Rosenstein or Sessions would not affect any of this.

Cohen, 25 August 1966, described as having a strip-mall law degree, sees himself as a fixer in the mould of television’s thuggish Ray Donovan. He did look to be on a downhill slide of panic this month with tr Neptune square his Sun/Saturn, which returns on and off till late 2019. With a ‘shocking’ electric jolt coming from mid May with tr Uranus square his Mars in Leo bringing high levels of insecurity,  recurring in the autumn and again in early 2019. He’s in meltdown panic in September/October and in deep depression in 2019/2020.

The Trump/Cohen relationship chart is seriously unsettled now with tr Uranus square the composite Sun Mercury, opposition Neptune and trine Pluto. They are pretty chained-together but Trump won’t foot his legal bills and Cohen may find loyalty is a one-way street. Mid May looks jolted and jangled between them. And if anything there’s more degrees of separation in 2019.

Trump naturally has gone off on a scatter-gun tirade like a cornered animal against Sessions, Rosenstein et al and against the rule of law. All escalating towards his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars. And indeed towards tr Uranus squaring the Aquarius Sun of his Term chart from mid May which will rattle it up considerably. Tr Saturn is now into the Term legal 9th house, which is weighted down by an afflicted Pluto on the point of a T square to an overly confident, opportunistic Uranus opposition Jupiter. Tr Saturn won’t get to the conjunction with Pluto till 2019, but that may well be the cruncher, if it doesn’t come sooner.

(See also post March 27 2018 – Michael Cohen)

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fbi-raid-on-michael-cohen-is-the-most-dangerous-day-of-donald-trumps-life?ref=home

https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-are-treating-michael-cohen-like-a-mob-lawyer-trump-allies-say

Hamilton collects the accolades without Lin Manuel

  

 

A snippet on the hip hop musical Hamilton about US founding father Alexander Hamilton which swept the board at the Olivier Awards, picking up seven gongs from its 13 nominations. Its creator Lin Manuel sadly couldn’t attend, having been diagnosed with shingles. [See December 18 2017 post.]

Born 16 January 1980 11am (astrotheme) New York, he does have, on this birth time, Mars in the 6th which is picking up the tr Neptune opposition exactly now, which would make sense of a debilitating ailment. Regrettably that hangs around on and off till late 2019, which doesn’t mean his shingles will go on and on, though it can do. He’s just had his second child, which is perhaps why tr Pluto is square his 7th house Pluto, with added pressures and the need for change in his close relationships.

He’s got a strong and innovative chart with a 10th house Capricorn Sun Mercury trine Saturn, sextile Uranus. And there’s every indication he’ll be working just as hard and successfully for years ahead.

Agatha Christie – family ordeals

  

 

Agatha Christie’s Ordeal By Innocence, her 50th novel, has been dramatized by the BBC and is one of her more powerful. She draws on her own family experiences for her portrayal of the fictional Argyle family,  an ill-assorted, incestuous household ‘like a buttoned-up, English version of a family in a Tennessee Williams play’ as one reviewer put it.

Christie is the best-selling writer of all time with 80 detective novels. Only the Bible has sold more than her four billion copies. No mean achievement for someone known as slow as a child, possibly dyslexic.

She was born 15 September 1890 4am Torquay, England and had an isolated childhood, home educated with her two elder siblings off at boarding school. Her mother was nervous and reclusive, partly a result of having been farmed out to an aunt as a child after her father was killed, leaving her with lifelong feelings of rejection. Christie’s eldest brother on whom Jacko in the novel is probably based, was wildly unpredictable and irresponsible and squandered away his fortune.

Agatha Christie was a Sun Virgo square Mars in Sagittarius, so hard-working and feisty. She also had a communicative Air Grand Trine of a Libra Moon trine a creative, slightly paranormal Neptune Pluto in Gemini in her 10th trine Jupiter in Aquarius. Pluto in the 10th makes for influence, Neptune is artistic and the combination of the pair can be larger than life as her output and achievements showed.  Her 2nd house Mercury in Libra was widely trine Pluto Neptune and the North Node in Gemini. She was clearly designed for a money-making and ambitious life from unlikely beginnings.

What’s interesting in light of the new information about her family is that her 10th house (= mother) Neptune Pluto squares Saturn – which describes a neurotic, bleak, locked-in maternal influence. She was fond of her mother and protective – Moon trine Jupiter trine Neptune Pluto – but it left its mark. As well as laying the seeds of her future talent.

Venus in Scorpio is in her 3rd house of siblings square Jupiter, sextile Saturn and inconjunct Neptune Pluto – Venus Jupiter applied to her brother would make him a superficial charmer, emotionally detached, controlling and unreliable.

Viktor Orban – wants EU cash without conditions

    

 

Hungary’s ‘illiberal democrat’ Viktor Orban has won a fourth term as PM after a vicious campaign run on ethno-nationalism and unabashed anti-semitism. He is against EU’s liberal values which Hungary signed up to at accession but wants to continue picking up the cheques. Since 2010, he and his party have curbed judicial independence, clamped down on the independent media and issued a stream of rhetoric against refugees, Brussels and George Soros. The solution would be to tie funds to adhering to EU’s values but that is unlikely to happen.

Orban, 31 may 1963, is a Sun Gemini in a square to controlling Pluto and reforming Uranus; with a harsh Mars in Leo (conjunct Uranus) opposition Saturn in Aquarius square Mercury in Taurus. He’s slippery, cruel and unbudgeable.

Hungary has had a long and complex history. The modern version was signed in at noon on 23 October 1989. [Anyone having an older chart that works I’d be grateful to know about it.]

That puts Pluto in the 10th making it likely that a dictatorial leader would emerge; with the chaotic Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn sitting on the Ascendant sextile the Scorpio Sun and opposition Jupiter in patriotic Cancer. The emotional planets are deeply buried – a Leo Moon in the 8th trine a 12th house Venus in Sagittarius, so sentiment won’t be obvious; and the broader population’s needs won’t always be met. And there will be a hankering after the past.

Orban’s rail-roading Mars opposition Saturn sits across the Hungary Moon opposition North Node; with his Mars Uranus Pluto in the Hungary’s 8th so he keys into the country’s destiny though not in a pleasant way and is unsettling,  probably corrupt, with much behind-the-scenes financial finaglings. His Neptune is also conjunct the Hungary 10th house Pluto – Neptune Pluto has a reputation for megalomania.

There’s nothing much on the EU/Hungary relationship chart or the 1 May 2004 accession chart to suggest any definitive change until the early 2020s, though there’ll be waves of unease through 2018/2019.

Neither Macron nor Merkel like Orban and there are some signs of ruptures between Merkel and Orban from this June onwards and a distinct freeze in relations but nothing too dramatic.

The Hungary chart has tr Saturn now dipping below the Ascendant and zigzagging across a Saturn return and conjunct Neptune this year, which hints that the image makeover for the country will continue in fits and starts; and that it is not moving into a financially prosperous few years ahead.

Orban’s relationship chart with Hungary has tr Uranus square the composite Saturn in May, opposition the composite Uranus in June and continues on through this year, 2019 and 2020, so it looks as though he’ll continue to push through his ‘reforms’ with some speed.

EU’s powerhouse slowing down – Germany at odds

    

 

Is the German powerhouse slowing down? Retail sales are falling sharply, industrial production slumping, construction is sluggish and the government seems lacklustre about finding solutions. The EU has been talked up in recent times as turning a corner into better times but that is largely a result of money being thrown into the system and interest rates kept low. The French figures are no better and a summer of strikes will hit tourism hard. Without a strong Germany which accounts for 23pc of the zone’s GDP, the EU can’t grow.

Two astrological pointers of note. One is the state of the EU chart. On the EU chart the Solar Arc Pluto is creeping closer to a conjunction to the 2nd house Neptune by later in 2019, which is seriously bad news. Pluto Neptune tends to be devastation with major confusion. With 2019 also seeing tr Uranus, into an erratic few years through the EU’s 8th house of joint finances, opposing the EU Neptune – which suggests a high-wires sense of nerviness and panic.

The other is the Germany/EU relationship chart which is showing considerable strain from now onwards with tr Saturn opposition the composite Pluto now and conjunct the Sun in 2019, both of which are coldly critical and separating influences. With tr Uranus in an upsetting square to the composite financial Venus from mid May into 2019; and in 2019 opposition the composite Mars for major arguments and upsets.

The Bundesbank (German Central Bank) chart was overly confident six months back, and is now into a panicky, uncertain, jolting year ahead; with 2019 undermining financially; and 2020 worse.

Nothing certain ahead.

James Comey – Truth, Lies and Leadership

      

 

James Comey, former head of the FBI whom Trump sensationally fired last year is on a revenge mission with a new book ‘A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership.’ Even before its April 17th publication, it’s top of the Amazon bestseller list. The book promises “never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career”. And Comey has framed it as a showdown with Trump, in March tweeting. “Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not.” The publicity will also brings his own actions under scrutiny.

Born 14 December 1960, his Sagittarius Sun is conjunct Trump’s Moon and opposition his Sun, which could suggest a reasonable resonance. But his Uranus in late Leo is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant, so he will act as a disruptor and destabiliser.

Comey has had his Solar Arc Jupiter opposing his Pluto in recent months stoking up his confidence, though there’s always a risk of going over the score with that. Tr Uranus moving into Taurus mid May will oppose his Sun/Pluto, then his Sun/Node in June both of which suggest major upsets, dramatically changing circumstances. Since Uranus is nothing if not a trickster planet  its effect go both ways. What is certain is that by July he’s looking chipper with tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter/Uranus midpoint which brings good luck and relief from tension. And that repeats in 2019.

Comey’s relationship chart with Trump has a power-struggling for the upper hand composite Jupiter square Pluto and a suspicious Saturn Neptune square Uranus, so was always going to be an uneasy mix. Tr Pluto is crunching down on the composite Uranus square Saturn Neptune from last month, on and off till late 2020 – with upheaval, grinding pressure and discouragement this year and devastation (or smears and scandals) next and possibly brought forward to this year as well. With a shock come mid May as tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Venus, repeating in the autumn and early 2019  – so the book will make an impact.

PS: From a January 21 2017 post on the Trump Tower:  The Tower is facing great uncertainty and major disruption come 2018/19 with tr Uranus opposition Pluto and the following year Saturn; with the Solar Arc Neptune square Saturn in 2019. I have utterly no idea what that might mean, except it won’t be a happy atmosphere, that’s for sure.”  Maybe the fire – in which one person was sadly killed which Trump managed to omit mentioning as he trumpeted how great the building was – is a message from the universe?

Conor McGregor – not in control of his Mars

  

 

Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial artist and boxer is facing criminal charges in New York after attacking a bus containing another competitor’s team. Several people were injured. He could face an upgraded felony charge of recklessness which would increase the chance of his serving jail time and jeopardize his ability to fight in the United States. Or he could avoid any criminal charge with a good plea deal.

Born 14 July 1988, he has a Sun, probably Moon in Cancer square a turbo-charged Mars in Aries which in turn is square Saturn, Uranus in late Sagittarius, Neptune in Capricorn and Mercury in Cancer. His Mars is focal point in a Cardinal T square suggesting he is strong-willed and aggressive, overly impulsive and disruptive. Tr Pluto is opposing his Sun now  if born before 7 am, and if a later birth then in 2019/2020 – which is highly pressured. Tr Pluto has been conjunct his Mars/Pluto midpoint firing up his aggro factor last month, returning in June and on and off till late 2019; and is in an over confident square to his Sun/Jupiter at the moment.  He will get a lucky break later this month into early May, which might be relief at getting off with a slap on the wrist.  But he’s not generally in a great year with tr Saturn conjunct his Neptune and opposition his Mercury till late on and a couple of tr Neptune sinkers as well.

Menendez bros – a strangely hostile twosome

    

 

The Menendez brothers both serving life sentences without parole for killing their parents in 1989 are together in the same prison for the first time in almost thirty years.   Their defence attorney claimed they were abused by their father, though the judge or jury through a complicated set of trials saw them as spoilt rich kids who wanted their father’s money and mother was collateral damage.  The murder happened during the chaotic and highly-strung triple conjunction in Capricorn of Saturn Uranus Neptune.

Lyle, 10 Jan 1968 12.10 am New York, has an Earth Grand Trine of a Sun Capricorn trine Pluto Uranus in Virgo trine a Taurus Moon, with the Moon opposition Neptune in Scorpio –materialistic but driven by a dream/delusion. He also has the chancer/gamblers’ something-for-nothing Mars opposition Jupiter square his Venus in adventurous Sagittarius.  His Solar Arc Mars had moved to oppose his Pluto at the time of the murders which would wind him up.

Erik, 27 Nov 1970 11.23 pm Livingston, NJ, is a spaced-out Sun Neptune in Sagittarius with Moon Jupiter and Venus in Scorpio with Venus Jupiter opposition a singleton and ungiving Saturn in Taurus. Tr Pluto was conjunct his Solar Arc Mars in 1989, similar to his brother, which would press his ruthless buttons as well.

What was always exceeding strange is that the most hostile relationship in the family was between Lyle and Erik themselves. The relationships with Jose, the father, 6 May 1944, were not sweetness and light but there was and is huge aggravation between the brothers. Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Mars square Pluto on one side and trine Saturn on the other. With a Yod of composite Pluto sextile Venus Neptune inconjunct Saturn.

One wonders what weird psychological dynamic prompted them to kill their parents rather than each other – which wouldn’t have been beyond the bounds of possibility with those aspects.

Oleg Deripaska – Putin pal snared by US sanctions

  

 

Caught up in the latest round of US financial sanctions against Russian oligarchs close to Putin and “the Kremlin’s malign agenda” is Oleg Deripaska. Known to Brits for his chumocracy at one point with Peter Mandelson, then in the EU, and George Osborne, former Chancellor, he more recently paid former Trump campaign director Manafort millions to create a confidential strategy plan for the Putin regime. Treasury’s sanctions announcement described Deripaska as a thug, repeating allegations that he had “bribed a government official, ordered the murder of a businessman and had links to a Russian organized crime group.”

The new sanctions were mandated by veto-proof legislation passed last year by representatives and senators from both parties who didn’t entrust the matter to the discretion of Trump, who signed the measure reluctantly. The sanctions freeze any assets the sanctionees hold in the U.S. and bar Americans from dealing with them.

Deripaska born 2 January 1968, was brought up in tough conditions by farming Cossack grandparents, started work at 11, had an aptitude for maths and physics, graduated with honours from Moscow University and after the collapse of the Soviet Union started a metal trading company and bought shares in an aluminium company.

A business magazine described the ‘aluminium wars’ of the late 1990s as ‘a bloody period in the country’s post-communist asset grab from which a few dozen oligarchs emerged – and several potential oligarchs lost their lives.’ It is estimated 100 people were killed and Deripaska rose to the top of the pile. ‘With allegations of organised crime and multiple murders apparently dogging his every move, his wealth grew over the next ten years into one of the largest fortunes in Russia.’

He has an ambitious Sun Mercury in Capricorn square a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries; and Sun trine Jupiter in Virgo.  He has Pluto (Uranus) in Virgo sextile Neptune and inconjunct Mars in Aquarius. Mars Pluto will make him no slouch when it comes to will-power, ruthlessly applied with Pluto involved, aggressively self-determined and uncompromising with Mars in Aquarius.

He looks seriously unhappy from here on in through to late 2019 with tr Neptune conjunct his Mars/Saturn and opposition his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint; with a major irritation come July, returning into 2019. He’ll rebound by 2020 but won’t be in good humour till then.

Pic: Dzinko