Marjorie

Happy news day – a spring Royal wedding up and coming to distract from the drear. The UK chart does look enlivened from late March to late May so the country will be in a jubilant mood.

Prince Harry does have tr Jupiter criss-crossing his midheaven in early 2018 so he’ll be on a high with admiration coming his way; and with tr Pluto trine his Taurus Moon in 2018/19 he’ll be not just moving house but also making positive changes in his emotional life. He has tr Pluto in a passionate square to his 9^th house Venus (= bride from abroad) exactly now; with his Progressed Moon moving through his 7^th house of marriage which is often when people settle down. Though it will be into his 8^th by the time of the marriage which will see two years thereafter of wrestling with himself about what he really values. Tr Uranus opposes his Pluto from mid May onwards for a radical change in his lifestyle; and with tr Saturn heading for his Ascendant from 2019 onwards he’ll want a less pressured life for several years ahead with more time for personal interests, such as children and a family.

Meghan, 4 August 1981 Los Angeles has a birth time from astrotheme of 4.46am though I’m not sure how sound that is. She’s a Sun Leo with a Libra Moon, so very different in personality type to Harry who has a Virgo Sun and Taurus Moon. She’s Fire/Air giving her lively enthusiasm with his more practical Earth. But her Venus is in Virgo chimes with his Sun; and her Libra Moon with his Venus, so there will be an affectionate cross-over. Her Mars in his 7^th suggests a lively relationship with frank exchanges of view; her Sun and Venus in his 8^th for passion and a deep connection.

She has been looking understandably unsettled this year with the prospect of such a dramatic change to her life’s direction, but is jubilant through this December/January. Born a few days after the not-altogether-positive Eclipse which oversaw Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding, she has a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Libra close to her Moon. So she will be idealistic as well as ambitious, evidently now wanting to focus away from acting onto her charitable efforts in Africa.

Their relationship chart has a passionately affectionate composite Mars Venus conjunction (undergoing a minor dip later this December); a chained-together Saturn Pluto conjunction, suggesting the burden of duty will be weighty; a needs-space or needs-an-unconventional-lifestyle composite Sun square Uranus – both need to retain their individuality so she won’t just be arm-candy and walking submissively behind him; and Neptune square Venus Mars which is a minor worry, suggesting when the shine wears off there will be some disappointment and perhaps a clash of conflicting ambitions. The composite Jupiter may be trine the Moon (if her birth time is sound) which will help smooth out problems and foster mutual support. Tr Jupiter will give the composite Jupiter a boost in late April which would fit.

I wouldn’t have said it was absolutely ideal, but relationships need to be cut from a different mould to withstand the rigours of a Royal marriage, with a rabid tabloid press and tricky internal family dynamics and rivalries.

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China’s infiltration abroad is escalating stealthily to a scary degree with multi-pronged strategies. Offers of infra-structure investment to central and eastern European countries (16+1) are causing alarm in Brussels; with Africa’s development being largely fuelled by China. The NY Times headline this morning – Beijing Hinders Free Speech in America – points out the degree to which Chinese students abroad are being threatened into silence. “Chinese students who are seen with political dissidents or dare to publicly challenge Chinese government policies can be put on a blacklist. Their families in China can be threatened or punished.” In Australia journalists have detailed how Chinese money has infiltrated the political process. And back home, the Xi regime is tightening its grip over its own people with a planned Citizen Trustworthy Score, collecting personal info about all areas of life, interests and activities – described by a commentator as “Amazon’s consumer tracking with an Orwellian political twist.” Or as Wired put it ‘Big Data meets Big Brother’. (Urls below.)

Xi Jinping’s initial Presidency chart, 14 March 2013 11.51am Beijing, showed every indication of being a game-changer with a status-quo upsetting 10^th house Uranus square a 7^th house Pluto, which latter wants to remake others in their image. But more pointedly there is a Yod of a determined Saturn in Scorpio sextile Pluto inconjunct Jupiter in the 12^th – which certainly has the urge to influence the masses. Tied into Saturn Pluto it does suggest social fanaticism, since an afflicted Jupiter rarely doubts the rightness of its belief. It can trip itself up through allowing a personal ego-trip to get out of hand.

There’s another Yod of Jupiter sextile Uranus inconjunct Saturn, which is tough to handle well, and will get a mighty jolt in 2021 as tr Uranus opposes that Saturn.

China itself is deeply secretive and determined with a Sun, Mercury, Neptune and Saturn in the 8^th and Jupiter in the 12^th; and belligerent with Mars Pluto in Leo in the 7^th, so prone to hostile and bullying relationships. It looks to be bouncing to even more prominence in 2018 with its Solar Arc MC conjunct the Ascendant; and roaring ahead in terms of finance and confidence in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto conjunct its Jupiter. Although 2019 also has tr Uranus square the China Moon, suggesting an unsettled population which impacts on the country’ image. Where the real problems crop up are 2021 to 2023 with tr Uranus squaring the 7^th house Mars Pluto, which looks agitated, explosive, and a radical upheaval both in diplomatic relations and internally.

Add on: Contemplating Pluto in Capricorn and its tendency to produce strong leaders: On the previous run after the mid 18^th century, the Chinese Emperor Hongli was a capable and cultured ruler running a thriving empire. During his reign the Qing Empire reached its most splendid and prosperous era, boasting a large population and economy, with military victories which expanded the dynastic territory to the largest extent by conquering and sometimes destroying Central Asian kingdoms. Although after Pluto in Capricorn moved on the empire started to stagnate.

https://www.ft.com/content/16abbf2a-cf9b-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/26/opinion/beijing-free-speech-america.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/chinese-government-social-credit-score-privacy-invasion

Spot the bad guy from their chart. You think? The old joke was that very little separated criminal barristers from their gangster clients. They both exist in the same environment, tap into the same energies, but one directs their inner darkness towards justice while the other flouts it.

A wonderful example has just cropped up. Carla del Ponte, the Swiss anti-mafia prosecutor led the hunt for Ratko Mladic, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ when she was with the UN International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. She was born 9 February 1947 in Bignasco, and is a Sun Mars in Aquarius, with her Mars in an Air Grand Trine to Neptune Moon in Libra trine Uranus, formed into a Kite by Mars opposition Pluto (Saturn) in Leo.

Ratko Mladic, convicted this week, see post below) also has an Air Grand Trine of Mars in Aquarius trine Uranus Saturn Moon in Gemini trine Neptune; formed into a Kite by Mars opposition Pluto. Both have the brutally repressive Mars opposition Pluto as the driving rod of their charts, but one experienced it as an observer and the other as the perpetrator. Both have their Mercury in Pisces, their Jupiter in a Water sign and their Suns in aspect to Jupiter. Mladic’s Saturn is marginally more afflicted being trine his Mars, conjunct Uranus, sextile Pluto and trine Neptune which would incline him to cruelty.

Tone-deaf, insensitive and suffering from foot-in-mouth disease are the hallmarks of Lena Dunham, actor-writer-director who created and starred in Girls. Proud of her feminist credentials, her most recent blotting of her copybook came from suggesting that an allegation of sexual harassment against a male friend of hers was probably not to be believed. She’s losing fans on social media by the bucket load since it’s now also being seen as racist.

Born 13 May 1986 in New York, she’s a Sun Taurus conjunct Mars in Capricorn so heavyweight when it comes to asserting herself. Her Mercury also in Taurus is in a dogmatic opposition to Pluto and an argumentative trine to Mars; as well as a can-be-confused trine to Neptune. Her Venus in Gemini opposes Uranus squaring onto Jupiter in Pisces, so she’ll mean well but be erratic in her attitudes, and prone to jumping into self-righteous pronouncements.

She’s in an angry, frustrated, trapped two years in 2017/18 with tr Pluto conjunct her Mars; and hitting a lacklustre patch following in 2019/2020 with tr Neptune conjunct her focal point of Jupiter.

Tricky when a friend is accused but she should know better.

George Clooney’s latest directorial movie Suburbicon starring Matt Damon has got blisteringly bad reviews – ‘an embarrassing Coens-inspired trainwreck’; ‘not as smart, clever or funny as it seems to think it is.’ His previous outing behind the camera ‘Monuments Men’ also fell between two stools as it tried to be a caper and serious at the same time.

All this with tr Saturn starting to move across his midheaven when he should be reaching a peak. He does have a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in his chart, which yearns to find a balance between his activist ideals and commercial success, but he seems to have fallen down the gap between the two and ended up with neither.

Tr Neptune is now crossing his Ascendant giving him a minor identity crisis which won’t disappear in a hurry. Is he part of a celebrity couple, now blessed with twins; or a silver fox star; or a serious movie creator? He looks confidence-dented at the moment with more jolts, jangles and setbacks in 2018, some of which may be family related as tr Uranus squares his Moon and Saturn in late Capricorn and also squares his 5^th house Mars, increasing his sense of insecurity. Luckily all is not lost. He’ll bounce back in 2019 as tr Uranus squares his Jupiter and is conjunct his Mars/Jupiter midpoint and Jupiter also moves through his 10^th house of career and reputation for glowing reviews and a sigh of relief from his ego.

Al Franken, the Democratic Junior Senator from Minnesota, has issued another apology after two more women made allegations of inappropriate touching. He said “I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women — and I respect their feelings about that.”

Born 21 May 1951 6.15pm New York, he was a comedian and writer before turning to liberal politics in 2009. He has a 7^th house Sun Mars conjunction in Gemini, so is a communicator, sociable and feisty; with his Sun Mars opposition his Sagittarius Moon; and Pluto on his midheaven trine his Moon – he will be fairly controlling with that Pluto with some issues around women from Moon Mars as well. His Venus Uranus in Cancer square Jupiter in Aries which will make him quite fickle emotionally and given to turning on the charm when it suits him.

He looks confused and uncertain at the moment with tr Pluto square his Neptune until early December and his Pluto is being rattled by the recent August Eclipses as well as those next Jan/Feb, so he’s having to rethink his approach. He isn’t standing on solid ground till early January, with his confidence dented, though he says he won’t resign. And despite a few blips next spring will be pushing ahead after a few lucky breaks through 2018/19. Though with tr Saturn moving through his 1^st quadrant he’s not as successful as he was and is having to face unresolved psychological issues.

Renowned news broadcaster, Charlie Rose, 5 January 1942 5.50pm Henderson, North Carolina, isn’t faring as well, having been fired by CBS and now having various awards and honours being revoked. He has an ambitious, pro-active Mars in Aries in his 10^th trine a Leo Moon; with his Moon opposition an 8^th house Venus in Aquarius squaring onto Saturn Uranus in Taurus. Emotionally intense and changeable; and a stressed Moon in aspect to Mars, Saturn and Uranus does suggest issues around women.   Tr Saturn has been opposing his Solar Arc MC as he fell from grace; with tr Uranus in an insecure conjunction to his 10^th house Mars through 2017 and early 2018. He looks understandably discouraged this December; and worse after mid 2018, with a ‘shock’ Solar Arc Mars opposition his Capricorn Sun in early 2019, which could be a health issue.

300 have died in Egypt’s worst ever atrocity as insurgents attacked a mosque in North Sinai where Sunni Sufi Muslims were worshipping (seen by some as a heretic sect) and tribes who have been supporting the security services against militants. ISIS, having been effectively driven out of Iraq and Syria, has now moved its base of operations. When President al-Sisi took over power after a coup in 2014, he claimed he would end “terrorism” in Egypt, though he’s not winning, despite jailing 60,000 political prisoners and an undetermined number of murders and disappearances; and air strikes against terrorist positions.

Al Sisi, himself, is not a man for turning, with a ferocious Mars in Aquarius opposition Pluto squaring onto his Scorpio Sun Venus, and Saturn Mercury also in Scorpio’ plus a can be fanatical, though also lucky Neptune square Uranus Jupiter. Where he faces his greatest problems will probably be in 2020 with his Solar Arc Mars opposing his Neptune bringing a panicky sense of failure.

His presidency chart, 8 June 2014 11.18am, Cairo, has a similarly crisis-ridden, explosive T square of Uranus Mars and Pluto as Mnangagwa in Zimbabwe (see previous post) though in this case widely aspecting Jupiter which will help marginally to provide escape routes from problems. 2019 looks to be the riskiest with an explosive Solar Arc Mars opposition Uranus coming exact; and an undermining tr Neptune square the presidency Sun from April 2019 onwards till early 2020, when the warlike Saturn Pluto conjunction is in place.

2019/2020 is also when ISIS (15 October 2006) looks to be running into destruction with the tr Pluto Saturn square its Mars Sun.

The Egypt chart, 14 March 1922 10.43pm Cairo, is panicked now till January 2018 with tr Neptune square the 12^th house Neptune. 2018 will see a sober reassessment of the country’s direction with some discouragement throughout the year; high tensions and violence around 2019/2020. But it’s a tough country with a natal Saturn on the MC square Pluto so will stand steady though taking economic hits with a pervading sense of deprivation and shortages mounting in 2019/2020.

Who’d have thought that Wi-Fi, cordless phones and Bluetooth might never have been developed had it not been for the inventive partnership between a Hollywood star and an avant-garde composer? It’s a wondrous tale about Hedy Lamarr, darling of the silver screen in the 1940s. Born 9 November 1914 7.35pm Vienna, Austria, she had an inquiring mind fostered by her wealthy banker father. When she married a fascist arms dealer at 18, she listened to all his conversations about jamming torpedoes and after baling on the marriage and heading to the USA, she tried to give her ideas to the US navy, who weren’t interested. Yet her Secret Communication System, involving the technology behind synchronised music, would go on to define modern life.

Her ideas were picked up after the patent expired in the 1960s and radio communication based on Lamarr’s theory was deployed during the Cuba Missile Crisis. She did receive some scientific credit in her 80s and there’s now a documentary ‘Bombshell’ about her extraordinary contribution.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2017/11/23/sex-symbol-day-scientific-trailblazer-night-hedy-lamarr-changed/

She had a Sun, Mercury and Mars in Scorpio in her 5^th house of entertainment, so was undoubtedly a larger-than-life personality and a touch vengeful. Her Uranus Jupiter in scientific Aquarius in the ‘eureka’ 8^th house squared onto her Mercury, which would give her a sharp mind (and tongue) and inspired insights. Her Uranus opposed Neptune which is also an ‘inventive’ aspect as well as her Leo Moon. She did not have a restful emotional life, careering through six husbands and multiple lawsuits along the way. Saturn Pluto in Cancer in her 12^th would make her depressive, though Pluto in the 12^th also has depth of understanding. Her Pluto Saturn were in a creative Water Grand Trine to her Pisces Midheaven trine her Mercury, which would make her emotionally self-protective. After her sixth marriage failed she remained single for her remaining 35 years.

Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic athlete, has had his jail sentence for killing his girlfriend extended to the minimum 15 years prescribed for murder in South Africa, less time already served. Prosecutors had argued that the six-year term for murdering Reeva Steenkamp was “shockingly light”.

Born 22 November 1986 10.30am (from memory) Johannesburg, South Africa, he does have a charming but highly controlling and very intense Pluto Venus Mercury conjunct his Scorpio midheaven, with his Scorpio Sun also in his ambitious 10^th square Mars in Aquarius in his 1^st. Utterly driven with a never-say-die mentality which took him to the heights to overcome his disability, but ultimately proved to be his undoing. His Leo Moon squares Venus Pluto adding another dose of relentless obstinacy and possessiveness to his determined and volatile temperament.

His get-it-together but also can-be-dominating 5^th Harmonic is strong, as is his pleasure-seeking 9H, and his can-be-self-destructive 16H. His genius, breakthrough 13H is notable; and his explosive 18H.

Tr Pluto is now moving through his 12^th house, from 2014 right through till 2031, which is classic for imprisonment. Though most often it doesn’t bring such a stark outcome. Certainly a time for deep introspection.

At the moment his Solar Arc MC is conjunct his Saturn which suggests his birth time may be about right. His Saturn is conjunct the Fixed Star Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius (The Scorpion). It is associated with rashness and violence.

His Progressed Moon is moving through purgatory in his 8^th for another nearly two years; and a depressed Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Saturn will weigh heavily on him around early 2019. There’ll be some bullish moments in 2018/19 for him and others of complete despair; with some risky situations over 2020/21 with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars/Uranus. Whatever happens, the turn of the next decade around 2030, when he’ll be in his mid forties, is a time of major change as all the outer planets move into new houses in his chart. Pluto moves out of his 12^th across his Ascendant giving him back control of his life. Tr Uranus moves into his 5^th bringing more social fun and freedom. Tr Neptune into his 3^rd, which will be muddled as far as everyday living is concerned. And tr Saturn into his 4^th moving him out of a low profile period of his life.