Marjorie

Greg Louganis has a life story that is a real triumph of determination over adversity. Born 29 January 1960 in California, to a Samoan father and American mother, he was adopted as a baby, ended up with a physically abusive, adoptive father, was bullied because of his mixed race, was raped as a teenager and became the greatest diver of all time, winning golds at two consecutive Olympics in ‘84 and ‘88. Just before Seoul in 1988 he was diagnosed with HIV, went onto heavy medication and still won despite banging and gashing his head on the board in the preliminary rounds. He came out as gay in the 1990s and lost all of his sponsorships apart from Speedo – and is still alive and fit nearly 30 years on.

He’s a Sun Aquarius in a close square to Neptune, which often turns up in athletes’ charts, belying Neptune’s reputation as vague and low energy. His Uranus is in an adventurous trine to Jupiter in enthusiastic Sagittarius; with Jupiter semi-square the Sun. He’s also got a truly difficult Pluto trine Venus Mars Saturn in Capricorn – a deprived, cruel childhood, which left its scars, but toughened him up.

His Sun is square his ultra-determined and ill-treated Mars/Pluto midpoint and his bleak/deprived Saturn/Pluto, both of which also aspect his Neptune and Jupiter. So quite a mix of hardship and luck.

When he was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, his Solar Arc Saturn Mars were conjunct his Sun Mercury, so a time of huge stress and shock, when he thought he was going to die. Tr Uranus was also conjunct his Sun and Mercury. But despite that six months later he went on to sweep the boards of medals.

Tim Kaine, a centrist senator from Virginia, a fluent Spanish speaker who opposes abortion but supports abortion rights, is pro-trade and has never lost an election – has been chosen as Hillary Clinton’s running mate. He describes himself as boring and HC says he’s the eternal optimist.

Born Feb 26 1958 7.59am St Paul, in Minnesota, he has a 12^th house Sun Mercury in Pisces opposition a hard-working 6^th house Pluto and trine an upbeat, sociable 7^th house Jupiter Neptune North Node in Scorpio – so controlled, enthusiastic, content to work behind the scenes but also good at diplomatic glad-handing. His Jupiter Neptune Node is on the focal point of a Fixed T Square to a friendly 11^th house Venus in Aquarius opposition Uranus – so idealistic and upbeat. Such a Fixed Jupiter can be philanthropic and an enlightened political spokesman, though it can also suffer from Jupiter’s downside of impracticality especially tied into Neptune. His ambitious, pragmatic Mars in Capricorn is in his 10^th, not much aspected.

His Gemini Moon is on the point of a Yod to Neptune sextile a Capricorn MC, which, at best, means he has the capacity to soothe others. His Pluto is on the focal point of another Yod to Venus sextile his Aries Asc which can bring high-level authority and organizational control. It’s downside is a tendency to manipulate.

His Jupiter Neptune is conjunct HC’s 12^th house Scorpio Sun which makes for a good morale-boosting duo with his Venus square her Sun which is also sociable. There will be differences of approach since his Uranus squares her Sun and his Saturn in Sagittarius opposes her Uranus – so on some issues he’ll be more reformist and on others less so. His Pluto is conjunct her MC (8.01am birth time being sound) – which can make for an influential couple though it could descend into power-struggling along the way if he tries to exert control.

His Moon is in her 7^th, his Sun conjunct her IC which should both be reassuring for HC.

HC’s Sun falls in his 7^th, which is good for a partnership, her Pisces Moon falls in his 12^th, in the same sign though not conjunct his Sun – good for behind-the-scenes contacts. Her MC is trine his MC – so supportive careers.

Their relationship chart has an emotionally close, complementary, composite Venus trine Pluto; with a pro-active Sun sextile Mars. There’s a more problematic Neptune Saturn maybe opposition Moon square Uranus but that could get soaked up in managing crises if they happen to get to the White House.

Barack Obama’s relationship chart with Joe Biden wasn’t ideal, though JB’s Sun Venus are conjunct BO’s MC with JB’s Jupiter trine BO’s MC as well.

There’s nothing much of help on Kaine’s birth chart apart from a mildly successful tr Jupiter sextile his Sun/Mars in the days before the election. He looks exceptionally pressured in December with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars in Capricorn, which runs on through 2017; and he’s less than delirious over coming months with the tr Neptune square tr Saturn hitting on his Mars/Node and Mars/Neptune midpoints right through till February 2017. But the relationship chart with HC does have a helpful, morale-boosting tr Pluto sextile Jupiter over the election which looks successful. Tr Saturn is heading upwards in his chart through his 9^th, reaching his MC by 2018 when he’ll hit his peak for seven years thereafter. With tr Jupiter going through his 7^th for the next year and his Progressed Moon going through his 5^th for the next two plus years, he looks in for an enjoyable, sociable time. His Solar Arc Jupiter will conjunct his MC by mid 2019, so he could be aiming for the next Presidential round in 2020.

When bad things happen – significant life-changing events – there are usually several different astrological influences in place all pointing in the same direction. So they build up a critical mass (so to speak) which forces/accompanies a radical shift.

At the moment, we are on the wearisome last lap of several years of the disruptive, collapsing-old-structures, Uranus Pluto. There’s also tr Uranus conjunct Eris in 2016/early 2017, bringing discord, vengefulness and melancholy; plus destructive Algol this month opposing Mars on one leg of an explosive Yod to Uranus (and Jupiter).

Just to add volatility to the mix this year, there is the Saturn Neptune square. At its most negative, Neptune dissolves Saturn’s yearning for security and stability. So common sense flies out of the window and conspiracy theories and paranoia take hold. What used to feel like solid ground, turns into a swamp, so there are no secure footholds. Boundaries and limits, which are Saturn’s building blocks and necessary to maintain functioning daily life, get blurred, eroded and in some cases disappear altogether. The crucial separation between sanity and madness, the unconscious and conscious mind begins to feel less clear cut.

From an observer point of view, it induces panic. And it also, more crucially, tips over the edge those whose mental balance was already fragile. Without the other influences, their psychological implosion could just turn out to be a personal tragedy, not one affecting the wider world. But their anger and sense of victimhood (which paranoia always brings), has been offered an outlet by previous atrocities. There’s a well-known psychological phenomenon of infectious mimicking of behaviours – mass hallucinations etc. In this case suicidal loners with an aggressive grievance against the world they blame for their woes (sometimes justifiably), act out their rage. Often what they hate most of all are the happy, seemingly have-it-all people – it makes their misery all the more unbearable.

Interestingly the 1999 Columbine school shootings also happened on a Neptune Saturn square – Sun Saturn in Taurus opposition Mars in Scorpio square Neptune.

So there’ll be no one astro-signature for what’s going on – more like a chemical mix of several volatile influences brewing up a toxic result.

What catches the headlines are the negative outcomes of these powerful influences. Like all energies they have a positive terminal as well.

Uranus Pluto is disruptive, revolutionary and rocks the status quo violently, but the impetus is towards putting better structures in place – if the transition can be managed from the old being uprooted to the new being planted. The phoenix can only arise from ashes.

Neptune Saturn, at best, is the hope for a better, fairer society with women and workers’ rights coming to the fore. It is also highly creative and artistic if Saturn’s work ethic and sense of structure is put behind Neptune’s vision. Inspiration needn’t stay as a dream. It can be made real.

Eris is clever, good at motivating the lazy and the hopeless into forward gear. If others have what you lack and want, then go get it for yourself.

Even Algol, the Demon star, has a purpose beyond nihilistic destruction. It forces us to face suffering and horror and not brush it aside, so it jolts us out of our comfort zone (first world problem). Algol was associated with Medusa’s decapitated head which turned anyone who looked at it to stone. But when she was beheaded, Pegasus, the spirit of creativity, was set free.

So however way-out it may sound, some things are struggling to be born. Instead of fragmenting in Uranus Pluto’s anarchic chaos or drowning in Saturn Neptune’s watery depths, it will be possible to use the influences as a springboard into a different future. Don’t ask me how. Hang on to Saturn’s down-to-earthness; Pluto’s influence and power; Neptune’s kindness and idealism; Uranus’s trail-blazing spirit.

The Trump juniors have been on display through their father’s convention and Chelsea Clinton is scheduled to speak at the Democratic one.

Ivanka Trump, 30 Oct 1981, New York, is an intense Sun Scorpio sextile a hard-working, pro-active Mars in Virgo, with a super-confident and determined Jupiter Pluto Mercury Saturn in Libra sextile a lively Venus Neptune in Sagittarius, with a fiery Sagittarius Moon probably square Mars. With her Mars also square Uranus – definitely go-ahead, a risk-taker, attracted to excitement. She’s very much on the up and up in 2017 though not until April when tr Uranus opposes her Jupiter Pluto. She’s got a tough tr Pluto square her Saturn up to and across the election and some less than wonderful transits to midpoints right through to the end of January 2017.

Donald Trump Jnr, 31 Dec 1977, is a charming and ambitious Sun Venus in Capricorn trine Saturn in Virgo, with Sun square Pluto and inconjunct Mars in Leo – a controlling father, though proud of his family and its wealth, stressed with anger issues from Mars.

He has his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Moon, exact in two months’ time, which looks like a shock and strain; and also Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Mars now, so a surge of confidence and exuberance as he steps onto centre stage. He looks less than cheerful in the run up late Sept/Oct (but then neither does Hillary). He’s more upbeat from late November.

Tiffany Trump, 13 Oct 1993, like her elder sister is a Libra Scorpio mix, with a Sun Jupiter in Libra trine Saturn, and Mars Mercury conjunct and Pluto, all in Scorpio. Her Sun Jupiter square onto a highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn. She’ll be alternately charming, then sensible, then vengeful and given to odd whims. Her life will be changing radically from December onwards with tr Uranus opposition her Sun, then her Sun/Jupiter midpoint and finally opposition her Jupiter from next April. So whatever happens she’ll be in for lucky breaks and a confidence surge. She looks disconsolate in late Oct to early Nov; and over-stressed with Solar Arc Uranus square her Mars in three months, but upbeat again come December.

Chelsea Clinton, 27 Feb 1980 11.24pm Little Rock, Arkansas, is a private 4^th house Sun Pisces opposition a lively and ambitious Mars Jupiter in Virgo in her 10^th. Her Mercury in Pisces in the performing 5^th will make her a good speaker, though it opposes Saturn and squares onto Neptune so she will be a worrier and vague as well. Her 9^th house Leo Moon suggests she’ll live abroad at some point during her life.

She also looks stressed in the run up to the election with tricky midpoints till mid October. From late Oct she has tr Uranus opposition her Pluto and conjunct her Venus – so her life will change radically at that point, win or lose. She also has tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Uranus midpoint from mid Oct till late Nov which is definitely good news from her point of view.

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Melania Trump, born 26 April 1970 in Slovenia (old Yugoslavia), is incredibly different from her husband Donald. He’s Air Fire and very Mutable – so like a hot air balloon and scattered. She very earthy and fixed – with a Sun Saturn in Taurus and Sun opposition Jupiter in Scorpio, with Mercury Venus in Taurus trine Pluto in Virgo and a Capricorn Moon – a good business head probably, better than her husband’s. Her Venus in Taurus will suit her for her chosen career of jewellery design, especially since it is conjunct a lively Mars and opposition a showbizzy Neptune. Her Sun is on the focal point of a Yod, inconjunct Uranus and Neptune – so she’s highly strung and ambivalent about promoting herself, too much at times and too little at other, never feels she fits in.

Her Mercury Venus Mars are conjunct his Midheaven, so it’s a good career match and she’d be attracted to his status. Her Uranus is conjunct his Neptune so she’ll be more innovative about money and irritated by his vagueness/slipperiness on the topic.

Their relationship chart isn’t awash  with affection – a superficially sociable Venus trine Jupiter and maybe Venus opposition Moon; and a controlling composite Sun square Pluto. There is considerable pressure on their relationship in 2016/17 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars, so stressful and argumentative. Though relief in September/early October with tr Uranus opposition the composite Jupiter. And some gloom over the election with tr Saturn opposition the composite Saturn –  that could be ‘a get-serious we’re in’ hint; or ‘a curses we lost’.

There’s nothing much on her chart which is helpful around election time, certainly high anxiety and tension in December; and some downers by 2018.  She seems quite happy to stay in seclusion so a First Lady role would probably give her a panic attack.

The dwarf planet Eris, named after the goddess of strife and discord (in mythology the opposite of Harmony), was discovered in 2005. It moves very slowly, entering Aries in 1926 and not exiting till 2047. Tr Uranus is conjunct at the moment and over the next few months as it hovers around 22 and 23 Aries, so the conjunction stays in effect until April next year.

Reading some of the other astrologers who’ve studied it more closely (writing some years back) – it’s fascinating how on the button it is.

Eris: pain & sorrows; lawlessness; bloodthirsty. Melancholia and sorrow mixed with raging anger. ‘Eris gave birth to energy that will punish perjurers or those who don`t honour their oaths. She will see to it that those who lie to win are punished.’

In mythology Eris was the uninvited guest to the party – disowned and exiled, the 13th fairy that cursed the sleeping beauty. She will take everyone down with her if she feels she has been treated unfairly or disrespected. She exposes hypocrisy and takes and eye for an eye.

She’s not all vengefulness and spite however. She’s also clever, good at stimulating the slothful to exertion and she uses positive envy as a motivation – other people are doing better than me so I should work harder.

Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate and sister-in-law of Prince William, is to marry financier James Spencer Matthews next year. Born 6 September 1983 4.40am Reading, Eng (astrotheme), she looks a good match for her fiancé, born 21 Aug 1975.

His Leo Sun is conjunct her Moon Venus Ascendant in Leo which is a lovely cross over; and his Venus in Virgo is conjunct her Sun. He was born at the time of the Full Moon which is perhaps why he’s taken so long to take the matrimonial plunge and his Moon is (probably) conjunct her Descendant which is also a good placing.

On the relationship chart there is an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction with Sun widely conjunct Saturn and sextile Mars – so hard-working, and fairly driven. Both do sports at a high level which may soak up some of the rougher edges of that.  Though there is a composite Mars square Pluto which may cause some tensions and power struggles along the way. His Uranus is conjunct her Pluto so there will be some adjustments needed as to who has the last word on lifestyle choices.

She’s a live wire with her Virgo Sun square Jupiter Uranus in Sagittarius; while he has a Uranus opposition Jupiter in Aries square Saturn in Cancer, so although a risk-taker and keen on fun and variety, will like to be in charge.

2017 looks a touch stressful and confusing with tr Neptune opposing the composite Saturn, maybe just wedding nerves; or business pressures on his end.

The ‘honour’ killing of Pakistani Qandeel Baloch, by her brother for shaming the family and community with her provocative social media pictures – she had over 1 million followers on Facebook and was known as the Pak Kim Kardashian – has focussed attention again, on the yawning gap between western and eastern attitudes towards women.

Born 1 March 1990, she was married off, as is traditional, in her late teens, ran away from her abusive husband and became her family’s main breadwinner. Despite the amateur and fairly crass postings, she became a beacon of hope for Pakistani women still trapped in suffocating repression.

Pakistani authorities have barred her family from legally “forgiving” their son, which is often the way honour killings are allowed to go unpunished. More than 500 women a year die in this way in Pakistan.

Qandeel was a Sun Pisces trine Pluto in Scorpio, sextile Uranus Neptune in Capricorn – a highly-strung dreamer who fought against control. Her Jupiter in Cancer was widely trine her Sun and opposition Uranus – definitely adventurous. More pointedly she had a cruelly-treated Saturn Mars Venus in Capricorn with Mars Saturn sextile Pluto – huge anger issues; and a vehement Mercury in Aquarius square Pluto.

Given the milieu in which she lived, it was never going to end well. But perhaps her death may (?!?) lead to change for the future.

In India five men who gang raped a woman four years ago, captured and raped her again over the weekend leaving her for dead beside the road, in an attempt to stop her bringing a court case against them for the original offence. This is one place where the pressure of global mass media might do some good, as these countries are shamed into adopting a more civilized approach to rape and domestic abuse and women in general.

Yanis Varoufakis, the flamboyant, playboy Marxist economist, former Greek finance minister, both loathes and supports the EU.  On the run up to the referendum he campaigned for the UK to remain, warning that Brexit could plunge the continent into a 1930s-style depression. Earlier this year he launched Democracy in Europe 2025 with Noam Chomsky and others, whose goal is to achieve “a full-fledged democracy with a sovereign Parliament respecting national self-determination and sharing power with national Parliaments.’ As opposed to the present set up – “a clueless, inefficient bureaucracy — with an infinite capacity to recite unenforceable rules”.

Varoufakis was born 24 March 1961 in Athens, Greece and is a pro-active Sun Aries square Mars (Moon) in Cancer, so definitely upfront and impulsive; with his Sun on the focal point of a wide Yod to Pluto sextile Neptune which will give him problems with his ego – too much at times and too little at others. He’s also got a creative, self-protective Water Grand Trine of Mars (Moon) trine Neptune trine Mercury in Pisces, formed into a Kite by Mercury opposition Pluto – making controlling, intense, influential Pluto as the driving planet.

One problem with Water Grand Trines is they can disconnect from reality and create their own idealised internal world. He’s also got the idealistic Saturn in Capricorn conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius conjunction which is sextile his Sun. Undoubtedly a talented man, well designed to push forcible opinions out into the world.  By 2024 his Solar Arc Jupiter will conjunct his Sun, so he should be flying high at that point, though as ever there’s always an Icarus-type risk of a crash on the far side.

The chart for Democracy in Europe, 9 Feb 2016, has an argumentative Aquarius Sun square Mars in ultra-determined Scorpio. More to the point it has a Yod of Sun sextile Uranus inconjunct Jupiter North Node in Virgo. Yods are usually out of step with the environment until they click into place. Tr Pluto will trine the DIE Jupiter in 2018/19 which might just be the catalyst. Such a Jupiter can have a strong effect on society, though it can also be its own worst enemy because of a tendency to self-aggrandizement.