Marjorie

Greta Garbo was a silver-screen goddess of the 1920s and 30s, who became a byword for seclusion after she retired from films and shut herself off from the world. Even at the height of her fame she shunned publicity, rarely gave interviews and avoided social functions. Letters are now on show which reveal her depression and loneliness.

Born 18 September 1905 7.30pm Stockholm, Sweden, she grew up in a poor family where she talked of the constant anxiety, fear and ugliness of her environment. She never married and lived alone virtually all of her life.

She had a Virgo Sun, which can be self-sufficient though falling in her 5^th house it should have given her more confidence and a love of parties. She clearly focussed all that 5^th house energy into performing. What stifled her Sun was a square to Pluto opposition Mars, which would bring her acute frustration and accentuate her fears. Her Sun was also inconjunct her Saturn in the 11^th, which would make it difficult for her to function out in groups in the wider society. Saturn also opposed her Venus and squared her 12^th house Taurus Moon, making her feel un-loveable.

Her chart is a conundrum since a 5^th house Sun and Jupiter on her Ascendant should have made her outgoing. Yet a double dose of Saturn and that ferocious Mars Pluto completely damped down her spirit. She died eventually at 84, having amassed a large art collection.

Yemen’s bloody war collected another scalp with the assassination of the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had deserted his erstwhile allies the rebel Iran-supported Shia Houthis to try to broker a deal with Saudi Arabia. He won’t be personally much mourned, since he was disliked by many of his countrymen during his 30 year nepotistic reign which earned him the nickname of ‘Little Saddam’. A tribal leader said of him: “He never had any sort of strategic thinking or vision — his strategy was to remain in power . . . his cleverness was to make the tribes always need him, to make them fight each other, so that they would need his weapons.”

Saleh, born 21 March 1942, was either Sun Pisces or Aries, trine Pluto and opposition Neptune – so a tinge of megalomania from Neptune Pluto; with his Pluto in a ruthless sextile to Mars; and opportunistic Mars Jupiter; and an obdurate Uranus Saturn Moon in Taurus.

He once said that ruling Yemen was like “dancing on the heads of snakes” and it has had centuries’ long history of internal fighting and occupation. Modern dates are variable, since the country continually split into north and south before coming together. But there are two charts from 27 September 1962 and 22 May 1990.

Both charts are relatively similar so the dates look reasonably sound. Both have an Air Sun trine Saturn; both have Jupiter opposition Uranus – on one case with Uranus conjunct Pluto and the other Uranus conjunct Neptune; both have Mars in a Water sign in last decan. The 1962 chart looks violent and destructive in 2018/19 with tr Pluto opposition Mars and square Mercury. The 1990 Republic chart stores up most trouble post 2020 to 2023 with tr Pluto in risky sextile to Mars and then a great-hardship conjunction to Saturn.

So nothing that looks like bringing much hope to the poor population ravaged by cholera, starvation and war.

A bunch of right-wing, anti-abortion, anti-same-sex-marriage/LGBT rights, creationist Ulster Protestants (aka Ian Paisley) have scuppered Theresa May’s chances of moving onto the next crucial Brexit stage of trade talks. After the disastrous election last June May was forced to lash herself unthinkably to the Northern Ireland DUP for their 10 MPs to survive politically. Now she’s paying the price. Though truthfully it’s hard to see how this Gordian knot is going to be untied. To prevent a hard border with the south, the north will need to stay within the EU customs union, which Scotland and Wales would then insist is a privilege extending to them, which would send the Bo-jo Brexiteers off into a tantrum.

This month was never going to be good news for May with tr Saturn in a downbeat square to her Sun/Jupiter and Mercury; and worse, in a complete and devastated muddle from tr Pluto square her Sun/Neptune, returning on and off through 2018. Though she does have a great sigh of relief this Dec/Jan from tr Uranus opposition her Jupiter/North Node which is either good news, or she gets let off the hook and sent out to pasture. Somewhere soon since her birth time isn’t known, she gets a massive jolt from Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her Sun.

If she sticks around, then she runs into a bigger minefield in 2018 with tr Neptune returning to conjunct her Mars for a panicky feeling of failure from early February (returning late October into early 2019). From mid March onwards tr Pluto is conjunct her Mars/Saturn midpoint which is calamitous – though that could be a disaster of another variety such as a major atrocity. That returns on and off through 2019 as well, joined in 2019/2020 by a frustratingly-trapped tr Pluto conjunct her Mars/Node. By 2019 tr Neptune is in a bubble-bursting, false-hopes-dashed opposition to her Jupiter; and is exactly square the Sun and Moon in her government chart.

Arlene Foster, the hard-line leader of the DUP, thrust unexpectedly (and undeservedly) into a powerful position of leverage was born 3 July 1970, two weeks before Scots leader Nicola Sturgeon. She has a New Moon, Mercury and Mars in Cancer with her Mars in an opportunistic square to Jupiter. She’s also got an ultra-determined, unsentimental and ruthless mini-Grand Trine of Saturn in Taurus trine Pluto, sextile Mars in Cancer.

Her Mars is under acute, frustrating and enraging pressure in 2018/19 from February onwards as tr Pluto opposes her Mars.  She is resisting fiercely any moves to separate Northern Ireland from the UK and thus bring it closer to the south, much disliked by her Orange Order supporters.  She’s playing with fire since she certainly doesn’t want a left-wing (increasingly so) Corbyn government in place which if she keeps pushing she might end up with.

She’s certainly a key figure where the UK is concerned since her Sun and Mars (as with Sturgeon) fall in the UK’s 10^th house and her Saturn in Taurus in the UK 8^th in aspect to the UK’s 4 Fixed planets in financial and legislative positions – so a block politically and where cash is concerned.

Foster’s relationship chart with the UK is worsening dramatically through 2018/19 with tr Neptune in hard aspect to a composite T Square of Pluto opposition Mars square Jupiter; and tr Saturn square the composite Sun by 2019. Not good chemistry to start with and tr Neptune is turning bad feelings into a festering swamp of unpopularity.

Muddle and mayhem were always going to be the signature of this May government, 9 June 2017 12.35pm London with an exact Gemini Sun opposition Moon square Neptune.  It might, given Neptune’s slipperiness totter on, but it won’t end well.

Shashi Kapoor, the Indian actor and producer, a member of the Kapoor Bollywood film dynasty and widower of Jennifer Kendal, sister of Felicity, has died. He starred in a great many Indian films, appearing on stage and screen from the age of 10 onwards, and was best known in the west for appearing in several Merchant and Ivory films amongst others.

Born 18 March 1938 in Calcutta at 3.06am? He was a Sun Pisces in a creative Water Grand Trine to Pluto in Cancer trine a Scorpio North Node, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition an 8^th house Neptune – so a perfect chart for a film superstar.  Pisces is ruled by Neptune so he had more than a double dose of the planet of dreams and images. The birth time is unverified but this one fits since Neptune often appears in the 8^th in film star charts who have an uncanny ability to project an aura. He had a high-adrenaline and quite stubborn Mars Uranus in Taurus in the 3^rd so would be forthright in expressing his views; and his Mercury, Saturn, Venus in self-reliant Aries were in his money-making 2^nd.

Pic with Greta Scacchi in Heat and Dust.

Trump Term revisited as it sidles towards its first ‘victory’ – a tax bill the FT describes as ‘the most bogus and politically cynical tax plan in recent memory. This is Reaganomics with all the downside and none of the upside.’ If it ultimately passes, it will create a fiscal mess and deficit that America will be digging itself out of for the next 30 years.

The Term chart does have Saturn in the 8^th, often found in bankers’ and financiers’ charts. The 8^th house rules business finances and taxes and Saturn always favours the establishment. The control-freak focal point Pluto in a pushy square to Jupiter also doesn’t help to make this an equal opportunities administration. The Term Pluto being 9^th house also points to a deluge of legal tangles creating hostility.

The Mueller Investigation is circling closer to the family with Jared Kushner’s name cropping up and Trump seemingly distancing himself from his son-in-law. Kushner, 10 January 1981 will be feeling precarious and unloved at the moment with tr Uranus in a disruptive opposition to his Pluto now and January and tr Saturn conjunct his Venus. Then tr Pluto is conjunct his Capricorn Sun from early February till late 2019, which will be a punishingly challenging time of great pressure. With major hiccups in May; and on a catastrophic downhill slide from mid 2018 onwards for 18 months with tr Neptune square his Mars/Pluto midpoint.

Ivanka looks confidence-dented this month but with more glimmerings of light than Jared, from tr Uranus opposition her Jupiter/Pluto till early February; though when he’s under most pressure she has tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Saturn midpoint, which usually means career and status changes, losses, restrictions – and that’s from Feb 2018 to late 2019, on and off.

Mike Pence may also be caught in the Mueller trap. He’s feeling the pressure of unsettling change this month and January with tr Uranus square his Sun/Pluto; worsening in January with tr Pluto in a disastrous square to his Mars/Saturn, on and off till the year end. March has career losses. And from May onwards his prospects look even dimmer with tr Neptune starting to square his Gemini Sun for 18 months; and tr Uranus squaring his Venus for an emotional shock, repeating in 2019. Plus a ‘shocking collision’ from Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Uranus from later in 2018 to early 2019.

I would have my doubts if Trump falls off his perch whether Pence would be in a position to step up.

North Korea’s latest dramatic long-range missile launch, capable in the eyes of some analysts of striking as far afield as Washington or New York, got lost in all the Trump noise. Bolstering nuclear power could just be a defensive strategy for Kim Jong Un, to discourage the US from ever attacking and allowing him to negotiate from a position of strength to secure a relaxation of economic and political sanctions. Although HR McMaster, the White House national security adviser, has warned that Pyongyang is the greatest immediate threat to America. In Hawaii, a siren to warn of an impending nuclear attack has been tested for the first time since the end of the Cold War; and there were calls for families of US forces personnel to be moved out of South Korea.

Kim Jong Un’s leadership chart, 29 December 2011 11.57am Pyonggang, looks on high tension as tr Saturn moves into Capricorn on the 20^th of this month; with an enraged Pluto Mars ramping up the pressure in January. The unstable Uranus in a control-freak square to Sun Pluto on the chart moves ever closer to complete upheaval by Solar Arc, exact in two months’ time, though could trigger any time. With more conflict, risk and losses by April/May – if he survives on his throne.

South Korea, 15 August 1948, also looks edgy in the extreme around December 20^th; and again at risk through January; with more upsets and insecurity through March/April 2018.

On the US side; HR McMaster is on high alert for violent calamities now and in January with tr Uranus square his Mars/Pluto, joined in January by tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus hinting at violent interventions. Looking more confident from mid March onwards.

James Mattis, Defence chief, is less bullish, a touch undermined this month (maybe for other reasons); but certainly moving into catastrophe-zone from early February till late March with tr Pluto square his martial Mars/Saturn midpoint. He looks much less confident that McMaster with Neptune transits washing over him.

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Will Prince William and Harry put a spoke in their father’s hoped-for plans to make Camilla queen rather than consort when he takes over the throne?  Despite their warm support in 2005 when Charles remarried, relations appear to have cooled in recent times, more so when they stepped forward as custodians of their mother Diana’s memory last year. Both the princes have ambivalent feelings about Camilla – some friendly affection mixed with resentment. In both cases’ Camilla’s Saturn Pluto in Leo falls in their 8^th house, which does suggest that she or her situation makes them feel trapped.

Harry’s relationship chart with Camilla is possibly the more complicated and volatile, with a warm composite Sun Venus conjunction; but the composite Moon (representing mother) squares Mars and Uranus Pluto. All of that is under disappointing Neptunian transits from March next year onwards for several years.

William’s relationship with Camilla is also fraught with a composite Venus square Uranus Saturn Pluto; though in theory he should respond well to her Cancer Sun, Moon, Venus, being one himself. Their composite Uranus Saturn are being opposed by tr Neptune in 2017/early 2018, before moving on to square the composite Venus in 2019/2020 – so no improvement there either. If anything worsening. Not argumentative, just eroding good feelings. 2021 looks jolted and edgy between them.

Charles is notoriously defensive about his position, disliking being outshone, so his relationship with his successor William has always been on an uneasy see-saw. That chart has a composite needs-space Sun Uranus; a chained-together by duty Saturn Pluto; and a composite Mars Neptune, making the success of one feel like a failure for the other. Again there’s been a Neptunian dissolution ongoing between them with increasing disappointment going ahead.

Charles’ relationship with Harry is complicated and aggravated in a different way with an affectionate Sun Venus; a chilly Venus Saturn; and a frustrating, enraging composite Mars square Uranus Pluto, which must explode every so often. This Christmas will see an enthusiasm-denting tr Saturn conjunct the composite Jupiter, moving on to square Mercury Saturn through 2018; and then square Venus Sun in 2019; with a weakening of the-ties-that-bind in 2019/2020 with tr Neptune square the composite Mars.

Camilla clearly never wanted to be in the spotlight and won’t be pushing to be queen but her life’s work has been to support Charles. She looks panicked and undermined at the moment till January 2018 with tr Neptune square her Mars. It’s 2019 and on when she’s under most pressure with tr Saturn opposing her Cancer Moon, Venus, Mercury, Sun in 2019; tr Pluto starting to oppose her Sun in 2019/2020. And by 2020 tr Uranus is squaring her Saturn, before moving on to square her Pluto for a dramatic upheaval. In 2020/21 her Solar Arc Midheaven will conjunct her Uranus (depending on her birth time being accurate) which would point to that period being the one of radical and unsettling changes in her life.  Even her relationship with Charles looks to be moving through swampy times from mid 2018 to late 2019.

Damian Green, the UK Cabinet minister and stalwart inside supporter of Theresa May, is embroiled in a complicated wrangle over allegations of inappropriate behaviour and having porn on his office computer (not illegal) – all of which he strenuously denies. His allies claim he’s being stitched up because of an old feud with the police; and his best buddy David Davis is threatening to resign if Green is forced out (now there’s a prospect.) If he does go it leaves May even more isolated than ever.

Green born 17 January 1956 in Barry, Wales does have quite a strange chart focussed onto Neptune and a Mars Saturn conjunction. His Capricorn Sun opposes Uranus squaring onto Neptune, which can be fanatical or not always open to rational argument. A confident Jupiter Pluto opposes Venus in Aquarius squaring onto Mars Saturn in Sagittarius; and his Sun Uranus opposition is in a wedge, sextile/trine Mars Saturn. Quite an oddball mix of practical, executive abilities, determined, disciplined – and head-in-the-clouds and prone to mishaps from Mars Saturn which latter being in Mutable signs can also be a malcontent.

His relationship chart with Theresa May is business-like and pretty locked together with a composite Sun Saturn opposition Venus square Pluto so it would take considerable pressure to separate them. The composite Sun Mercury square Jupiter brings good feelings and perhaps a tendency to overlook flaws. Though there is also a composite Mars square Neptune which suggests their personal ambitions don’t always coalesce.

He looks rattled at the moment having just moved through tr Uranus square his Sun, returning in spring 2018, before moving on to oppose his Neptune and square his Uranus – so one way or another his life will be unsettled in a major way for another 18 months at least. He looks seriously aggravated this month, perhaps from the 13^th for a few days (depending on his birth time). If an early morning birth could be exactly now.

There’s nothing much on his relationship chart with Theresa May (without birth times) to suggest much movement before the spring. Though their chemistry will sour badly in 2019/2020 no matter what the outcome of this typhoon of bad press coverage.

Julia Roberts’ latest pic Wonder about a disfigured boy who has to face the world has received generally favourable reviews. Variety said it has a “disarmingly level-headed empathy that glides along with wit, assurance, and grace, and has something touching and resonant to say about the current climate of American bullying.” The Guardian on the other hand saw it as a “ manipulative feel good drama, with a hefty dollop of treacle, with all the depth of a fridge magnet.” Rotten Tomatoes gave it an audience score of 91% and the box office so far indicates it’ll make a healthy profit.

Julia Roberts born 28 October 1967 12.15am Atlanta, Georgia, is still looking good at fifty, with three children in their early teens. She’s got a fairly tough chart with her Sun and two other planets in Scorpio in the 4^th; a challenging Yod of Jupiter sextile Sun inconjunct Saturn in forced-to-be-self-reliant Aries; and her Saturn in a disciplined, edgy square to a hard-working 6^th house Mars. Her Jupiter is well aspected being conjunct her Leo Moon trine Mars and sextile her Sun so she’d have enough optimism and luck to offset the setbacks in her chart.

She’s had an award-strewn career and now produces as well as acts and has hefty beauty sponsorship deals. She looks slightly deflated at the moment despite the film’s success, perhaps family and relationship concerns with her Solar Arc Mars opposition her Moon now and tr Saturn squaring her Sun/Moon midpoint before the year end. 2018/19 look a tough slog with tr Pluto conjunct her Sun/Saturn midpoint. But she’ll bounce up later in 2018 with Jupiter moving into her 5^th house of entertainment and fun.