Marjorie

Angelina Jolie’s latest movie “First They Killed My Father,” based on the true story of a young girl who survived the Cambodian genocide, has been deemed her best yet at its recent premiere.

She continues to lead an enigmatic life, effortlessly glamourous with a strictly controlled public image, mother to a large brood of adopted and biological children, now exiting from the power-couple marriage to Brad Pitt, and steeped in her humanitarian work, embracing the darkest crimes of humanity. She does have a stark chart emotionally with a much-travelled 9^th house Aries Moon conjunct Mars and Jupiter square Saturn and opposition Pluto – so she will be drawn to high-risk situations, drama and horror. Her friendly, socially-aware 11^th house Gemini Sun opposes Neptune in the 5^th house of children and trine Pluto giving her vision and determination.

She certainly looks unsettled domestically this year, having just moved house, with tr Uranus opposing her 4^th house Uranus into 2018; as well as a discouraging tr Pluto opposition Saturn; and a more upbeat tr Pluto square Jupiter MC. Tr Neptune is also in a confused, undermining square to her Sun in 2017 and 2018.

But she’s destined for success no matter the ups and downs along the way with her pro-active Jupiter sitting firmly on her midheaven.

Relocating her chart to Cambodia puts her Sun in the 4^th so she clearly feels at home there, with her idealistic Neptune in the 10^th; her organising Saturn in the 5^th house of entertainment; and her Aries planets in the money-making 2^nd.

Despite celeb gossip suggesting she and Brad Pitt might come back together since he has cleaned up his lifestyle, it doesn’t seem altogether likely. Their relationship chart has tr Saturn square the Pluto (opposition Sun) later this fall; with tr Uranus opposing the composite Venus into early 2018.

The temple to Apple, a newly finished park in Cupertino, California larger than the Vatican, was the venue for the new iPhone launch with a facial recognition iPhone X and upgraded iPhone 8s.

With a well-aspected Jupiter in the business-finance 8^th in a communicative Air Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Aquarius Ascendant trine a Gemini Moon, formed into a Kite with the leading-edge Uranus as the driving planet, it has a good deal going for it. However the Sun squares Saturn in the 10^th, so there may be delays and some obstacles to overcome.

The Apple Nasdaq chart, 12 Dec 1980 10am New York, has a hint of uncertainty if not downright panic in the final days of this month into early October.

The Apple Inc 1 April 1976 chart, looks similarly log-jammed till late this October. But super-confident through 2018/19. It may not be the instant fly-off-the-shelf success they were hoping for but could build.

Sir Peter Hall, who virtually single-handedly transformed British theatre and established it as gold standard over fifty years, has died. Described as “a colossus”, his tunnel-visioned determination in his late twenties formed the Royal Shakespeare Company and he then went on to establish the National Theatre on the South Bank; and was much lauded for his opera productions. He premiered Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in the 1950s to almost universal bewilderment, which later turned into a classic, and 25 years later Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus, which was a blockbusting success; along the way of a long career he produced hundreds of Shakespearean and modern plays. His range was astonishing. He was known as a “boy wonder” and then a Machiavellian schemer and those who knew him said “he was a man of great warmth and mischievous wit.” Another commentator described him as “a large, loud, stubborn man – who tended to attract admirers and detractors of equal fervour”.

Born 22 November 1930 with a ratcatcher grandfather and railwayman father, he started play going at 12 by train to London or cycling to Stratford, won a scholarship to Cambridge where he started directing; and never looked back.

His last degree Scorpio Sun was conjunct Venus trine the super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer (much like Pierre Berge born a week earlier, see post below) – so ultra-charming, but also obsessive, hyper-determined, lucky and resourceful. He had an entrepreneurial, inspirational Fire Grand Trine of Mars in flamboyant Leo trine Mercury in Sagittarius trine Uranus, making him talented, a risk-taker and attention-seeking.

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, survived Hurricane Irma, by bunkering down with his staff in the concrete wine cellar of his Necker Island house which was destroyed above his head. He’s now talking to various governments, aid agencies and the media, to mobilise aid efforts and rebuilding plans for the British Virgin Islands and wider Caribbean.

Born 18 July 1950 7am Blackheath, England, he has a 12^th house Cancer Sun conjunct the changeable and unpredictable Fixed star Procyon, which is getting the jolting tr Uranus square this year and into early 2018. He has his Pluto in Leo on his Ascendant which was in direct collision with the August Lunar Eclipse. And his chart, relocated to the Virgin Islands puts that Pluto almost exactly on the IC. That wouldn’t be considered lucky in astrocartography – it will tend to bring intense experiences, sometimes high-risk situations and a sense of constant upheavals and transformations. His Necker House has been destroyed once already by fire in 2011 and had to be totally rebuilt. Plus ca change.

The August Solar eclipse was also conjunct his 1 degree Virgo Moon and opposition his Secondary Progressed Moon – so shocks affecting his home. Plus he has tr Pluto square his Mars at the moment adding to his sense of meeting tremendous force. Tr Uranus is also conjunct his midheaven this year, sending him in new directions.

Video from Sam Branson: https://www.instagram.com/p/BY5oy0_Aj9T/ 

Protests in Togo against the president are continuing with the UN urging that the people’s “legitimate expectations” be heard. Formerly under French rule, the country has had the same ruling family dynasty for fifty years. All West African countries except Togo now have a stipulated two term rule for presidents.

A narrow tropical country of 6 million multi-ethnic and multi-religious peoples, wedged between Ghana on the west, Benin on the east, with a small border with Burkina Faso to the north, it became independent on 27 April 1960. A coup in 1967 put in the present president’s father for 37 years, and Faure Gnassingbe took over on his death in 2005.

Agricultural and minerals are its chief economy and although standards of living are high there’s also widespread poverty; it is under developed and in debt. Wiki travel says it is one of the nicest places in Western Africa. Roads are good, distances small, beaches sandy and white, people friendly, hills and mountains waiting to be explored.

The country chart has great potential with an Earth Grand Trine of Jupiter in Capricorn trine Pluto trine a Taurus Sun which is opposition Neptune MC. A trapped Pluto in the 8^th won’t help nor is too much Neptune, but it still could have great potential. Another Earth Grand Trine of a 12^th house (none too practical) Saturn in Capricorn trine a 4^th house Taurus Moon trine North Node in Virgo could also give it commercial nous if the energy was freed up. Plus a mini-Grand Trine of Moon trine Saturn, sextile Mars in the 2^nd.

At the moment tr Uranus is opposing the Solar Arc Pluto, shaking that Grand Trine/Kite in its progressed position as rebellion mounts and that’ll be around for another year.

There’s not much to suggest President Gnassingbe’s Term chart, 4 May 2005, will keel over instantly; though it’s blocked this year with tr Saturn conjunct the Pluto; heavily discouraged in 2018/19 with tr Pluto opposition Saturn; and in meltdown in 2020 with Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Mars.

Born 6 June 1966, he’s a Sun Mars in Gemini square Uranus Pluto, so a loose cannon and controlling. He looks undermined in 2018/19 but there’s nothing much showing apart from that.

Canadian-born Katherine Ryan is going from strength to strength in her career as a stand-up comic, in ye olden days very much a male domain. Born 30 June 1983 in Sarnia, Canada, she moved to the UK in her 20s, took to open mic as a hobby, built her profile through television panel shows and now has her own Netflix stand-up special. Her act is described as ‘silly, edgy, political and slapstick all at the same time’.

She has her Sun in a feisty conjunction to Mars in Cancer, which is a sign that has a nose for what the public wants; and she has a quirky, adventurous Jupiter Uranus in Sagittarius, which is a comedian’s sign. Her Mercury in chatty Gemini is conjunct the Node, opposition Neptune and trine Saturn Pluto in Libra – so intuitive as well as hard-hitting with a keen sense of the bleaker side of life. She has a talented Half Grand Sextile from Mercury opposition Neptune, sextile Saturn Pluto sextile Venus in Leo so she can mix her pungent comments with light-hearted entertainment and fun.

She’s certainly moving into a period of fast-moving change with her Solar Arc Uranus Jupiter crossing the conjunction to her Sun between 2017 and 2021, which all looks good if unsettled. And a marginally more challenging Solar Arc Saturn Pluto conjunct her Jupiter Uranus between 2019 and 2022.

Actor Keanu Reeves – Point Break and the Matrix movie series – is moving back into the spotlight after a few lean years. His latest movie is Replicas which he co-produced and stars in. Born 2 September 1964 5.41am Beirut Lebanon to an English mother and Chinese Hawaiian father, he had a peripatetic childhood through his mother’s four subsequent marriages after his father abandoned the family when he was three, living in Australia, New York and Toronto.

He has a 12^th house Virgo Sun, Mercury, Uranus, Pluto, with Pluto Uranus conjunct his Ascendant – so definitely a rebel but also quite retiring, preferring to stay off the fame circuit. His Sun Mercury oppose Saturn in Pisces in the hard-working 6^th so he will have a downbeat side to his personality. Balancing that he has a friendly and enthusiastic 11^th house Cancer Moon Mars Venus; with his Moon trine Neptune, sextile Pluto – well tuned into public taste. Jupiter in indulgent Taurus in the 9^th points to an interest in travel and alternative cultures. It’s an exclusively Water Earth chart giving him great inner strength and determination to withstand calamities, as well as a serious, self-protective streak.

Although always regarded as an enduring bankable star, his career ground to a halt in 2008 after a flop blockbuster, The Day the Earth Stood Still. He said in an interview: ” I call that The Day my Career Stood Still. I kind of went to Studio Movie Jail.” What’s interesting astrologically is that was when tr Saturn crossed his Ascendant and disappeared into his low-profile first quadrant, often a less successful time. As tr Saturn neared the end of this seven year phase he got his mojo back in John Wicks; and now with tr Saturn crossing into his 2^nd quadrant, he should be making faster progress. He looks confident in 2017/18 though with some Neptunian dips this year and a few Plutonic frustrations in 2018/19.  2020/2021 will be outstandingly successful as tr Pluto trines his Jupiter.

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Pierre Berge, the business partner and lover for many years of fashion designer Yves St Laurent, has died.

Born 14 November 1930 10.30am on Ile d’Oleron, France, he met YSL when he was 28 and for four decades his commercial talents made them both fabulously rich. The relationship was always fraught since YSL was manic-depressive and had a drink problem. Berge rescued Yves from National Service where he suffered a nervous breakdown, sued Dior, his previous employer who refused to take him back, and with the money set up an independent ready-to-wear boutique – and they never looked back. The romantic relationship broke up but they remained close and just before Yves’ death they contracted a civil partnership.

Berge was a determined Sun Mercury in Scorpio trine a super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer (the favourite fashion sign); even better he had an entrepreneurial, inspirational Fire Grand Trine of Mars in flamboyant Leo trine Venus in colourful Sagittarius trine Uranus in Aries. He had Mars, Moon, Neptune in the 8^th house of joint business finances, so good at handling money, if not always straightforward about his dealings.

Yves St Laurent was born 1 August 1936 7.45pm Oran, Algeria. He had his Sun, Venus and Mercury in entertaining Leo, though his truly difficult Mars Pluto in Cancer opposed a Capricorn Moon, so he would be subject to rages. It would have been a high-octane relationship since Berge’s Jupiter Pluto was conjunct YSL’s angst-ridden Mars Pluto. But Berge would infuse him with confidence and was strong enough to withstand his storms of creative and emotional fury. Berge’s Moon Neptune fell in YSL’s 7^th for a supportive, sympathetic partnership; with Berge’s Venus conjunct YSL’s MC giving him PR skills and an outlet for his artistic talent; and Berge’s Mars was conjunct YSL’s Sun so he’d motivate YSL, no doubt through endless arguments.

Their relationship chart had a mutually supportive composite Sun, Jupiter, Mercury (Venus) conjunction, so a successful combination for both.

The Cassini spacecraft is coming up to its grand finale as it circles nearer Saturn than ever before, diving through the gap between the rings and planet itself, before it runs out of fuel and self-destructs by entering into Saturn’s atmosphere.

It was launched on a lander from Cape Canaveral on 15 October 1997 at 8.43am, which gives it a 12^th house Sun Mercury in Libra opposition Saturn Moon in Aries, with Neptune Uranus in the 3^rd. It’s a productive chart with an inspirational Fire Grand Trine of Saturn Moon in Aries trine Mars (Venus Pluto) in Sagittarius) trine a Leo Midheaven, formed into a Kite by MC opposition Jupiter in scientific Aquarius.

As it nears the end of its mission with one final flourish tr Jupiter is conjunct the Sun Mercury; with tr Pluto square Saturn and tr Saturn approaching the conjunction to the Solar Arc Pluto. A success, then extinction.