Marjorie

“Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.”  Samuel Beckett

“Follow me, or get out of my way.” George S. Patton

“Tossing your rope before building a loop don’t ketch the calf.”  Cowboy proverb

  Getting a handle on Trump’s vainglorious swagger about picking off Cuba, Mexico, Greenland, Colombia and attempting to reduce this blitzkrieg of a year-opener to manageable astrological proportions could hone down to Pluto Jupiter. Hyping up the USA chart at the moment, there is a Solar Arc Pluto square the Jupiter in effect across this year = might-makes-right, rules-don’t-apply. And the September 2025 Solar Eclipse, still in effect, and coming March 2026 Lunar Eclipse at mid Pisces/Virgo both trigger Trump’s Jupiter Pluto midpoint.

  Jupiter Pluto leads to hubris described as excessive pride leading to retribution or nemesis. It is a “pride that blinds” causing foolish actions that belie common sense. Though to be admitted, Jupiter Pluto can produce results; and punishment for misdeeds can take a very long time. Except that in the case of the US, tr Neptune follows behind undermining the US Venus and Jupiter in the near future.

  A new book by Edward Stourton, Made in America: The dark history that led to Donald Trump, argues that Trump is a logical outcome of American history, a modern representative of the illiberal, imperialist streak in US politics that in the past has led to territorial overreach, deportations and a dismissal of constitutional edicts. His conclusion is that “you cannot understand America without understanding Trump”. He is “as American as apple pie”.

  In the 19^th Century Thomas Jefferson acquired land from the French that makes up part or all of 15 modern-day US states, except that the true owners included an estimated half-million Native Americans. Four decades later, another massive land grab forced Mexico to cede more than half of its territory, including modern-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming and Oklahoma.

  There are precedents in the book for almost all of Trump’s actions – imprisoning or banishing foreigners without trial, and banning” writings against the president. Trump idolises  Andrew Jackson, who refused to implement a supreme court verdict he disagreed with.  William McKinley raised import tariff duties to around 50%, a “Trumpian level”, with disastrous consequences for the Republican party.

   Another astro-thought as I trawled through far too many charts is that the 4th July 2026 congregation of Pluto at 4 degrees Aquarius trine Mars Uranus at 4 degrees Gemini and sextile Neptune at 4 degrees Aries does show up on a good many of the relevant charts.

  I will list them since too many to elaborate fully.

NATO, 24 August 1949 11.42am Washington DC, has a 9th house Uranus at 4 degrees Cancer square Venus at 4 degrees Libra.

Cuba, 10 December 1898, has Uranus at 4 Sagittarius. The relationship chart with Trump has Saturn at 4 Libra; and with the USA Jupiter at 4 Virgo (conjunct Uranus).

 The Cuba Revolution chart, 2 January 1959, has Pluto at 4 Virgo which suggests an upheaval or rebellion. It will be a tumultuous time for the country.

Mexico, 15 September 1810 11pm, has Jupiter at 1 degree Gemini opposition Neptune Saturn at 6/9 degrees Sagittarius which will be unsettled right through 2026 and on. The relationship chart with the USA has a composite Venus at 4 Virgo, due for an upset in July 2026; and the 2026 eclipses rattling up the composite Sun Uranus opposition Pluto.  The Mexico relationship with Trump will be in turmoil from now onwards  until the spring 2026 and not improving the following year.

Greenland, 1 May 1979, has its Solar Arc Uranus at 4 degrees Cancer, SA Pluto at 4 degrees Aquarius and its Solar Arc Mars at 4 degrees Gemini so will be on high alert and nervy in July 2026. Greenland’s relations with the USA will be meeting a sharp reversal come April 2026; with a war of words if not more in July with the composite Mercury (opposition Pluto) at 4 Gemini.  Greenland’s relationship with Trump will be rattled from April 2026 onwards.

  Denmark, 5 June 1849 12.15pm Copenhagen, has its Neptune at 4 degrees Pisces, for major worries come July 2026; and even more so has its Solar Arc Mars opposition its Saturn exactly then.

 This does not necessarily mean that Trump will go full Genghis Khan since 4 degrees shows up on a good many of the close Trump circle charts and composites – so failed plans may be undercutting the bluster and bombast.

 On Venezuela: ‘The strange truth is that despite America’s stunning display of military power, there hasn’t been regime change in Caracas. The same group of narco-traffickers and left-wing political operators still run the country, albeit without its former kingpin.’

 Delcy Rodriguez, 18 May 1969, the present president, is a formidably confident Sun Taurus trine Jupiter Pluto South Node in Virgo with her Sun opposition a slippery, evasive Neptune. Her Jupiter Pluto squares DT’s Gemini Sun and Sag Moon so she’ll be a considerable adversary, not an easy pushover; with her Sun Neptune opposition falling across Trump’s MC/IC axis hinting at a lack of commitment/trust there. Their relationship chart will undergo quite a convulsion when tr Uranus squares the composite Pluto come mid May 2026 onwards.

  Her Term chart, 5 January 2026, maybe around 8am Caracas, has an ambitious and argumentative Sun Mars in Capricorn in an opportunistic opposition to Jupiter. Reports are that since the seizure of Maduro, armed militias are patrolling the streets and journalists have been arrested in a government crackdown on dissent.

 Her relationship with Marco Rubio looks similarly erratic with upsets and turbulence come June 2026 as tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Sun.

Rubio himself, 28 May 1971, is jangled at the moment with tr Uranus conjunct his Saturn, moving on to oppose his Neptune Jupiter from April through a highly uncomfortable summer with more beyond, hinting at collapsing hopes and even scandals. His relationship chart with Trump is mired in confusion from January 2026 onwards with tr Pluto square the composite Neptune; and de-stabilising further from mid June 2026 onwards with tr Uranus square the composite Pluto.

Media thoughts from today:

Perhaps one can search too hard for a Trumpian masterplan. “There are no grand designs, just vanity and vindictiveness,” says Bill Kristol, a “Lincoln” Republican and founder of the Bulwark. He invokes Rudyard Kipling’s poem Recessional on British imperial hubris in the late 1890s, a warning to a nation drunk with power and prone to “frantic boast and foolish word”.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, the Telegraph financial journalist, is worth a read. “Trump and his Maga pirates’ Venezuelan plunder is almost worthless.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/06/trump-maga-pirates-venezuelan-plunder-is-almost-worthless

Pic: Icarus who defied the gods by flying too close to the sun. The wax in his wings melted and he fell from a great height.

ADD ON: January 8 2026

Aditya Chakrabortty in the Guardian. Useful slant on the present mayhem.

“Don’t dignify Trump with talk of a ‘new world order’ – there’s nothing new or ordered about this chaos.”

“The US president’s grotesque theatrics on the world stage are an opportunistic distraction from his falling domestic ratings.”

“All the same, scratch a Trump promise and underneath will glint a pretext. Scrutinise his grand plans and you find only shabby tactics. From real-estate deals to Trump University, all that this guy swears is solid gold soon settles into so much bullshit.”

“Will Trump rule Venezuela, or Greenland? It would make a change if he ruled the US. The president is a fair way through his second term in office, yet we are still to see Trumpism in one country, let alone around the world. The result of all this indecision and chaos is personal approval ratings that have sunk below those of “Sleepy Joe” Biden. “

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/08/trump-new-world-order-chaos-falling-ratings

Add On: January 10: US oil giant ExxonMobil tells Donald Trump Venezuela is ‘uninvestable’

Chief executive Darren Woods pushes back against president’s call to rush back into troubled country.

Add On: January 13 from the FT.

On Greenland:

The challenges involved in any extraction of rare minerals are formidable, perhaps prohibitive. “It’s not a short-term project. It requires many years of preparation, investment and infrastructure before there would be any profit or revenues or supplies coming to the US.”

 “The whole mining industry agrees that the Greenland promise is absolutely overrated. Nobody understands why anyone is putting money into this.”

There are massive logistical difficulties – lack of roads and other infrastructure. Everything would have to be brought in by helicopter, which can be far from straightforward given Greenland’s frequently rough and freezing weather.

Even if the ore can be extracted, the rare earths must be separated from the uranium, the eudialyte and other contaminants. That is a costly and fiddly chemical process that can encompass more than 200 steps. Apart from isolated pockets of expertise, such as in France and Estonia, knowledge of these processes has all but died out in the West.

The Sun, Venus, Mercury and Mars all in earthy Capricorn with Jupiter across in Cancer will make for a lively start to the New Year after the Full Moon on the 3^rd has passed. Capricorn is known for indulgence and seeking out pleasure as well as being money minded and status conscious.

 Gradually after midmonth a transition to airy, chatty, detached Aquarius starts with Venus in the lead. Fun with friends and in group activities will be on the agenda though intense,  blocked and controlling Pluto will start to crash the party from the 19^th connecting with Venus, then the Sun and peaking after Mars moves into Aquarius in the final week. It’ll be a tense, frustrating, maybe high risk end to the month.

PLANETARY ASPECTS:

1: Mercury in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces – vague, evasive, dreamy.

Mercury into Capricorn until the 20^th – chat about practical matters, aiming high socially.

3: Full Moon in Cancer – pulled in two directions

6: Sun conjunct Venus in Capricorn – charming, sociable, flirtatious, indulgent

7: Venus conjunct Mars in Capricorn – passionately enthusiastic.

9: Sun conjunct Mars – high vitality, argumentative, competitive.

Venus opposition Jupiter in Cancer – frivolous, lazy, indulgent

10: Sun opposition Jupiter – lazy, lucky, confident – expect results with no effort.

Mars opposition Jupiter – impulsive, pro-active, opportunistic.

14: Mercury opposition Jupiter – positive chat, overly confident.

Venus sextile Saturn in Pisces – sophisticated, cool and charming.

15: Venus trine Uranus in Taurus – social fun, want freedom emotionally, flirtatious.

17: Venus sextile Neptune – sweet, romantic, dreamy.

Sun sextile Saturn – sensible, good for planning.

Sun trine Uranus – bright ideas, surprises, inventive, not dull.

Mercury conjunct Mars – direct speaking.

Venus into Aquarius until February 10 – friendly, emotionally detached.

18: New Moon in Capricorn – new direction

Mercury sextile Saturn – sensible chats.

Mercury trine Uranus – bright ideas.

19: Sun sextile Neptune – kind, dreamy, evasive.

Venus conjunct Pluto – emotionally intense, seductive, manipulative.

Saturn sextile Uranus – merging best of the old with best of the new.

Mars trine Uranus – looking for thrills, uncompromising, inventive.

Mars sextile Saturn – requires self-discipline and hard work.

20: Mercury sextile Neptune – kind, vague.

Mercury into Aquarius until February 6 – inventive, up on the latest advances, outspoken, stubborn.

Sun into Aquarius for four weeks – a thinker and communicator, good for group activities, can be obstinate.

21: Sun conjunct Mercury – in mental overdrive, chatting constantly

22: Mercury conjunct Pluto in Aquarius – intense, dogmatic, deep thinking, gloomy.

Mars sextile Neptune – publicity attract, can be glamourous and sometimes plans not work out.

23: Mars into Aquarius until March 2^nd – determined, obstinate, pushing ideas and theories.

Sun conjunct Pluto – requires effort to overcome obstacles and difficulties.

27: Mars conjunct Pluto – trapped, stuck, frustrating, need to be self-protective.

29: Mercury conjunct Venus – sweet words, charming, persuasive.

OUTER PLANETS

Jupiter in Cancer from June 9 2025 until June 30 2026 – focused on family and home, expansive, emotional, sympathetic, easy going.

Saturn: In Pisces from March 8 2023 till May 25 2025; and again September 1st 2025 to February 12^th 2026 – a time to let the past go, push old regrets aside and be supportive to those in need.

Saturn in Aries from May 25th 2025 for the first time in 29 years. There will be a need for grit, self-reliance, initiative, patience and resourcefulness. It can lead to selfish behaviour on the part of some and a lack of cooperation since the tendency will be to pursue an independent course. Though Neptune close by may soften its effect bringing more sympathy for those in need. Retrogrades into Pisces on September 1 2025 to February 12th 2026, after which it stays in Aries until April 2028

Uranus: From March 2019 until July 2025 in Taurus – changing attitudes to handling of money, possessions and resources especially in agriculture and our attitude to nature. Into Gemini from July 7 2025 to November 2025 – lively discussions, new ideas, alternative approaches, fast-moving, outspoken. There will be a retrograde back into Taurus from November 2025 to April 2026, after which it stays in Gemini until 2032.

Neptune in Aries from from late April 2025 till 2039 (with a brief retrograde back into Pisces from late October to late January 2026) can prompt individuals to submit themselves to a bigger cause than themselves. In the past it has led to an increase in individual rights and advances for disenfranchised people.  When back in Pisces it reprises the mood of the past decade plus with conspiracy theories running rampant.

Pluto in Aquarius from late November 2024 till 2044. Can be enlightening, fosters social movements and equality, changes outlooks and attitudes, brings intense discussions and scientific advances.

May Britt, the blonde Swedish actress who in her Hollywood heyday starred in War and Peace, The Young Lions and The Blue Angel but found her career ended when she married entertainer Sammy Davis Jnr has died at 91. At that time nearly half of American states banned interracial marriage, which were not legalised nationwide until a 1967 Supreme Court decision.

 Even J.F.K was alarmed at their presence at a 1963 White House reception because he feared a political backlash if he was viewed as endorsing their union. Encouraged to help the Democrat by Frank Sinatra, Davis had delayed his marriage until after the 1960 presidential election in case public disapproval of the nuptials cost Kennedy votes and offend Deep South congressmen which would complicate his legislative ambitions.

Earlier Davis had pursued a relationship with a popular white actress, Kim Novak. When Columbia Pictures mogul Harry Cohn found out, he allegedly hired mobsters to threaten Davis on the basis that dating a black man would be toxic to the career of one of his most bankable screen sirens. To protect himself, Davis married a black dancer, Loray White, in 1958; they divorced later that year.

Davis and Britt announced their engagement in London, and were targeted with racist abuse from far-right supporters of Oswald Mosley. On their return to the US, theatres where Davis performed were subjected to bomb threats, and the American Nazi Party picketed a nightclub in Washington. The couple received death threats and hired armed bodyguards. “May was almost like a prisoner in a mink-lined cell,” a friend recalled.

 When they got engaged, the studio immediately cancelled Britt’s contract, assuming she was no use in the box office married to a black man. She responded “I loved Sammy and I had the chance to marry the man I loved.” The marriage did not last a decade and both remarried but their daughter said that for her father Sammy, Britt was “the love of his life”.

  She was born 22 March 1934 in Stockholm, Sweden, no birth time, with a vibrant and courageous Sun Mars in Aries and a Gemini Moon. Her upbeat Jupiter in Libra was in an Air Grand Trine to Saturn in Aquarius trine her Moon, giving her a coolly sophisticated appearance. Her Jupiter was opposition a rebellious Uranus and in a confident square to Pluto.

 Sammy Davis Jnr, 8 December 1925 1.20 pm New York, who died of throat cancer in 1990, had a Sagittarius Sun and Mercury which was square a 12^th house Uranus opposition a Virgo Moon so lively, highly-strung and keen to be liberated from restrictions. His musical Neptune in his performing 5^th house was on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Uranus sextile a successful 10^th house Jupiter in Capricorn. He was a convention-breaker and fortunate in his career but an 8^th house Mars Saturn in Scorpio square his Neptune hinted at the deep seated injustices he had to suffer which unsurprisingly embittered him .

 Chariklo, the star of eternal suffering was opposition his Sun. Sirius, the star that shines brightest was conjunct his Pluto. His Chiron was in his 1^st  leaving him with identity and self-esteem problems.

  May’s Jupiter fell in his 7^th house for a supportive relationship with her trailblazing Uranus in his 1^st house conjunct his Chiron.  Both has Venus in Aquarius which would help.

  Their relationship chart had an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction; with an adventurous Jupiter trine Uranus trine Sun Mercury. Though a more ominous composite Mercury Mars opposition Pluto hinted at problems which would tear them apart.

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David Bowie has been graced with a documentary about his final years a decade after his death in January 2016 from liver cancer. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians ever, he constantly reinvented himself, being dubbed the “chameleon of rock”. And he influenced more musical genres than any other rock star, from glam rock, folk rock and hard rock, to electronic, industrial rock and synth-pop, to hip hop and indie rock as well as fashion. He “brought sophistication to rock music” and the intellectual depth of his work was frequently acknowledged. The BBC’s arts editor Will Gompertz likened Bowie to Pablo Picasso, writing that he was “an innovative, visionary, restless artist who synthesised complex avant garde concepts into beautifully coherent works that touched the hearts and minds of millions”.

 After his death the German government thanked him for his contribution to ending the Cold War division. His 1987 West Berlin concert near the Wall galvanized East Berliners to protest, chanting “The Wall Must Go,” and his iconic song “Heroes,” written in Berlin and inspired by love in the divided city, became an anthem for freedom.

  Born 8 January 1947 9.15 am, he showed musical talent early and was supported by a father who had unrealised dreams of being an entertainer. His schizophrenic half-brother was a substantial influence and introduced Bowie to modern jazz, Buddhism, Beat poetry and the occult. A significant proportion of Bowie’s extended family members had schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including an aunt who was institutionalised and another who underwent a lobotomy.

 He had a creative 12^th house Sun Mars in Capricorn sextile Jupiter in Scorpio in his far-travelled 9^th inconjunct Uranus in his 4^th. A yod apex Uranus would certainly indicate an unusual family of birth; and also a trailblazing spirit which allowed him to break down conventional barriers.  His Sun Mars were also square an 8^th house Neptune again pointing to an intergenerational legacy of a connection to other worlds, a deep well of creativity and an (unconscious) ability to project a mesmerising image.

 His 6^th house Leo Moon conjunct Saturn and Pluto made for a bleak emotional life certainly in childhood – and intense though unpredictable and changeable relationships in his adult life with Uranus demanding freedom when too much commitment was demanded.  

His second yod of Uranus sextile Pluto inconjunct his Sun Mars was fascinating given what a global and disruptive influence such a private man had.  

Long time since I looked at his chart – fascinating.

With a midheaven on his Gemini Sun Trump gave the order to extract Maduro at 10.46pm on January 2nd. When the mission landed at 2.01 am the midheaven was conjunct his secretive, duplicitous and double-dealing 12^th house Pluto. The swampy and ill-starred Neptune Saturn Scheat in late Pisces was prominent in both; and Uranus conjunct the destructive Fixed star Algol was also in play.

  His intention is to take over the country’s oil production for America’s benefit and to control the cheap oil supply that China, which buys 80% of Venezuela’s output, has relied on. Russia is a also a crucial oil partner. For Cuba it could be existential since it gets much of its oil from Venezuela and has thousands of paramilitary “advisers” stationed there.

 Analysts were doubtful that investors would rush to the country given decades of instability and the scale of the investment needed in Venezuela’s unconventional heavy oil sector. “The capital we are talking about is massive – billions of dollars in investments. This is not something American companies will be running towards just hours after an intervention.”   

  The lessons of Iraq are weighing heavily and Libya. Never mind the Vietnam quagmire.

 In his first term, Trump spoke of a pivot to the western hemisphere that would see the US switch focus to its own backyard from Greenland and the Arctic down through Canada to the Panama canal, and then Latin America and the Pacific. He sees drugs, migration, organised crime and political instability to the south not as foreign policy problems but as domestic ones with a foreign address.

  The Venezuela 22 September 1830 chart which has three stressed yods onto Mars, Saturn and Venus respectively  – with two of them colliding at the moment by Solar Arc. The SA Pluto from the leg of one yod (sextile Uranus inconjunct Venus) sparking off another yod of Saturn sextile Mercury inconjunct Mars. Sounds obscure but two configurations meeting like these usually points to a life-changing moment in time.  

 The late Virgo Venezuela Sun was triggered by the recent solar eclipse; and the early February 2026 solar eclipse will oppose the Saturn with the August Soar eclipse being conjunct the Saturn – all of which look depressed and tough going.

 The Venezuela Saturn is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant so may be a tougher nut for him to crack than his wild fantasies envisage. The Venezuela Sun falls in DT’s 2^nd house of money so no surprises there, though in final degree Virgo it flags up tr Neptune moving into DT’s 8^th house in opposition, not generally considered good for solid financial deals. The Venezuela Uranus opposes DT’s Pluto so there is potential for a major Trump upset. The Venezuela Jupiter Neptune in Capricorn parlay into DT’s Jupiter Neptune in Libra will magnify his over-hopeful streak.  The Venezuela Mars and Pluto falls in DT’s 8th – which does not suggest an easy partnership.   

  Of the other countries on his potential hit-list and this is only a cursory glance – Mexico and Greenland look most agitated vis a vis Trump. I will do South America later this week and Canada etc.

 But I would imagine/hope that his megalomaniac streak might start to dissipate after that Progressed Moon on his bully-boy administration chart starts to move away from the Inauguration Pluto Sun opposition Mars T square from spring 2026 onwards. Though the USA’s travails and nightmares will roll on into 2027.

  The US has attacked Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.  Attorney General Pam Bondi says he has been indicted in New York on drugs and weapons charges and  Secretary of State Marco Rubio anticipates no further action against Venezuela. Reports say that Maduro earlier this week wanted to reach a deal with Trump, which would have given him immunity from prosecution, allowed him to keep his vast wealth and significantly would allow the US to access Venezuela’s oil. No deal was made.

This morning, air strikes were finally launched.

Many share the fear that the attack and Maduro’s departure could trigger even greater destabilisation in a country already battered by years of political, economic and social crisis.

 There is not a great deal to add to previous posts except that the Venezuela 22 September 1830 chart appears to work better than the 1811 one which is in general use. It marks the second independence of the country from the Spanish. It has a final degree Virgo Sun (like France) which is being opposed and undermined by tr Neptune exactly now into February 2026; with maybe an early Sagittarius Moon in line for the tr Uranus opposition in 2026 or further on.

 Trump has a visceral dislike of Maduro with a composite Mars Pluto trine Saturn trine Jupiter with Saturn opposition Neptune. Though there is nothing too dramatic showing up on Maduro’s chart which might make me wonder if it is accurate.

  Trump does not interface well with the Venezuela 1830 chart either with a composite Uranus trine Saturn Sun sextile Mars Pluto.  His birth chart relocated to Venezuela puts his Mars closer to the Ascendant with tr Uranus square the Mars/Ascendant midpoint now and moving to square the relocated Ascendant by mid March 2026.  

 The Venezuela, 5 July 1911 chart would indicate turbulence ahead with the Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto in 2026 so a people’s revolt or a coup might be in the offing.

 The attack described by Trump as “brilliant” happened around 2am this morning in Caracas with the pro-active Sun, Venus, Mars in Capricorn in the 3rd and the Saturn Neptune Scheat conjunction along with Nessus in the attention-seeking 5^th house – and divisive Uranus in the 7^th.

  It reminded me slightly of the Iraq Attack chart of 20 March 2003 which when relocated from Baghdad to Washington DC had the final degree Pisces Sun Mercury in the grandstanding 5^th , Mars in Capricorn in the 3^rd and Jupiter in the 9^th. Some similarities. And that did not end well.

 It is also exactly 36 years since Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega surrendered on January 3 1990 after the US invasion under President George H Bush and spent decades later in prison for drug trafficking and racketeering offences despite his previous longstanding ties with American intelligence agencies.

[See previous posts in Search: Venezuela – in Trump’s crosshairs 6th December 2025

Venezuela – a narco-terrorism target 17th September 2025]

Add On: Have put up chart for first oil strike. Will try to check it against highs and lows later.

In death as in life and the aftermath Jeffrey Epstein has/had an intriguing way of casting a sinister and lingering smokescreen over events. His misdeeds earned him a brief holiday-camp prison sentence. His legacy has left a swirling cloud of suspicion but as yet only the hapless (and unpleasant) Ghislaine has been nailed. And his death in odd circumstances has led to myriad conspiracy theories – was it suicide or murder or is he not dead at all?

 I am allergic to conspiracy theories, tending to lean towards incompetence and coincidence as a way of discounting them. But to have him taken off for suicide watch in prison, have his cellmate removed and the guards fall asleep, with the cameras down, does seem a stretch too far.

  Astrology is not a proof of anything but it seemed worth looking to see what was on his chart which I did not do at the time.

 What stands out is his Solar Arc Mars square his 8^th house Pluto exactly. That could be expected to turn up for either murder or suicide. Tr Uranus was exactly conjunct his IC suggesting an emotional upheaval and perhaps change of residence. Tr Pluto was exactly opposition his Mercury, pulling on his Cardinal T square of Mercury opposition Uranus square Saturn Neptune – and that certainly could suggest immense mental strain.

 Tr Saturn was just across his Ascendant pushing him gradually into a low profile few years, soon to form a bleak conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn also in his 1^st. And at the point of his exit tr Saturn was exactly conjunct his Chiron and opposition his Uranus which would produce tensions, perhaps at being closeted in a prison. His Solar Arc Sun was exactly conjunct his Moon (and Eris, star of discord) which would suggest a coming-together in his life and, leaving Eris aside, would not be depressing.

  I might have expected to see more flagged up on his Solar Return or his Lunar Return for that month. But apart from Saturn and Pluto in the 12^th in both there is nothing much to point definitively to any of the three scenarios.

  What does strike me, given that there was a reasonable possibility he could have got off in a trial because of an immunity agreement from earlier deal in Florida, was there might have been more at play in the background. He was not facing a hopeless situation of a long prison sentence ahead. But the murkiness around the origins of his money might well have brought other players into the scenario so he could have been in jeopardy for other reasons and decided to bale. Or the decision was taken out of his hands.  With the Solar Arc Mars square an 8^th house Pluto it would look likely to have been suicide or murder rather than an airlift a la Lord Lucan off elsewhere. But no doubt it’ll be fifty years before it all becomes clear.

China having pushed the Trump-tariff offensive to one side without blinking, is surrounding Taiwan in a simulation blockade and talking up China’s future role in global governance. Xi’s third five-year term of office expires in 2027 and he has given no hint that he has any intention to step down.

 The policy ahead seems to be relying on its export-led growth model in steel making and toy manufacturing and also future technologies, such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

But even as trade surplus hit $1tn in 2025 there are vulnerabilities in the domestic economy. ‘A prolonged property market slowdown has undermined local government finances, household sentiment and domestic demand, leading to deflation and falling wages. Policymakers are trying to balance keeping the country’s export machine running while issuing ever more debt to prop up the weakening domestic economy.’ The IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said that such a large country cannot survive on exports alone.

 The aim of the leadership is to build “an economic fortress”,  achieving self-reliance in everything from food to tech but keeping trade open for Chinese exports and to absorb foreign technology. It also plans to fortify its export machine by setting up factories in other countries. Its main focus is tackling the USA, on the assumption the EU will fall in behind.

     In addition to rare earths, another of China’s supply chain chokeholds from a western perspective are active pharmaceutical ingredients used to make medicines.

  Of all the relevant charts the most striking is the Bank of China, 1 December 1948, which has worked well in the past. It has a bubble-bursting tr Saturn Neptune square the Mars Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn this year and next (for Neptune) with the Solar Arc Neptune also rapidly approaching a conjunction to Mars Jupiter. All of that suggests a financial meltdown from over confidence or an unsustainable debt burden hitting crunch point. At the moment tr Neptune is in a nerve-stretched square to the Uranus so the cracks are beginning to show; with tensions erupting in a major way after mid 2026 into 2027.

 The China 1 January 1912 chart, no time, shows late 2027 into 2028 as fairly calamitous as the Solar Arc Uranus makes an explosive conjunction to the Mars in Taurus (so could be finance related or a conflict). Before then tr Uranus opposition the Jupiter mid 2026 into 2027 will provide a dash of luck.

 Relations with the USA this year will be edgy but the real friction will come in 2027/8 with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Mars. The EU is never on good terms with China and vice versa with a composite Mars Saturn at zero/one degree Pisces which is being rattled this year – so there will be flare ups. With Russia there will be moments of aggravation as Uranus moves into Gemini in April and continuing upheavals for several years ahead.

 Xi Jinping’s 3^rd Term, 23 October 2022 5.08pm Beijing, for all his trumpet blowing does look stuck with the Solar Arc Pluto closing the square to the Sun to exact within months – which could ramp up his need to be in control, but usually does not end well. Tr Saturn Neptune will also oppose the 6^th house Moon through 2026, hinting at a discontented populace and government workers, perhaps health issues.  

 His original presidency chart from 14 March 2013 11.51 am, hints at an unstable 2027 with sudden surprises sending him off course.   

His own personal chart, 15 June 1953, with his Mars at zero degrees Cancer assailed by tr Saturn Neptune in square and his Solar Arc Saturn Neptune in opposition to his Mars throughout 2026 does not look progressive and successful, anything but.

 A stray thought – the China 1912 chart and the EU and UK all have a 9 degree Capricorn Sun which will not appreciate the tr Neptune square in 2029. No great conclusions and not warlike, just droopy.  

The Switzerland night club fire has claimed at least 40 lives with over a hundred injured, many with third degree burns, though it could take days or even weeks to be sure of the numbers.

  It broke out at 1.30am in Crans, Switzerland, on January 2026 with Jupiter in Cancer conjunct the Midheaven (as was the case for 9/11) indicating the expansive planet’s propensity for turning up at disasters as well as successes. There was a high vitality Sun, Mars, Venus in Capricorn which suited an entertaining night out for the young; with the unfortunate and worrisome Saturn Neptune Scheat in the 6^th house of health; and a shattering Uranus Algol as well as a Gemini Moon in the 8^th all in an unsettling trine to Pluto in the 4^th – the last hinting at a trapped environment.

 The Switzerland 12 September 1848 12.55pm Bern chart has a yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars Venus in Libra on the apex which will be undermined soon by tr Saturn in opposition and then tr Neptune, but not exactly at the moment. So either the repercussions will take time to sink in, or this is one of these events which presages major events to come for Switzerland which will put it on a new trajectory.  The Switzerland Solar Arc Mars in final degree Pisces is catching the tr Neptune Scheat in opposition exactly now which does hint at disasters; and Nessus is square the SA Sun exactly as well. Three accident-prone Mars midpoints are being triggered.

 The recent September solar eclipse at 29 degrees Virgo was highlighted for Switzerland – with Pluto on the Midheaven and Uranus on the Ascendant, and being triggered at the moment by tr Neptune Scheat in opposition to the eclipsed New Moon. So that fits regrettably. What a horror.