Priti Patel – a reckless, go-getting Aries

   

 

A third UK Cabinet embarrassment is erupting fury this week as it emerges that Priti Patel, the international development secretary, broke the ministerial code of conduct by having a dozen unofficial meetings with Israeli government officials, including PM Netanyahu, while she was on holiday in Israel. Then it turns out she was exploring ways to give aid money to the Israeli army to support their humanitarian operations in occupied parts of the Golan Heights, which the UK does not recognise, so would contravene UK policy.

Memo: Fallon, Defence Secretary fell on his sword over ‘inappropriate’ behaviour a few days back; and Boris Johnson is in deep sileage over the Iranian foul up (see previous post).

Patel, born 29 March 1972, London, is an outspoken Tory right-winger, supports the tobacco and alcohol industries, voted against the same-sex marriage bill and is a member of the Friends of Israel.

She’s a Sun Mercury in Aries with her Sun trine Neptune, and opposition Pluto (Moon) in Libra square Jupiter in Capricorn – certainly not short of chutzpah or ambition. Though she may be forced to resign over this. She has a cool Air Grand Trine of Pluto trine North Node trine Mars Saturn, with the last opposition Neptune, giving her a love of publicity and making her hard-edged. Obviously talented but inclined to leap before she looks and cut corners.

Her Venus in Taurus is conjunct the Israel Sun, as is her Solar Arc Sun at the moment – as she hits her Israeli moment. And her relationship chart with Israel has an Earth Grand Trine of Pluto trine Jupiter trine composite Sun – she will feel strong ties and an opportunity for advancement.

Theresa May evidently gave her a rollicking but she can’t afford to lose too many more cabinet ministers before even her slippery Neptunian government collapses.

Nazanin Zhagari-Ratcliffe – victim of a Boris blunder

   

 

Bumbling Boris, the UK Foreign Secretary, could well have condemned an Iranian-British woman, Nazanin Zhagari-Ratcliffe, to a longer prison sentence by not reading his brief with care. In parliament in a belated attempt to put pressure on the Iranian government he said she had been teaching journalists in Teheran when in fact she had been on holiday visiting her parents with her daughter. She was arrested early last year on specious spying charges, it is thought as political leverage against the UK government. As per usual the UK Foreign Office to date have been their usual limp-wristed selves about ratcheting up pressure to have her released. Now Boris opens his mouth and makes the situation immeasureably worse.

She’s been in prison now for 18 months, the first half in solitary confinement which sent her into advanced depression. This weekend, she was taken to an unscheduled court hearing in Iran where Mr Johnson’s comments were cited as proof of her guilt. She now faces new charges of spreading propaganda against Iran and has been threatened with another five years in prison – on top of her existing five-year sentence.

Born 16 September 1978 she’s a Sun Virgo square Neptune, with Saturn Mercury in Virgo sextile Venus Uranus in Scorpio – hard-working, communicative, idealistic. Although she’ll get two minor pieces of good news early next year, it doesn’t look great through 2018/19 with tr Pluto square her Mars/Pluto midpoint; and tr Neptune opposing her Sun/Saturn and Mars/Jupiter midpoints – scared, trapped, extremely anxious and discouraged. She might be more heartened in gradual stages in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto trine her Uranus/Jupiter midpoint which could bring a lucky break.

Boris, 19 June 1964 2pm New York, US, looks equally disheartened and trapped ahead, though no doubt in more comfortable surroundings. His problem is his afflicted Mars in Gemini on the point of a T Square to Uranus (Pluto) in Virgo opposition Saturn, which tends to send him off like a scattergun in all directions at once – disorganised, inconsistent, rarely achieving much since he lacks focus.

Tr Neptune is opposing his Pluto till January, undermining his power with a downbeat tr Saturn opposition his Sun Venus in Gemini this December. Also in this December tr Pluto is in a catastrophe strewn square to his Mars/Saturn into early January 2018; and is followed by an even more destructive tr Pluto opposing his Mars/Uranus in Jan/Feb (repeating till late 2018), followed by tr Pluto opposition Mars/Pluto from Feb on and off till late 2019. Plus an undermining, failed-plans tr Neptune square his Sun/Mars from mid 2018 to end of 2019.

Theresa May no doubt dropped him in the Foreign Office assuming constant travel would keep him off her pitch and not stoking up trouble from the backbenches. In the process she’s made the UK even more of a laughing stock globally and done real damage to Nazanin Zhagari-Ratcliffe.

HM Queen – in a Paradise pickle

   

 

Revelations about the Queen’s private finances in the Paradise Papers, a massive leak about the offshore holdings of mega-wealthy individuals and conglomerates, will send a shiver of horror through Windsor Castle. Around £10 million of her money has been invested in Caribbean boltholes much beloved of money-launderers and tax evaders. She does not manage the Duchy of Lancaster’s investments, pays tax voluntarily on any income and there appear to be no tax advantages from investing offshore. But perception is all where Royal finances are concerned. Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodges said: ‘I think the Queen herself would be completely shocked to find her advisers have used tax havens in which to invest their money and that her reputation has been sullied by the actions of the tax advisers’.

What’s intriguing, astrologically speaking, is that HMQ’s chart relocated to the Cayman Islands, puts her dutiful Saturn in Scorpio on the Ascendant, threatening to damp her image; and puts Pluto in the 8th house of hidden finances.

This year tr Neptune has been conjunct her 2nd house Venus in Pisces this year, and continues on and off to late 2018 – an undermining time where it comes to money. With tr Saturn moving later this month to square her 2nd house Uranus for a jolt or two. She certainly looks in a thoroughly bad humour this month with tr Saturn square her Sun/Mars, Sun/Jupiter and Sun/Neptune midpoints so will regard the scandal as a setback.

Texas Church shooting – vengeful and vindictive Venus *updated

       

 

Another week, another mass killing. 26 died at a Texas Church yesterday with several injured in the worst mass shooting in the state’s history. The perpetrator appears to be Devin Kelley, with a Texas birth record of 12 February 1991, former US Air Force, who was imprisoned and dishonourably discharged for assaulting his wife and child. He seems to have been religious at one point but turned atheist according to his recent social media postings. Two local residents followed him escaping, ran him off the road and shot him.

Like the New York Truck attack, the Fire Grand Trine was in place, formed into a Kite by the emotionally excitable Uranus opposition Venus. Who’d have thought Venus would have such a negative effect? Indulgent and frivolous yes, undoubtedly selfish. But here acting as vengeful Venus, it is operating on the vindictive plane described in the old mythologies. Jealousy and the desire for retribution are all part of the Venusian playbook. She hates being slighted.

Jupiter, as ever playing its wild card in disasters, was conjunct the midheaven, as it was at 9/11 at which point Venus was also opposition Uranus then as well on the focal point of a Kite to an Air Grand Trine.

The shooter, Devin Kelley, is a controlling and stubborn Sun Aquarius square Pluto; with the highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn of his generation; and a hard-edged, short-tempered Mars in Gemini trine Mercury, Saturn and maybe an Aquarius Moon. Starkman has a rectified birthtime of 17.51 hrs for a Hays, Texas birth place – this would put a high-tension-family Pluto on the IC; with ambitious and argumentative Mars in the 10th. The volatile Uranus Neptune would be in the 5th and that plus a Leo Ascendant would prompt him to demand the spotlight in however erratic a way. His dependent Sun in 7th also chimes with an intense Venus in Pisces in the 8th trine Pluto, sextile Neptune (Uranus). Relationships would be a key focus for him. It makes marginally more sense than the previous birth date.

His can-be-mentally-unbalanced 7th harmonic is heavily aspected, with an explosive Sun Mars linked to Pluto Uranus and Neptune. And his 18H, notable amongst serial killers [See August 29 2017 post], links Pluto to Mars Sun Moon; and also to Saturn Neptune.

Saudi Prince MBS and the Sun King – two super-ambitious Virgos

     

 

The young heir to the Saudi Arabia throne, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has consolidated his hold on power with a purge of the kingdom’s political and business leadership, detaining 11 princes, four sitting ministers and dozens of ex-ministers.

Surprisingly enough – or maybe not – there are similarities between his chart and that of Louis X1V of France, who pacified the nobles, and became one of the most powerful and absolute of French monarchs, ruling for 72 years.

Louis, 5 September 1638 11.13am St Germain, France and MBS 31 August 1985. Both had/have Virgo Suns backed by a powerfully enduring Fixed planets. Louis had Jupiter in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius opposition Venus Moon in Leo. MBS has an even more controlling Pluto in Scorpio opposition Taurus North Node square Jupiter in Aquarius opposition Venus in Leo. Both have Mars in an inspirational Fire sign – Louis in Sagittarius and MBS has his Mars in Leo square an obsessively determined Saturn in Scorpio. MBS has his Virgo Sun square Uranus, so probably more inclined to reform; whereas Louis, although a risk-taker, went for show and flamboyance, as well as power.

MBS’s heavily aspected Pluto is conjunct the Saudi 1902 MC, so he’ll definitely have the ambition to transform the country. If he doesn’t push too hard too fast, since he’s been reckless in the past, certainly in the Yemen war to no good end result. Saudi is heading along a bumpy road until 2020 but should get a major boost then from tr Pluto conjunct Sun Jupiter.

Hugh Grant – an earthy Virgo Sun with an indulgent Taurus Moon

 

 

Actor Hugh Grant has seen a second coming in his career after a few turkeys and lack of interest as he veered off into fighting the media. Critics applauded his performance in Florence Foster Jenkins and now he’s the unlikely star of Paddington 2 in which he delights with a performance as the villain, a washed-up, narcissistic actor reduced to making dog food commercials.

Born 9 September 1960, maybe 7.30am, London (astrotheme), he has a Sun Mercury in Virgo on the focal point of a T square to Jupiter in Sagittarius opposition Mars (on his MC?) – not short of an ego, has a tendency to be overly opinionated, self-interested, a touch scattered. He has an 8th house (on this birth time) Taurus Moon like Bill Clinton, so indulgent, emotionally intense. His Sun, Node and Pluto are all in his 12th, so he’s quite hidden, keen on his privacy.

A fairly bleak Saturn in Capricorn in his 4th trines Pluto and his Moon, so not an easy or warm emotional life. But given that it’s an Earth Grand Trine, he is practical. His Moon opposes Neptune making Neptune his driving planet which suits the movies if not commitment to a settled partnership.

Tr Saturn is about to move into his 4th which may be why his career has seen a lift after a few years in the wilderness; with a good deal ahead. His Mars opposition Jupiter will move by Solar Arc to hit his Uranus in two years’ time so he’ll be off onto another new track then.

Robert Pattinson – talent eclipsed by fame

 

 

Actor Robert Pattinson has packed an illustrious career into a young life, though seems blighted by fame with more interest in his love life than his talents. Shot to worldwide stardom in the Twilight series with Kristen Stewart, he’s made several other critically acclaimed movies since, with his latest Good Times, in which he plays a mentally damaged psychopathic NY bank robber, being described as his “career peak” and “most commanding performance to date.”

Born 13 May 1986 8.32am London, England, he has a Pisces midheaven conjunct Jupiter in a self-protective Water Grand Trine to a Cancer Moon on his Ascendant trine Pluto in Scorpio, formed into a Kite by Moon opposition Neptune – so giving him a Neptunian feel for the movies,  with confidence and luck, but he also lives very much wrapped up in his own bubble. His Taurus Sun trines a 7th house Mars in Capricorn anchoring him down though also attracting him to feisty partners. Plus a Mutable T square of Venus in Gemini opposition Uranus square Jupiter – highly-strung, emotionally changeable, naïve.

This year has been good for him with tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter and square his Solar Arc Jupiter. Though it has been aggravated on the relationship front with tr Pluto conjunct his 7th house Mars, which continues on through 2018. On this birth time he’s got a great deal ahead of him career-wise, though possibly moving into production with Saturn in his 5th.

He has just broken off a two year engagement to singer/songwriter/dancer FKA Twigs, 16 January 1988. That started when his Progressed Sun was conjunct his Venus, making it a highly significant relationship. With her Capricorn Sun falling in his 7th it could have had a chance. But they are both fairly volatile temperaments and it was a very Uranian relationship – switch on, switch off with tensions erupting which broke it apart. With Saturn ruling his 7th house of marriage and sitting in his 5th house of children, he could well be older before he settles down.

Margarita Simonyan – RT’s Kremlin belle

   

 

Margarita Simonyan has been listed amongst the world’s most powerful women by Forbes. She is editor-in-chief of RT, the English-speaking television news network and the state-owned international news agency Rossiya Segodnya. RT is generally regarded as the Kremlin’s international propaganda channel, has been accused of spreading disinformation by former employees; and the UK authority Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached rules on impartiality, and of broadcasting “materially misleading” content.

Born 6 April 1980 she has some chart. A super-confident, attention-demanding and entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine of an Aries Sun trine Mars North Node in Leo trine Neptune (Moon) in Sagittarius, with the Sun opposition Pluto – making influential and controlling Pluto the driving planet of all that self-expressive, risk-taking fire energy with Mars Neptune attracting her to publicity and glamour. She also has Saturn in hard-working Virgo opposition Mercury in Pisces square Neptune – so definitely drawn to conspiracy, scandal and obfuscation. Plus a T square of Uranus opposition Venus square Jupiter – lucky and scattered.

Her relationship chart with Putin has a supportive composite Sun Jupiter conjunction; with Jupiter opposition Mercury square Saturn – a lucky, business link. With a status-quo-upsetting composite Uranus Pluto as well. But for all that, it’s an uneasy connection with her Pluto conjunct his Neptune Saturn, Sun; her Sun square his Uranus and opposition his Libra planets; her Mars conjunct his Pluto; and her Neptune conjunct his Mars. While it works spreading scandal (Pluto Neptune); and pulling together in the same direction, it’ll be fine. But if he ever feels threatened then woe betide her. Their relationship will get a dent come early 2018 with tr Uranus opposition the composite Mars; and will be cooler through 2018/19 with tr Saturn hitting on key composite planets.

Sayfullo Saipov – abusing the freedom he was given

     

 

Sayfullo Saipov, the New York truck attacker, was born on February 8 1988 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a mainly Muslim country, though strictly controlled to suppress extremists. Evidently he was enchanted with the religious freedom offered by the USA, after he arrived in 2010.

He’s a Sun Aquarius square Pluto, so stubborn, controlled and controlling; with an excitable Uranus Saturn in Sagittarius widely conjunct a crusading Mars in Sagittarius. That trio of planets is square Venus North Node in Pisces, and trine Jupiter in pro-active Aries. So volatile and very much on edge; with Pluto making him secretive.

His Uranus Saturn are exactly conjunct the New York Mars Venus in Sagittarius; and his Neptune opposes the USA Sun Jupiter in Cancer; his Jupiter squares the USA Mercury opposition Pluto. His relationship charts with both NY and the USA are highly stressed. With NY there’s a composite Pluto trine Mars, opposition the North Node; with an ego-clash composite Mars square Neptune (only one side can win). It’s worse with the USA chart – an explosive, virulent hostility composite Mars opposition Uranus square Pluto (Moon), with the composite Mars in an aggravated and paranoid sextile to Saturn Neptune.  Astrology might be a better way to sift out potential terrorists who hate the country they’ve been offered sanctuary in.