Marjorie

Another Trump shock and awe as he levies tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and Mexico, who are all threatening retaliation. Past experience suggests such protectionism, as in Reagan era, costs jobs in US and pushes US prices up, hurting US consumers, never mind setting off an escalating trade war elsewhere. Even GOP stalwarts are alarmed.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) called it “bad news”.

Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said there is “mounting evidence that these tariffs will harm Americans.”

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) warned that similar policies 90 years ago sparked the Great Depression. He said: “This is dumb. Europe, Canada, and Mexico are not China, and you don’t treat allies the same way you treat opponents. ‘Make America Great Again’ shouldn’t mean ‘Make America 1929 Again.'”

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) “This is a big mistake. These tariffs will raise prices and destroy manufacturing jobs, especially auto jobs, which are one-third of all Tennessee manufacturing jobs. Tariffs are “basically higher taxes on American consumers.”

It was signed to start at midnight last night.

This aptly enough produces a self-protective, though usually divorced-from-reality Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Scorpio trine Venus in Cancer trine Neptune in the 2^nd, formed into a Kite by Venus opposition a 12^th house Pluto (Moon Saturn) in Capricorn. Plus an explosive Mars on the Aquarius Ascendant opposition North Node in the 7^th square Uranus. So an unholy mix of an act of reckless machismo to shore up self-esteem; and some dubious behind-the-scenes-motives. Neptune in the 2^nd tied into the central configuration is not remotely hard-headed on the cash front, and Saturn in the 12^th isn’t practical.

At the moment Pluto is exactly conjunct the Mars/Saturn midpoint, which is destructive; Saturn is square the Sun/Mars and Uranus/Neptune midpoints which indicates setbacks and loses.  Could all be stoking up economic trouble as tr Saturn opposes the US Jupiter Venus this year and the Sun in 2019 at the same time as a fairly devastating tr Pluto trine the US Neptune picking up.

It’ll also have a damaging effect on steel jobs in the EU, UK and elsewhere.

‘If you had been, say, in a coma or on the international space station since 2014, and you had woken up to today’s pictures of Kim Kardashian West discussing prison reform in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump… well, you’d be forgiven for raising an eyebrow and promptly blasting back in the direction of Mars.’ (Clare Cohen, Telegraph).

To be fair, KK was trying to do something laudable in pleading for a woman prisoner, inside for two decades, for a non-violent first offence in a drugs case. But it was bizarre. Two reality stars meet on the most hallowed of ground .

KK’s Jupiter midheaven in Virgo square Trump’s Sun and Moon so a fair amount of mutual morale boosting there; plus her Pluto is conjunct his 2^nd house Jupiter which will also up the heat, making both feel like part of a power couple. Though her Uranus is square his Mars so it would be explosive if they were trapped in the same space for long. Their relationship chart has a business-like composite Sun, Saturn, Venus so not wonderfully warm but might produce results. Though there are tr Neptune oppositions running so maybe yes, maybe no.

KK is in a phase of her life with tr Saturn moving below her Ascendant, when she’s backing away from her previous high-profile ambitions and rethinking her life for several years. Her Solar Arc Neptune is square her Sun at the moment which will raise her idealism but also bring a few muddles. She’s getting a boost come July with tr Uranus opposition her Mars/Jupiter midpoint; though 2019 looks less wonderful.

“King of Hip Hop” Eminem has had a stratospherically successful musical career, being the best-selling artist of the 2000s in the US, selling 220 million records globally. But his emotional life has been difficult, starting with his mother, who had him at 17, a drug addict suffering from bi-polar disorder and Munchausen by proxy, so she feigned her children’s illnesses to garner attention for herself.  His father left when he was a toddler and his mother married multiple times. He spoke openly about his childhood traumas and in turn his mother sued him for $10 million for slander, though he says they have now made up.

Born 17 October 1972 11.04 am (unverified) Kansas City, MO, he has a maverick Sun Uranus in Libra trine Saturn in Gemini in his 7^th; with Mars Pluto in his 10^th, which would fairly describe a damaging mother. That squares onto Jupiter in Capricorn which is where he’ll get his confidence and determination from. His Aquarius Moon is in a cool trine to Saturn, square Mercury in Scorpio, trine Sun, Uranus and widely trine Mars – so complicated emotional responses. Not only is his Saturn in the 7^th it also opposes his Sun/Moon midpoint so one-to-one commitment won’t be easy for him. He has been married twice to a childhood sweetheart and divorced twice.

His mother Deborah Nelson Mathers, born 6 January 1955, herself came from a troubled background with one sibling committing suicide, one a stroke patient and another brother, in prison for killing his brother-in-law.

She’s a Sun Capricorn with a heavy and highly-strung chart, She has a Water Grand Trine of Mars in Pisces trine Saturn in Scorpio trine Uranus Jupiter in Cancer – so she would retreat from a cruel and unpleasant father/childhood into her fantasies. Water Grand Trines can be detached from reality since they are highly self-protective and hers is formed into a Kite by Uranus Jupiter opposition a mentally strung-out Mercury which in turn squares onto a focal point Neptune, exacerbating her escapist tendencies. Her bleak Pluto square Saturn is in hard aspect to Eminem’s Moon, so not much nurturing there; and her evasive Neptune is conjunct his Sun.

Though oddly enough he’ll get some of his driving determination and confidence from her; and his independence and original talent from his absent father.

Their relationship chart has a cold and erratic composite Sun square Saturn Uranus which in turn are in an angry, explosive trine to Mars; with an intense Mercury square Pluto. And some superficial affection from a composite Moon opposition Venus and maybe opposition Jupiter.

If his birth time is right, he’ll be back away from too punishing a work schedule for several years ahead if he has any sense. Tr Pluto is squaring his Uranus this year, then squaring his Sun in 2020/2021 which will be tough going and highly pressured for him.

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Yahya Jammeh, the former Gambian dictator, who was voted out in 2016 was responsible for human rights abuse, repression and theft of state assets (at least $50 million), leaving the treasury bare. He had to be forced out of the country, now lives in Equatorial Guinea and there is talk of him being brought back to face charges.

He was born 25 May 1965, three months after Gambia gained independence, having been under Brit colonial rule. He has Sun, Jupiter, North Node and Venus all in Gemini square Uranus Pluto Mars in Virgo opposition Saturn (Moon) in Pisces; with Mercury in Taurus opposition Neptune and sitting in a (badly named) Mystic Rectangle to his other opposition. He’d have a veneer of charm with a focal point Venus but it camouflaged a much darker underside.

Mars Uranus Pluto is volatile, can be ruthless, cruel and doubly so when opposition Saturn.  It’s a high-wire chart, extremely strung out with so many Mutable planets, with a very see-saw temperament swinging from manic, over-confident highs to deep lows.

His 5^th Harmonic, which can be dominating, intent on crafting the world around him to his plan, is strongly aspected and destructive.  His strongest harmonic is the 18^th, often found in serial killers’ charts.

The country chart for Gambia has the same Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn square Node with Mars also in Virgo – so to some extent he fitted the country’s pattern.

Jammeh is looking undermined this year till January 2020 with the tail end of tr Neptune moving round his main T square, conjunct Saturn and opposition Mars. He has panicky transits to midpoints this year; trapped ones in 2019/2020 but seems to be on an upswing in the early 2020s. His relationship chart with Gambia does indicate high levels of anger in 2018/2019. But Africa’s track record for nailing dictators for past sins isn’t that great.

The World Football Cup opens in Moscow on June 14^th at 2pm with Brazil and Germany firm favourites to win at the bookies. England is at 16/1 at the moment, which is seven down the list of 32 countries fielding teams.

The opening chart has a self-protective, emotionally overloaded Water Grand Trine of MC, Jupiter trine Neptune, formed into a Kite by MC opposition Saturn and Pluto – with Pluto Mars in the 4^th, so there will be threatening undercurrents. It’ll be heavily policed but there is likely to be fan violence as well.

England manager Gareth Southgate, 3 September 1970, Watford, is a hard-working Sun and Mars in Virgo; with a tough-minded Mercury Pluto also in Virgo trine Saturn in Taurus which in turn opposes Neptune.

He looks less than ecstatic until the 25^th June with the loss-making tr Saturn square his Sun/Jupiter midpoint – though if he was a very late day birth he might have cleared that before the tournament begins. He does, however, have a much more upbeat tr Pluto square Jupiter/Uranus all this month till July 11^th which should hold his luck up. And from 2 July till mid-September he’s got tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter and trine his Jupiter/Node for a huge sigh of relief and good news.

Brought down by Jupiter, Roseanne Barr is finding out the hard way that arrogance and self-righteous bigotry, which are the ‘lucky’ planet’s negative traits, can and do backfire. Fly too high like Icarus and the fall is swift. Strongly Jupiterian charts assume they have divine protection, or at least that their guardian angel will always be there to fish them out of trouble.

She has tr Jupiter moving through her 9^th house of communication and aiming to conjunct her midheaven later this year. Normally that would indicate a career and status boost.  But she has a heavily aspected (afflicted) Jupiter in her chart – opposition her Scorpio Sun in a Fixed Grand Cross to an Aquarius Node and Pluto – that is not only obstinate to the nth degree, giving tremendous endurance, but is also power hungry, lacking in social niceties and inclined to disregard both conventional courtesies and rules. She thinks she’s above them (Jupiter Pluto). And inclined to hubris.

As if that wasn’t enough her Jupiter is on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Venus sextile Saturn (Neptune). Such a Jupiter does indicate an ability to appeal to the masses but can be undone by self-aggrandisement and the inability to harbour any doubts about the rightness of beliefs. Tr Jupiter at the moment is opposition her natal Jupiter pulling on her Sun and her Yod. And tr Neptune is undermining on of her Jupiter midpoints exactly now which brings failures and dashed plans.

On top of all of this, she has a volatile, reckless Cardinal T Square of Mars opposition Uranus square Saturn Neptune in Libra, which will make her incapable of compromise with a tendency to over-react to interference or limits. Tr Pluto is exactly square her Saturn now, having just moved off her neurotic/confused Saturn/Neptune midpoint and is reversing back to square her Uranus in the 6^th house of work in September. So tr Pluto is pounding not just on her central T Square but also one leg of the Yod which usually produces fateful changes of direction.

I would wonder marginally about tr Jupiter moving across her MC later this year and through her 10^th in 2019. Her show was staggeringly successful and brought $60 million in for the studio, so its not beyond the bounds of possibility that a less fussy network picks her up. Though 2019 is still bogged down by tr Pluto square her Neptune and she has some fairly catastrophic Uranus transits to various midpoints. And her Solar Arc Sun is moving to oppose her Uranus, exact in 8 months’ time which will bring a jolting blow.

The Roseanne Revival 10^th season started broadcasting 27 March 2018 with a hard-edged, likely to inflame strong feelings Sun square Saturn Mars. Pluto is also square Venus Uranus pointing to strong reactions and a roller coaster ride. Tr Saturn is now retrograding back exactly in square to the Sun and within days is conjunct the Mars/Saturn midpoint. Mars Saturn in a chart often indicates ‘accidents’ or setbacks. But tr Pluto will sextile Jupiter in 2019/2020, so it maybe after suitable grovelling (maybe) there’s a resurgence. And her Solar Return from November 2018 to November 2019 has Jupiter on the MC so she’ll be prominent one way or another.

See earlier post: March 28 2018

Chelsea Clinton has put her head above the parapet as she launches her new children’s picture book about extraordinary women through the ages, who persevered in the face of prejudice and changed history. In a Guardian interview she criticised Trump for spreading meanness and degrading America; and her former friend Ivanka for not making her own decisions.

Born 27 February 1980 11.24pm Little Rock, Arkansas, she was 12 when her father became president and she had to endure an avalanche of vitriol and humiliating criticism thrown at her. She says in the past she thought the best way to cope was to ignore it. But now she thinks that hateful speech needs to be countered.

After college and Oxford, she tried various jobs and is now  vice-chair of the family foundation, campaigning for girls’ empowerment, early access to childhood education and global healthcare initiatives. She married Marc Mervinsky, son of a convicted Ponzi scheme financier father, and has two children.

She has a 4^th house Pisces Sun opposition a 10^th house Jupiter Mars in Virgo – home and family rooted, private, also ambitious, exceptionally hard working, passionately enthusiastic about her specific interests. More significantly she has a leadership North Node in Leo conjunct her midheaven, so whatever she chooses to do she’ll make a difference. Her flamboyant Leo Moon is in the 9^th suggesting living abroad at one point in her life (ambassadress?).

Her MC North Node are in an inspirational, high-vitality Fire Grand Trine to Neptune trine Venus, formed into a Kite by Venus opposition Pluto. The passionate and possessive Venus in Aries in the hard-working 6^th opposition a 12^th house Pluto points to her ability to wield power behind the scenes; and with Pluto being the driving planet she will want to make a difference. Though the Fire Grand Trine plus Pluto will make her aloof and enigmatic, rarely revealing her motives.

She also has a scattered Mutable T Square of Mercury in Pisces in the performing 5^th opposition Saturn in Virgo square Neptune in her 2^nd.  This will tend to making her anxious about her speaking/writing/communicating abilities (Mercury Saturn) which is mentioned in the Guardian interviews, so she can come across stiffly.  A focal point Neptune can lack will power, be naïve or overly inclined to fit in. If well handled it will be idealistic and healing.

She’s certainly not got either of her parents’ relentless determination and endurance – both of them are exceptionally Fixed. And she has two central oppositions so will wobble around see-saw fashion trying to find a balance in life. Saturn Neptune, while kind and creative, tends to lack the killer instinct necessary for the upper echelons of politics.

Her Moon isn’t well integrated in her chart being only quincunx her Sun; and her Sun/Moon marriage significator is opposition her 1^st house Uranus, so her emotional life will always bring less fulfilment than her work.

With tr Saturn about to move into her 3^rd house, she’s still trying to find her feet in this new Saturn career cycle which will push her up to a peak in her late fifties.

Tr Uranus will give her career a boost in 2019 as it trines her Jupiter Mars; though she’ll have a discouraging two years in 2020/2021 with tr Pluto trine her Saturn.

Where she’s at a confident and success high with her influence making a difference will be around 2027 when her Solar Arc Jupiter is conjunct her Pluto.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/26/chelsea-clinton-vitriol-flung-at-me

The soft coup d’etat of Brussels monetary orthodoxy over democractically elected Italian politicians could turn out to be the EU’s largest banana skin yet. It has shaken the markets and played into the hands of the populist Mario Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, who had formed a coalition with the largest bloc between them from the last election. By veto-ing their choice of finance minister who has solid credentials, but like most economists harbours doubts about the long-term viability of the euro, the President Sergio Mattarella could have overreached disastrously.

Another Italian election is likely but there are wider worries given the high levels of debt in France, Italy, Belgium and Spain. If this wobbles towards another 2011 crisis, which was resolved by bullying Greece into submission, there are fewer options available. Italy is a larger economy by far; Merkel has lost much of her power; and Macron could be weighed down by internal French debt problems. And the European Central Bank will have reached the limits of its ability to keep plugging the sea-wall.

First Italy. Matteo Salvini, 9 March 1973 10pm (unverified) Milan, has an entertaining 5^th house Sun Venus Mercury in Pisces on the focal point of a Mutable T Square to Saturn opposition Neptune – a sizeable ego, scattered, disorganised, unrealistic; with an excitable and argumentative Mars in Capricorn in the 3^rd square Uranus. Plus a confident Jupiter trine Pluto. He’ll be kicking furiously against restrictions in June but getting a boost in July to mid September from tr Uranus square his Jupiter, which returns in 2019. Overall this a high-wire, nervy year for him. Where he comes into his own will be in 2019/2020 with a successful tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter/Node from April for two years thereafter; and he’s also got a superlatively confident Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Sun, exact in 18 months’ time. His life will be moving through major changes also in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto square his Uranus. With more triumphs in 2022/23.

Luigi Di Maio, 6 July 1986 6.40pm Avellino is a New Moon in Cancer trine opposition Mars in Capricorn and trine Jupiter in Pisces – confident, lucky, volatile, tuned into the nationalist zeitgeist; with an inspirational, attention-demanding Fire Grand Trine. He’s got tr Saturn moving through his first quadrant, so will sag for a few years especially from 2019 onwards, but he’s young enough to pick up again into the early to mid 2020s onwards.

President Sergio Matarella, 23 July 1941 11.40am Palermo, is a controlling 10^th house Sun Pluto in Leo; with a heavyweight Saturn Uranus in Taurus square Venus and trine Neptune. He’s being seriously shaken by tr Uranus square his Sun now and into 2019; and in a disruptive square to his Sun/Pluto in June, also into 2019. Into next year tr Uranus squares his Pluto and is conjunct his Mars/Saturn midpoint – all of which looks storm-strewn. The President is largely a ceremonial position and there are calls for his impeachment but he could also choose to resign.

The really intriguing question is what is happening between Germany and the EU. The relationship chart has a blocked tr Saturn opposition the composite Pluto, picking up last month and again in the autumn, moving onto a separating conjunction to the composite Sun late this December and Mercury in 2019. Tr Uranus is square the composite financial Venus now and again in the autumn, and early 2019; square the composite Uranus in July to mid September this year and again in 2019; and then moves towards a convulsive angry opposition to Mars from May 2019 for a year.  It’s unthinkable that Germany would bale but the very foundations of the bond are being shaken. Almost certainly due to Germany putting a freeze on liquidity, for which there have been growing demands recently, especially with the German economy slowing. And that would spell real trouble for the monetary union, perhaps of a terminal variety for the euro as it operates at the moment.

Rumblings about an IndyRef2 for Scottish independence have been growing stronger in the midst of the Brexit blunders though support remains at 45% in the polls and the last election cut SNP MPs from 56 to 35. An economic report commissioned by Nicola Sturgeon avoids the ‘moonshine’ of the last IndyRef promises of borrowing less, spending more and keeping tax the same. ‘The report assumes oil revenues will be negligible, that much of Scotland’s financial services sector will decamp to London and that the first decade of the new state’s life will be dedicated to establishing financial credibility. There will not be very much cake.’ (Allan Massie, The Times).

A second referendum would need Theresa May’s agreement unless the Catalan route is chosen which seems unlikely.

Nicola Sturgeon does look impulsive this year, perhaps provoked by insecurity with tr Uranus square her Mars exactly now and repeating on and off into early 2019; as well as tr Uranus squaring her Sun/Mars and trine her Mars/Pluto at the same time. So she could well jump into a hasty push. But she looks held back with tr Saturn square her Solar Arc Uranus MC till late year; along with a disappointing tr Neptune opposition her Mars/Jupiter this November and December. Tr Pluto is also trine her Saturn in Taurus in 2018/19 for a discouraging slog.

Where she looks in better spirits and more confident of success, though under considerable pressure, will be come 2021/2022 as tr Pluto trines her Pluto, opposes her Sun and squares her Jupiter, which will put the wind behind her sails.

Her Government chart, 12 May 2016 9.35am Edinburgh, is similarly undercut by tr Neptune this year till February 2019 with tr Neptune opposition Jupiter and square Saturn; but will be getting it together more effectively from March 2019 onwards with tr Pluto trine the Sun.