Marjorie

A coward, criminal and murdering terrorist or an inspiring peace-maker? Opinions are sharply divided, as former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness dies suddenly, between those whose families were on the receiving end of IRA violence and those who applauded his dramatic changeover to politician and negotiator for the Good Friday Agreement.

Born 23 May 1950, he left school at 15 and rose in his twenties to become an IRA commander who was prepared to bomb, kill and oversee atrocities to drive the British out. He spent two years in prison in the Irish Republic; but gradually switched over to a more political role and was key to bringing the IRA hardliners into the peace talks.

He was a Sun Gemini square Jupiter in Pisces; with his Jupiter opposition his ruthless Mars/Pluto midpoint. His Mercury in Taurus was square his Pluto, trine Saturn and Mars, so he was a determined debater.

During the long five year negotiations running into the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, his Solar Arc Uranus was conjunct his Pluto, pushing him along the transformation from a man of violence to one of political accommodation with erstwhile bitter enemies.

Matching his chart to the UK 1801 chart, there’s a clear struggle for power with his Sun square the UK Pluto; and his Pluto square the UK Mars, opposition Venus, square Neptune. That translates in the relationship chart to a combative composite Sun trine Mars, sextiling onto a struggle-for-the-upper-hand Jupiter Pluto conjunction. There’s also a revolutionary composite Uranus square Pluto, though that also hints at a relationship that would go through dramatic changes, which it certainly did. He even shook hands with the Queen, whose uncle Lord Mountbatten was blown up by the IRA in 1979.

Norman Tebbit, the former Tory Cabinet Minister whose wife was paralysed in the Brighton Hotel bombing in 1984 that killed five though not Maggie Thatcher who was the intended target, and a colleague of Airey Neave MP, killed in Westminster in 1979 by a car bomb, was fiercely critical of McGuinness today, hoping he was rotting for an eternity in hell. The Tebbit/McGuinness relationship chart has a Uranus opposition Saturn square Mars; and a Pluto square Jupiter Sun – so never destined to mellow.

Vera Lynn, the ‘forces sweetheart’ was one of the mainstays of British morale at home and amongst troops abroad during world war 11. Her ‘We’ll Meet Again’ issued in 1939 became a hit, as did ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ and ‘There’ll always be an England.’ She travelled extensively at some risk to herself to sing in India, Burma and Egypt during fighting to entertain soldiers. At 92 she topped the UK album charts, and now aged 100, she’s just issued another which is outselling pop stars.

Born 20 March 1917, she started singing in working men’s clubs aged 7, and by 22 had sold a million records and was supporting her parents. She has four planets in Pisces – Sun, Mars, Mercury and Venus, so definitely musical, courageous and enthusiastic. Those all trine Saturn in Cancer giving her stability and common sense; with her Sun Mars square Pluto and trine Neptune adding determination, guts and another layer of musical ability. Her zany Aquarius Moon is probably conjunct Uranus; and she has a confident (and money-attracting) Jupiter in Taurus in a confident sextile to Pluto.

Her Jupiter falls in the UK 8^th house, allowing her to boost morale at a deep level; with her Moon Uranus in the UK ‘entertainment’ 5^th. Her Neptune is conjunct the UK 10^th house Jupiter, turning her into a vision of hope. Her Pluto is conjunct and her Jupiter sextile the UK MC. What’s interesting is that her Saturn is conjunct the UK 10^th house Moon, which Moon was then conjunct the UK Solar Arc Pluto. Normally Saturn conjunct Moon is a downer, but she fitted the war time mood perfectly.

Her relationship chart with the UK had that even more emphasised with a composite Mercury opposition Saturn square Pluto (Moon) – Saturn Pluto is the signature for war. There’s also a composite Sun trine Jupiter, sextile Mars – so she could lift spirits and inject courage through her songs (composite Venus Node conjunct). Without the war, she’d probably never have been as successful. It was a relationship perfectly designed for that context.

Hillary Clinton has intimated she is ‘ready to come out of the woods’ in a St Patrick’s Day talk. There’s nothing in her chart that would suggest a rousing time ahead. Her Solar Arc Saturn is moving to conjunct her Sun, exactly in 9 months time, and the run up to that will be discouraging and sombre.

She looks over wrought this month, and on and off till late 2018 with tr Pluto opposition her Mars/Uranus midpoint; and undermined in April and on and off till late 2018. If anything 2018 is even more muddled with tr Pluto square her Sun/Neptune.

If the 8am birth time is sound then her Progressed Moon is going into her 12^th in just over six months and what follows will be inward-looking, more suited to the shadows than public platforms. Plus tr Saturn is moving now through her 2^nd which is the lowest ebb of her chart.

I can’t see her making any impact really. Though she may bounce a bit in 2020 when her Solar Arc Jupiter moves to oppose her Mars Pluto.

A formal letter informing the EU of the UK’s intention to leave will be delivered in Brussels on March 29^th. There’ll be no formal time of the pigeon or chopper leaving London (perhaps sent by diplomatic bag the night before) although Theresa May will make an announcement in the House.

There’s a sparsely aspected Aries Sun, only conjunct Venus, so there’ll be an attempt to be charming about the divorce; which will set out to be a positive change with Saturn trine Uranus (= best of the old mixed with best of the new). But it’s likely to be fairly brutal all the same with a Pluto trine Mars in stubborn, unyielding Taurus.

And then there’s the Uranus Mercury in Aries opposition Jupiter square Pluto – which could be seen as an adventurous leap tied into a fight for control with a focal point Pluto. Down into the midpoints the Sun is square the bleak Saturn/Pluto midpoint and square Mars/Node – tenacious, tough, unfeeling, fanatical, an attempt to create a martyr (viz Juncker’s happy thought to make it punishing for the UK to deter others) and argumentative.

On the UK 1801 chart at the moment there’s a coming together of the Solar Arc Mercury which is conjunct the 10^th house Moon and both are exactly opposed by tr Pluto – the 10^th house is about rulership.  That will bring heightened emotions, intense debates, some hostility. Tr Uranus is moving through the 7^th house of close relationships as it was over the split, last June conjunct the 7^th house North Node. Uranus will leave the 7^th by mid 2019, moving into the 8^th for a changeable few years thereafter where international and business finances are concerned.

In March 2019, if negotiations stick to schedule which they may not, tr Uranus will be exactly square the UK 10^th house Jupiter bringing a sense of relief. The tr Saturn Pluto conjunction is within three degrees, though won’t hit the exact aspect until January 2020. By which time tr Jupiter has come into play in Capricorn, which should ease the heavy mood considerably.

The UK’s Solar Arc Pluto will conjunct the UK Libra Ascendant exactly by mid 2019 – that is often a time of exerting personal control.

On the EU/UK relationship chart there’s an undermining tr Neptune opposition Jupiter and square Moon, eroding enthusiasm and good feelings, in 2017/18. With a discouraging, tough-slog tr Pluto square the composite Saturn in 2018/19; plus tr Saturn will conjunct the composite Sun in December 2018. There’s usually Saturn around for endings. But it may not all be bad feelings since tr Jupiter, then in Sagittarius, is going through the 3^rd house of communications and conjunct the composite Mercury.

Theresa May is unlikely to find the process uplifting since tr Neptune moves to conjunct her singleton Mars in Pisces from early this April on and off till late 2018 – that always produces a panicky sense of failure. And both her own and the Government chart will find 2019 a test of morale as tr Neptune opposes the Jupiter in Virgo on both – which is usually a bubble of happiness bursting, enthusiasm undercut.

We live in interesting times, there’s no doubt.

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President Andrew Jackson (1829 Presidency) is evidently the one whom Donald Trump would most like to emulate. Jackson sought to advance the rights of the “common man” against what he saw as a “corrupt aristocracy” and to preserve the Union. Though the ‘common man’ clearly didn’t include slaves or Native American Indians. He was pro-slavery and a leading advocate of “Indian removal,” the ethnic cleansing of Creeks and Cherokee across the lower South which opened up tens of millions of acres for cotton cultivation. This policy led to the Trail of Tears, on which 4,000 Cherokee men, women and children died of hunger, cold and disease during their forced expulsion to the west.

The Washington Post described Jackson as ‘the long-haired, steely-eyed, bad-assed disrupter. The avatar of American nationalism. The original, and prototypical, testostero-president. He took on the British, the national bank, the Congress, the early secessionists with a determined application of will and power; and consistently pressed the boundaries of executive authority. He was prickly, demanding and mercurial and no stranger to sexual scandal. His opponents regarded his presidency as unimaginable, until he beat them.’

Bannon evidently encourages Trump to believe he’s the reincarnation of Jackson and sent him off to lay a wreath on his tomb last week.

In reality Andrew Jackson, 15 March 1767 7.35am? (ADB DD) Waccamaw, South Carolina, bears little resemblance to Trump or indeed Bannon. He had four Earth signs – Jupiter Neptune in Virgo, Pluto oddly enough in Capricorn, and Mars in ultra-determined Taurus. He had a Pisces Sun, his only Water sign; and a Fire Earth chart which gave him a steam-roller personality. And he had a crusading-for-a-cause Aquarius North. Jackson’s Mars does admittedly conjunct Trump’s MC Node which may put some boot behind Trump’s ambitions, but that apart they are very unlike. Trump is Air/Fire which is – hot air.

Usually when people have heroes there are clear cross overs in the charts, but Bannon (Fire/Water/Air – no Earth) seems to stick on pedestals individuals he has almost nothing in common with.

Though that Pluto in Capricorn of Jackson’s is interesting – fierce, exclusive nationalism does seem to be part of its package.

Donald Trump is but a pale imitation of the populist Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. According to one commentator ‘he conducts politics as an act of constant war, not a matter of administration; is hyperactive – constantly dreaming up new slogans and initiatives; occupies so much of the political landscape himself that his opponents cannot even get heard; is hyper-sensitive and hostile to any criticism.  The primary weapon Modi deploys to polarise his audience and stun opponents is stoking up religious tension. After his election in 2014, his party, BJP, started stoking up hysteria against Muslims and low-caste Hindus for not sufficiently respecting cows. Hindu mobs started attacking and lynching Muslims and low-caste Hindus for apparently eating beef – without evidence – on a regular basis.’

‘Modi carries himself with the kind of swagger and confidence opponents can only dream of. He makes Indians believe he can make India great again. Violent Hindu nationalism isn’t just the BJP’s crutch during elections – it is embedded in its DNA.‘

Dozens of Indian writers returned top national awards in 2015 in a protest against what they call a “climate of intolerance” after a series of attacks on intellectuals since his election. The niece of Nehru, a journalist and author, said that “India’s culture of diversity and debate is now under vicious assault”. Salman Rushdie weighed in saying the failure of the prime minister and others to act was allowing a new “degree of thuggish violence” in India.

Amnesty International’s report for 2016/17: ‘The authorities used repressive laws to curb freedom of expression and silence critics. Human rights defenders and organizations continued to face harassment and intimidation, and vigilante cow protection groups carried out several attacks.’

Despite not delivering on economic progress and creating a “currency chaos” when he abruptly annulled the vast majority of banknotes in a bid to tackle corruption, Modi has won even more backing in recent regional elections. He is now India’s most powerful leader in two generations; and is well on his way of turning the country into a Hindu nationalist state.

His term chart, 26 May 2014 6.13pm New Delhi, certainly reflects an administration that is hyper-active, ruthless, overly confident, careless of rules and regulations, a whirlwind of revolving crises. There’s a Cardinal Grand Cross of Mars opposition Uranus square Pluto opposition Jupiter; with a forbidding Saturn in Scorpio on the Ascendant. Though there’s also a ‘dependent?’ 7^th house Gemini Sun square a 5^th house Neptune, so perhaps there is more insecurity behind the scenes and ultimately domestic disappointment than appears.

What will be interesting is that this August’s Leo Solar Eclipse is closely conjunct the NC of this chart which sounds like a good going crisis. With the Solar Arc Moving to square Pluto exactly by mid 2018, and in effect in the months before, which looks high-risk and frustratingly trapped.

Modi’s own personal chart has a questionable date. Maybe 1949 or 1950. One in use is 17 Sept 1950 11 am which would put his MC conjunct this August Eclipse which would make sense – but it may be wrong, so best avoided. It certainly won’t affect his term chart which is accurate. Both India and Pakistan have 21 degree Leo Suns so will be in line for a collision with the August Eclipse, though it isn’t closely conjunct.

What gives with this rampant nationalism?  Must be Pluto in Capricorn. Those not like us are against us and must be destroyed.

There’s been an outpouring of adulation as the venerable Chuck Berry dies. ‘He was one of the undisputed, all-time greats of rock and roll, a founding father of the music that shook and shaped the world. He was rock’s first great songwriter and first guitar hero. His influence on Elvis Presley, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones (as well as every other star of the rock ‘n’ roll firmament, from Buddy Holly to Bruce Springsteen) is enough to guarantee musical immortality,’ wrote one music commentator. Mick Jagger said that Berry “lit up our teenage years and blew life into our dreams”. Singer Bruce Springsteen called him “a giant for the ages”.

Born 18 October 1926 at 6.59am St Louis, Missouri, he had a 12^th house Sun Venus in Libra; but what really dominated his chart was a Fixed Grand Cross of musical Neptune in flamboyant Leo in the 10^th opposition Jupiter square Mars in Taurus opposition Mercury and Saturn in Scorpio – so formidably enduring. 1926 has thrown up a fair number of prominent figures who stood the test of time including HM Queen and David Attenborough amongst many others.

Berry also had an artistic Water Grand Trine of Pluto in Cancer trine a Pisces Moon in the performing 5^th trine Mercury in the 1^st – custom built to create and entertain, a healer for others if not for himself. He also had Uranus in the 5^th which is a classic, rebellious rock/pop music placing.

He wasn’t the easiest or indeed nicest of men. Born in the tough southern states during racial discrimination, he ended up in juvvie for robbing cars at gunpoint, spent more time in prison for underage sex and later settled a lawsuit with 59 women who accused him of secretly filming them in the ladies bathroom of a restaurant he owned. Part of that may have been his Pluto square Venus and trine his Moon; plus his sexually-charged, though not sensitive Mars in Taurus which was quincunx his Venus.

His get-it-together 5^th Harmonic was strong; even more so his inspirational 7^th Harmonic. His ‘obsessive dream’ 11H was heavily aspected; also his leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17H; and his super-star 22^nd.

An over-weighting of Fixed signs makes for great stubbornness, acquisitiveness and the ability to plough on long after more flexible souls have given up.

The two possible SNP start charts both look wildly energised, utterly determined, pushily confident, reckless and deeply frustrated in equal measure over the next three to four years.

14 Dec 1933 or 7 April 1934 are significant dates in the formation of the party. If anything, the 1933 chart looked more descriptive around the September 2014 independence referendum which they lost 45% to 55%. There was a tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Mars. Though neither are that explicit, perhaps because the 2014 referendum was just the first step in a seven year campaign, stretching to 2021.

During this phase the Mars in Capricorn opposition Pluto square Uranus opposition Jupiter of the 1933 chart are undergoing huge challenges from tr Pluto in hard aspect. So it’s going to be a real hang-onto-your-hat roller-coaster ride with great anger and bitterness expressed, fanatical, striving for power, conflict with government – it’s all there. And because that is a Cardinal Grand Cross it’s impossible to separate out what comes in which order. It’s as if the entire chart is being pounded by transformational Pluto throughout till 2021 – which as always with Pluto will attract an equal measure of resistance from those who don’t wish to see the status quo altered. And this year it is being jolted into higher gear by tr Uranus conjunct Uranus and square Pluto.

The 1934 chart is much the same with Sun Mars Uranus in Aries, Jupiter in Libra, Pluto in Cancer, Moon in Capricorn – so highly restless, scattered, combative, fuelled by hatred as is the 1933 chart because of the hard Mars Pluto aspect. Both charts have an Aquarius North Node which makes them crusaders for a cause.

It won’t be the same party by the early 2020s and may have run out of steam. There will almost certainly be major internal disputes, though they can be managed by projecting the argument outwards against the Westminster government.

Alex Salmond looks slumped and disappointed in 2020 with tr Neptune conjunct his 10^th house Mars, his ambitions undermined. His relationship with Nicola Sturgeon is at daggers drawn in 2021/2022.

Robert Burns’ poem will be pinned to the Saltire

Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led;
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victory!

Now’s the day, and now’s the hour;
See the front o’ battle lour;
See approach proud Edward’s power—
Chains and slavery!

Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward’s grave!
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!

Wha for Scotland’s king and law
Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa’,
Let him follow me!

By oppression’s woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty’s in every blow!—
Let us do or die!

There’s an unsettling story about John Byrne, the Scottish artist and writer of Tutti Frutti, the hit television series of the 1980s that launched the careers of Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson; and former husband of Tilda Swinton with whom he had two children. He discovered a few years back that he is his grandfather’s son, the result of an incestuous union. His mother had a long struggle with mental illness, which he believes was brought on by her relationship with her father.

But Byrne still seems to be in denial about the damaging consequences and fairly nonchalant about it being common. He said: “That’s what they do in Ireland. I presume it’s what they do in unlettered places and lettered places. It’s traditional, and nobody speaks about it.“

Born 6 January 1940 8.10am Paisley, Scotland, he has a 1^st house Capricorn Sun trine a 4^th house Uranus – so an unsettled childhood; and Uranus in the 4^th can suggest a non-biological parent who in his case would be his wife’s husband who brought him up and didn’t know.

More tellingly he has a Fire Grand Trine of a deeply buried Pluto in the 8^th trine a Sagittarius Moon trine Mars Jupiter in Aries – so he’s certainly got inspiration and confidence and the ability to extend his influence. But an 8^th house Pluto also carries the message of a dominating, controlling grandparent.

It’s lucky for John Byrne that he has so much talent and no health issues. His creative 5^th Harmonic is exceptionally strong; as is his 7^th Harmonic.