Astrology of Today’s News

 Mars Saturn approaching an exact conjunction on 19/20 April requires a degree of caution at a personal level since it can be accident-prone or at least attract infuriating delays and difficulties. Mars, especially in Aries is headstrong and when it runs into rigid Saturn the resulting blocked action can result in bad temper if not broken bones.

  Chris Froome, the Tour de France cyclist, crashed badly under Mars Saturn and actor Jeremy Renner was run over by a snow plough with a Mars opposition Saturn in place breaking innumerable bones. Mars Saturn also crops up in terrorist and criminal attacks. The Manchester bombing of 2017 and the London Bridge bombing both occurred with a magnified Saturn opposition Mars in place. Other instances were Kim Kardashian’s burglary in Paris and the 2012 Italy earthquake. The January 6 2021 Capitol Hill riots also occurred on a Mars Saturn square (with Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter adding their contribution as well).

   There are constructive outlets for Mars Saturn since it has a capacity for disciplined aggression – in the military for instance with Saturn allowing for state-sanctioned violence. 

  The other effect can be on sexuality which gets skewed since Mars’ unrestrained testosterone does not appreciate being corralled by moralistic Saturn – or sometimes worse, by the goat-god Saturn goading Mars into perverse behaviours.  Net porn seems infested by Mars Saturn.

 On a constructive level it facilitates disciplined, concentrated action which produces substantial results slowly.

 Previous Mars Saturn conjunctions in Aries don’t indicate major disasters other than the normal run of calamities.

2 April 1998: On the 10^th April the Good Friday Agreement was signed bringing to an end the Irish Troubles. Also in later days that month Baader Meinhof disbanded. Tammy Wynette dies. Pakistan tests missiles which could reach India.

3 March 1968:  US public support for the Vietnam War dops noticeably. On the 16th the My Lai massacre occurred with atrocities against civilians.

1 February 1938: Hitler takes over military control.

30 December 1909: Manhattan Bridge opens.

  On reviewing Mars Saturn (see back posts in search), one intriguing pattern emerged.

1. Trump has his Mars/Saturn midpoint conjunct his 12^th house Pluto which hints at (according to Ebertin) brutality, the rage or fury of destruction, death of many.  A 12^th house Pluto tends to hide away a cauldron of deep, dark emotions which surface compulsively.  A far cry from the entertaining clown he first appeared.
2.  The eclipses just prior to Trump’s first election victory in 2016 had a Mars Saturn conjunction in fiery Sagittarius square Neptune South Node in Pisces. Not a million miles different from this month’s Mars Saturn Neptune conjunction in fire sign Aries. At his first inauguration in 2017 there was a Mars in Pisces square Saturn,
3. That 2016 eclipse progressed by Solar Arc to his year has the Solar Arc Pluto square the Uranus which is often a topple-off-the-perch moment for political leaders. Even if it is not terminal in career terms, it certainly suggests a major reversal. Indications from his 2025 Inauguration chart did indicate the tyrannical nature of his second term with Mars opposition Pluto Sun would peak last month in March and then likely go into a downhill slide. Hubris holed below the waterline.

  He has got himself into a conflict which he carelessly assumed would be an in-and-out slamdunk and now has all the indications of a humiliating climbdown or worse an Iraq/Vietnam extended scenario. He has managed to split his MAGA supporters having broken his no-foreign-wars campaign promises – and worse to offend Catholics over his spat with Pope Leo and other religious believers with his blasphemous I-am-Jesus Truth Social post. Other support is leaking away over the rise in the cost of living – food, oil and concerns over healthcare.

 The 2016 eclipse connection may seem obscure but observations about the August 1999 total solar eclipse indicated that it resonated to events eighteen months later when transiting planets triggered the eclipse chart with a devastating Gujarat earthquake in central western India on January 26 2001 – exactly on the 1999 eclipse path. The catastrophic national foot & mouth epidemic in the UK, also started around this time.

It is worth watching for eclipse delayed after-effects especially where the eclipse path is concerned, in certain cases for some years. The eclipse path joining the UK to Germany & Europe fell in June 1936 and war did not break out for another three years.

Peter Magyar has won the Hungary election decisively despite fears of Russian interference and a questionable visit by USA VP J.D. Vance. 

 The Hungary country charts are a better guide to the result than the individuals concerned. Hungary, 22 December 1872 Budapest, has tr Pluto opposition Uranus exactly now for a major turnaround. The Solar Arc Sun is conjunct the North Node exactly for a moment in history. Tr Uranus is heading to square the Jupiter in the second half of next month (May) and the Solar Arc Jupiter is opposing the Uranus in 2027 – both of which suggest a lighter, brighter, luckier and adventurous feel to the immediate future. Though with hints of problems in 2028.

 What is astro-interesting is that the 1872 Hungary chart was showing activity around the same planets during the Soviet Invasion of 1956 which happened on a Uranus Return with tr Pluto conjunct the Jupiter ( = uprising which clashed with authorities) and tr Saturn opposition the North Node (regressive step.)

 Peter Magyar, 16 March 1981 12.05 am Budapest, is an unknown quantity, though initially was an associate of Orban’s and his campaigning has been light on policies. He has a Sun Mars conjunction in Pisces sitting on his IC so will be patriotic where his home country is concerned. He has an idealistic Jupiter Saturn conjunction in his career 10^th with Jupiter leading so he will get luck and success first and hit hard work thereafter. He has a leadership Leo North Node and a Leo Moon.

  If his birth time is accurate tr Saturn is just across his IC moving him into a higher visibility phase on the career front. From the middle of this year tr Jupiter is moving into his 9^th house until after mid 2028 which will see him travelling internationally and speaking with enthusiasm about his vision for the future. He will hit a successful run from mid 2028 for a year thereafter. Tr Uranus now on his mid life opposition to his natal Uranus is moving into his 7^th from this August could see him in a separatist mood, not cooperative and keen to walk his own path.

  There is little that would leap out as a great win from his chart – tr Saturn is opposing his Jupiter Saturn now; tr Neptune is square his Mars/Jupiter midpoint and moving to square his Mars/Saturn midpoint later his month into May – all of which could be seen as negative.

  Though trepidation in the face of wrath from Putin and Trump, never mind the uphill task of unpicking Orban’s 16 year restructuring of the courts, the electoral system and the economy, would be understandable. His relationship chart with Trump is in essence bad news – with an evasive, disappointing composite Sun opposition Neptune and a hostile dislike Mars square Pluto Uranus. With indications ahead of eruptions of tension and intense and blocked discussions.

  If Putin’s October 1952 birthdate is sound, then his relationship with Magyar is being undermined through this year and has a permanent undercurrent of resentment and dislike.

  Magyar’s relationship with both Hungary charts will be pressured and uncomfortable ahead – so not all a cakewalk for a saviour.

 Orban, 31 May 1963 2pm Hungary, is a Sun Gemini sextile Jupiter in Aries inconjunct Neptune in Scorpio – so to a degree living in cloud-cuckoo-land; with another yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct a self-aggrandising Jupiter. Plus a harsh, cruel Mars in Leo opposition Saturn in Aquarius – which latter was rattled by the February Aquarius Solar Eclipse. His initial prime ministerial chart from 29 May 2010 had a Mars in late Leo opposition Neptune in late Aquarius which also caught the recent Eclipse. Tr Neptune Saturn in late Pisces were also undermining the Saturn opposition Jupiter Uranus recently which was the writing on the wall that the end had come politically.

  Like Trump he did not practice what he preached. He insisted he was an “anti-globalist” but invited German carmakers, and Chinese and South Korean EV battery makers, to Hungary. Waved the flag for national sovereignty, but refused to stand up for Ukrainian sovereignty against Russia. Publicly turned his face against against immigration, but behind the scenes encouraged immigration from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ukraine and Turkey to build his new factories. 

  The clue to Donald Trump’s dysfunctional emotional makeup may lie more with his mother than father. Conventional wisdom has it he takes after Fred, his profiteering, racist, property developer, Lutheran father of German extraction.

  Fred, 11 October 1905, did have his Libra Sun conjunct DT’s 2^nd house Jupiter and Fred’s Jupiter fell in DT’s 10^th, helping him on the road to material success. And admittedly Fred’s Leo North Node was conjunct DT’s Mars Ascendant with Fred’s Saturn in Aquarius in opposition. So he would be uncompromising in his effects to instill a hard-edge into his son’s methods.

   But Donald’s relationship with his mother Mary was way more complicated – and given that she was a Sun Saturn in Taurus (like Melania) and in Mary’s case her Sun Saturn fell on Donald’s Midheaven, she deserves a closer look.

 Born 10 May 1912 4am Tong, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, in a Gaelic-speaking household, she was the youngest of ten children and first left home at 18, one of tens of thousands of young Scots who left for the U.S. or Canada during this period, having suffered badly the consequences of the Highland Clearances and World War I. Local historians have said properties at the time were “indescribably filthy”, and that families in the area lived austere lives as fishers, farmers and peat diggers. A 2016 account in a Scottish newspaper The National put it, she “started life in America as a dirt-poor servant escaping the even worse poverty of her native land.”

 Her religion is described on wiki as Presbyterian (protestant) and that was how Donald was brought up but it is possible she was a Free Presbyterian, which is an even stricter form of fundamentalist Calvinism common on the Scottish Islands. [And a humourless, uncompromising, life-suppressing, fun-denying and damaging force it usually was – which is why many forced to endure a childhood under it abandoned the faith later.]

  In addition to Sun, Saturn, Venus in Taurus, Mary Trump also had a late Aquarius Moon trine Pluto in late Gemini. Mary’s Pluto in late Gemini was conjunct Donald’s Gemini Sun and opposition his Moon so she would be a majorly controlling force. Her publicity-attracting Mars Neptune in Cancer was conjunct his Saturn Venus in Cancer – which is a weird crossover. Aggravated, evasive, difficult to pin down, almost perverse.  

  Melania’s Pluto in late Virgo is also in hard aspect to DT’s Sun and Moon so equally given to controlling tendencies. If Melania had an early morning birth she would also have a late Aquarius Moon though she does seem more like a Capricorn Moon.

  Donald’s Moon is 4^th house so he would tend to look to his father for security; and his Moon is opposition Uranus, trine Mars and inconjunct Saturn. His mother comes across as angry, erratic, not always available and cold. Which given her harsh background is hardly surprising but not healthy for an young child.

  Their relationship chart is not overly distressed though there is a yod of composite Saturn sextile Neptune inconjunct a 7^th house Moon with an excitable Mars trine a composite 10^th house Uranus. A lunar yod can be emotionally disorganised so he never developed the steadiness which comes from having a reliable early maternal bond. Uranus in the composite 10th hints at a relationship dynamic which set him off on a unique and wayward path. And the composite Uranus square Pluto on the composite Ascendant hints at an inherent pattern in the relationship with his mother which would give him an urge to constantly upend situations when he felt it threatened his image or control.

  Both his earlier wives had strongly aspected Saturns. Ivana had a Sun Mars in Pisces opposition Saturn – and Marla Maples, a Scorpio, had Saturn sextile Jupiter inconjunct Uranus Pluto.   Cool .

Mary Trump is eeriely alike Melania – or vice versa.

Trump’s spiritual adviser in the White House faith office – a bizarre concept at best – televangelist Paula White – speaks in tongues, has been accused by a Catholic theologian of blasphemy for comparing  Trump to Jesus Christ, and has also been accused of an alleged cash-for-blessings scheme. Even rightwing Christians describe her as “100% a false teacher”.

  She was born 20 April 1966 in Mississippi, with her parents splitting when she was five, her father then committing suicide and her mother became an alcoholic. She grew up in poverty  with caregivers who she said sexually and physically abused her. When she was 18 she converted to Christianity and claimed she had received a vision from God shortly after her. The church she started with her first husband eventually had a congregation of 20,000. An audit showed that it received $150 million from 2004 to 2006. It subsequently went bankrupt.

  She became Trump’s adviser after he saw her on a television show; and has been a constant factor through both of his administrations. She has been married three times, most recently to a rock band musician. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she promised “supernatural protection”,  though after a furore withdrew from the associated fundraiser.

In Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign she warned that “Christians that don’t support President Trump will have to answer to God.”   Unlike some other Christian nationalists she has been described as valuing Christian identity over racial identity and has surrounded herself with a racially diverse network. She is a proponent of prosperity theology = a belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God and that giving to charitable and religious causes will increase one’s material wealth. Material and financial success is seen as evidence of divine grace or favour and blessings, and the opposite, that of judgment.

  She has a determined and acquisitive Sun Mars in Taurus; with  Saturn conjunct Chiron and Venus in Pisces opposition Pluto Uranus widely square Jupiter. A focal point Jupiter will give her confidence and attract luck but has a tendency towards irresponsibility, restlessness and lack commitment.  Saturn conjunct Chiron – of which there was only one in the 20^th Century –  hints at an inner reservoir of guilt and shame. The father can be seen as weak or mentally ill and her father issues are where she is most wounded.

 Her Taurus North Node suggests a turbulent life as she is pulled back into the Scorpio South Node’s obsession with money and sex. Her spiritual redemption requires a return to nature and peace.

 Her 9^th harmonic is strong, linking Mars to Uranus Pluto, hinting at a ruthlessly determined opportunism; with self-aggrandisement from Jupiter. It can be philanthropic but if under-developed can give an undue attraction to money (+ Bernie Madoff) and irresponsibility.

 When she converted to Christianity in 1984 tr Pluto and tr Saturn were opposing her Sun and Mars for a major meltdown; and tr Neptune was opposition her focal point Jupiter. It probably saved her from a breakdown.

Her relationship with Trump is intertwined – with her North Node conjunct his Midheaven = her destiny tied into his career status; her Neptune conjunct his IC = the idealised father; and her Jupiter conjunct his Sun = she boosts his ego. Her assertive/aggressive Sun Mars falls in his ‘spiritual’ 9^th.

 Their relationship chart is incredibly strong with a composite Sun, Saturn, Mercury, Venus conjunction square a power-couple Jupiter Pluto. There may have been a few ripples of difference recently but not much showing ahead (without a birth time).

  Her relationship with the USA chart is a different matter – with a hostile composite Mars opposition Pluto – and an unstable, probably divisive Jupiter opposition Saturn which is being undermined this year by tr Saturn Neptune in hard aspect; and more so in 2027 as tr Uranus is conjunct the Sun for a possible separation.

  I am no believer and can never get my head round those who proclaim religious beliefs sanctimoniously yet act in a way that ordinary irreligious types wouldn’t consider remotely moral. Sigh, ’twas always thus.

And Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20)

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Melania Trump making a surprise plea for Epstein survivors to be given a congressional hearing and denying categorically that she had much contact with Epstein has sparked confusion about why she has spoken out, given that her husband was trying to distance himself from the scandal.  Commentators suggested she might be trying to get ahead of a story about to appear.  But overall there was bafflement.

 “What is Melania’s game? Is she a secret member of the resistance after all, driven to act now by Trump’s threat to wipe out Iranian civilisation and growing fears that he is descending into madness? Is there a smoking gun in the Epstein files that could yet bring him down? “

  What the astrology says is that her relationship with Donald is undergoing its greatest test since their marriage in 2005 with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun this month and moving onto a disruptive square to the Pluto this June, over the New Year and again in spring 2027. The power balance of their relationship will be altering significantly. There is also a sense of a meltdown between them in the later stages of June and again late year.

 Her birth time is not known but it is possible that tr Uranus is square her Sun/Moon midpoint around this year/next year (circa 5 Pisces) which also suggests a widening gap in their marriage. Their wedding chart from 22 January 2005 circa 7pm Palm Beach, Florida is being badly undermined now with the Solar Arc Sun conjunct Neptune; and under acute pressure from tr Pluto conjunct the Sun; and jolted by tr Uranus square the Uranus.

  From reports it seems to be a fairly distant marriage with her having negotiated a healthy settlement for their son Barron and presumably herself for future comfort. But there is definitely a seismic shift ongoing in their relationship at present.

 Born 26 April 1970 in Slovenia,  she is a security-conscious Sun Saturn in Taurus with Mercury Venus also in indulgent Taurus trine Pluto. Her Pluto squares DT’s Sun and Moon suggesting a relationship based on a power dynamic. The marriage may have started with her having to be ‘dutiful’ but as is often the case it may well have swung the other way recently with her taking more control. Tr Pluto is square her Sun this year and next so she will be undergoing a slow and challenging transformation. Tr Uranus was conjunct her Venus last month; opposes her Neptune by late this month and moves on to  conjunct her Mars from August onwards, all into 2027 – so there are considerable changes ongoing in her emotional outlook.

  Her relationship with Ivanka was chilly in Trump’s first term but may be better now with less competition for attention. Melania’s relationship with Donald Trump Jnr is horrendous with a composite Mars Saturn conjunction square Pluto, hinting at toxic dislike – and it will hit the skids in a major way in 2027/28 with tr Neptune has aspects to that square.

 Melania seems an unlikely renegade with her Sun Saturn in Taurus and no doubt a reason for her outburst will become clear. She undoubtedly mixed in the same social circles as Epstein/Maxwell early on in her relationship with Trump. And with Epstein’s Jupiter in Taurus conjunct her Saturn Sun she would be attracted to his wealth; his Pluto was also conjunct her Venus Mercury so he would be persuasive even if they only met at Palm Beach cocktail parties.

 She has even stronger astro-crossovers with Ghislaine Maxwell with GM’s Jupiter square Mel’s Sun Saturn; and GM’s Pluto conjunct Mel’s South Node.  It need not have translated into lived experiences other than passing social interactions – but intriguing to see what comes next.   

Please add below. Older posts under News on top bar or in search.

With a mystifying voter support from the religiously-minded and launching a war with high flown claims about morality and invocations about the historic ‘Crusades’ (mainly failures) it seems counter-productive for Trump to fall out with the Pope and the Catholic Church.

  As with so much else it makes no sense. But the Vatican are not taking it lying down. Pope Leo’s Easter message issued a sharp rebuke of war. And Archbishop Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services questioned the legitimacy of America’s war in Iran, arguing that it was likely not justified under Catholic teaching on legitimate defense by military means, sometimes called just war theory.

 Pope Leo, 14 September 1955, Chicago, Illinois, no birth time, is just the man to stand up to Trump since his Pluto is conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant; his Mars in Virgo is square DT’s Uranus; his Virgo Sun Venus are square DT’s Gemini Sun opposition Sagittarius Moon. His determined Saturn in Scorpio is square DT’s Mars/Pluto midpoint. And the Pope’s North Node opposes DT’s North Node = trains heading in opposite directions.

 Their relationship chart has been under considerable strain since last month with tr Uranus square the composite Mercury  and moving (across the midpoints) to square the composite Mars in July and again at the end of the year and into 2027. It will be a longish phase of high tension, ratty arguments with  eruptions of bad temper.

 The Vatican, 7 June 1929, has its Neptune in late Leo also conjunct DT’s Mars so it will be an evasive combatant for him – and a good deal more intelligent. Their Uranus squares his Mercury so will pierce holes in his claims; and their Mars is conjunct his Pluto for implacable opposition. His relationship with the Vatican has been on a slide since the final weeks of Neptune and Saturn in Pisces in January/February of this year – and the second half of this year will see quite a tussle for the upper hand.

 I am not normally a great fan of the Vatican but all power to them on this one.  

 The First Crusade was announced in 1095 with Pluto in early Aries. The last one in 1291 with Pluto in early Aquarius.

Wiki: The siege of Acre (also called the fall of Acre) took place in 1291 and resulted in the Crusaders’ losing control of Acre to the Mamluks. It is considered one of the most important battles of the period. Although the crusading movement continued for several more centuries, the capture of the city marked the end of further crusades to the Levant. When Acre fell, the Crusaders lost their last major stronghold of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

ADD ON: J.D.Vance, 2 August 1984 8.11 am Middletown, Ohio, has announced a new memoir centred on his conversion to Catholicism, adding to mounting speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 when he was 35, after being raised in a loosely evangelical family. His Catholic conversion has informed his positions on issues such as abortion and family policy, and he has in the past justified the White House’s deportation policies with his interpretation of Catholicism, using ordo amoris – “order of love” – to defend prioritising obligations to fellow citizens over outsiders.

 And how is that for timing!

   Pope Leo’s Pluto falls on his Ascendant as well Trump’s, so giving the Holy Father the ability to transform Vance’s image – in this instance not for the better, especially since it also squares V’s Mars in Scorpio making for a bitter standoff. The Pope’s Mars in Virgo is conjunct V’s Mercury for arguments; and the Pope’s Neptune is conjunct V’s Pluto as the pontiff’s spiritual status diminishes and confuses V’s power and influence.  

  Vance’s Neptune in final degree Sagittarius is square Scheat and has been buffeted about by tr Saturn Neptune in square recently. He also has Sedna, the dwarf planet, associated with betrayal and abandonment in his spiritual/religious 9^th house.

 Vance’s relationship chart with the Pope looks set to rock n’ roll even more as tr Uranus moves into Gemini late this month till mid May and squares the composite Sun – with further nervy interactions across the year end and more chaotic interactions in 2027.

  As old alliances are shattered, new ones are being cobbled together and not only in the Middle East. UK PM Keir Starmer is pursuing a “closer partnership” with the European Union, because of global volatility and economic pressures. He aims  to strengthen ties on trade, security, and energy

  The prospect will give Daily Telegraph readers a fit of the vapours and threaten to reopen the rancorous Brexit debate. While a full re-entry would almost certainly not be possible or even wanted (except by Sadiq Khan), it does come at a time when there is a significant shift on the UK/EU 1957 relationship chart. Tr Uranus will conjunct the composite Pluto in June and again late year into January 2027. Which suggests an upheaval and a turnaround. 

  At that point tr Uranus will also square the UK Pluto at 2 degrees Pisces so there will be a collapse of the older order and start of building anew. Interestingly the UK/USA chart relationship chart has tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus exactly now till late this June and again on and off till late 2027 – which hints at the same kind of upheaval but in reverse. As one goes down (no doubt temporarily until post-Trump) another comes together.

 When Brexit happened tr Pluto was square the UK’s 8^th house Aries North Node – and by next year the Solar Arc Pluto will oppose the UK North Node. A 7^th house Aries North Node is tricky since the need for relationships pulls against an equally strong need for independence.

 With the EU there will be constant revisions and adjustments through 2027 with tr Uranus square the composite UK/EU Uranus – so it won’t be seamless or smooth, but there will be a change in the present status quo.

 Relations with the USA will get fractious and explosively argumentative in the second half of May in particular with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Mars, and again in the first three months of 2027.

The world holds its breath after Pakistan brokered an unlikely pause in the Middle East conflict with the Trump bunker proclaiming mission accomplished. GW Bush declared the same years ago and the Iraq War dragged on for another 8 years.

  April was always going to be a fractious month with Mars moving into fiery Aries on the 9th, ratcheting up the aggro – though it comes round every two years so is not always a calamity. But this year there is a collection of planets already in Aries. First it crosses Neptune on the 12^th for a gulp of panic with plans not working out; then Mercury moves into Aries; a New Moon in Aries on the 17th is followed by an accident-prone and can-be-aggressive Mars conjunct Saturn on the 19^th which is associated with military action.

 Mars in Aries is a reckless act-first think-second energy, with a tendency to stir up arguments. It lacks tact and sensitivity for others’ feelings as it crashes ahead. More heat, less light. More haste, less speed. Though in mythology Mars, the god of war, was deemed a peacemaker.

  In addition, the New Moon on the 17th is conjunct Eris and Chiron in the day/two days before. Quite a congregation of planetary/Fixed stars and asteroids all linked.

 From previous Post: April – messages from the universe

1st April 2026

 Mercury in Pisces will conjunct Nessus on April 9th. Usually associated with deceit Nessus has a positive role, making us better equipped to deal with risks and cons. It might suggest the ‘negotiations’ in the Middle East and elsewhere are hindered by treachery and insincerity. Nessus is also linked with ancestral and collective trauma – unresolved issues passed down through family lines or cultural groups which like the Shirt of Nessus slowly poisons or wounds. On the upside it encourages individuals to stand up against injustice and toxic patterns to ensure the past does not repeat itself, demanding that these hidden wounds be given voice and visibility. Which certainly sounds accurate for the ancient blood feuds of the Middle East.

On the 9th Mars in Pisces is conjunct the Fixed Star Scheat, which generally is regarded as unfortunate, likely to occur with accidents, natural disasters and in this case because of combative actions.

On the 15th the Aries Sun is conjunct Eris, the dwarf planet, recognized for its similarities to Pluto. Although thought to be a force that disrupts, provokes and shatters illusions, it can also be a potent force for personal evolution.  Both conflict and catalyst, it highlights fractures that already exist. It calls for a stand against falsehoods and prompts a confrontation with uncomfortable truths. With awareness it brings a moment where it is crucial to challenge distortions and say ‘No More’.

 On the 16th the Aries Sun is conjunct the centaur asteroid Chiron which suggests that progress will not be made on the basis of pride, ego or ‘winning’. Healing can only come from a place of selflessness – which in a fight between alpha males, fuelled by ancient blood feuds and egged on by a rampant narcissist, may give the fates pause for thought.

 The Aries New Moon on the 17th pulls together with the Eris Chiron conjunction – with all four tied in a bow. At best it could point to new beginnings where there are enough voices saying ‘no more’ and healing of collective and generational trauma can begin. But that does seem to be a gigantic ask.

On Trump’s natal chart his Mercury in Cancer will catch the tr Mars and tr Saturn from April 22^nd square which is likely to provoke an angry outburst, followed by discouragement on his part as tr Saturn continues to square his Mercury. Tr Mars won’t get to square his Saturn Venus until just before mid May for another assault on his pride, denting his popularity. Later in May a Mars in Taurus square Pluto will bring more tensions and perhaps destructive events.

 On his midpoints he has tr Jupiter conjunct his Sun/Pluto midpoint exactly today as he exults in his ‘triumph’. Though also from today till near the month’s end he has a tricky tr Uranus opposition his Saturn/Neptune midpoint bringing painful circumstances, weakness appearing suddenly, perhaps illness, a strong streak of dissatisfaction and neurosis.

 Pete Hegseth has the same mix of euphoria with underlying panic and mental strain. His relationship with Trump may blow up in July and on with tr Uranus square their composite Mars Uranus conjunction.  

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister, took up the reins of his most recent and turbulent term in late 2022 as Israel faced a historic moment with a Nodal Return and Uranus in Taurus conjunct its Taurus Sun. I wrote at the time that Israel had  “turned its face against progress and doubled down on the worst of the past.”

 He was facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust as he headed the most rightwing administration in the country’s history, made up of Jewish ultranationalist and religious parties. He promised to overhaul the judicial system, accelerate settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and highlight Jewish identity in public life. These and other plans have drawn unprecedented criticism from the defence establishment, business community, education system, LGBT+ rights groups, legal officials.

  Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich, an ardent supporter of Jewish settlements, was made finance minister, with a second post in the defence ministry with sweeping administrative controls over the occupied West Bank.

     Itamar Ben-Gvir, convicted of incitement to racism in 2007 and a former disciple of the anti-Arab ideologue rabbi Meir Kahane, went in as national security minister with expanded powers over the Israeli police and responsibility for border police who operate in the West Bank. He advocated that that soldiers receive blanket legal immunity from prosecution. Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are sanctioned by the UK and other states for inciting settler violence.

 2022 had already seen Israeli forces kill more Palestinians in the West Bank than in any year since the United Nations began systematically recording fatalities in 2005, after the last major Palestinian uprising. The bloodshed has been blamed by Palestinian and Israeli rights groups and U.N. experts on Israel’s excessive use of force and open-fire rules as well as rising assaults by settlers in the West Bank.

 Since the Hamas 2023 attack, settler violence and expansion have reached record levels, often occurring with what observers describe as “near-total impunity” or with the support of Israeli state policies. Reports from 2025-2026 indicate that more than 93% of police investigations into settler violence in the West Bank were closed without indictment, and only 3% resulted in convictions. Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to military courts with a reported 99.74% conviction rate, whereas Israeli settlers in the same territory are subject to civilian courts.

  Benjamin Netanyahu, 21 October 1949 10.15 am Tel Aviv, Israel, has a Libra New Moon in his 11^th house square an acquisitive Jupiter in Capricorn in his financial 2^nd house; and sextile a bombastic Mars in Leo in his opinionated 9^th (conjunct Pluto). He has an idealistic and slippery Neptune conjunct Mercury in 10^th house; with his Mercury in an impulsive square to Uranus.

 He has the headstrong Antares on his Sagittarius Ascendant which can lead to destruction through obstinacy. His Chiron is in his 12^th suggesting he is trapped in an identification with the scapegoat and victim; with Chariklo nearby he will also be rooted in a sense of eternal suffering.

 The recent February Aquarius Solar Eclipse fired up his combative Mars; and the upcoming August Solar Eclipse conjunct his Pluto hints at a need to transform his outlook totally (though he could ignore the celestial tug and continue as before.)  His Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct his Midheaven exactly now (birth time being accurate and not rounded up) which could suggest a change of direction. Tr Neptune square his Uranus late May to mid August and again off and on into early 2028, will be nerve-stretched, perhaps even more fanatical. That tr Neptune at 4 degrees Aries does hit a variety of charts including the Israel country one and may be significant.

 His Progressed Mars will square his Uranus later this year into 2027 which will be a tremendous jolt and could be risky. But on the whole he looks in better shape than one might expect ahead – with a sprinkling of unfavourable midpoints this year, and more positive, successful ones in 2027. Where he will run into the buffers, if he is still around, will be by 2030 with his SA Mars square his Pluto.

  Tr Uranus will rattle up his relationship with Israel this month with a calamitous tr Uranus opposition the Mars/Saturn midpoint as the Iran offensive heats up; and gets another jolt as tr Uranus moves into Gemini in the second half of this May and repeating later. But for all that, it is a tight bond with no immediate signs of a separation.

 His relationship with the USA is a good deal more troubled right through this year into 2027; as indeed is Israel’s with the USA for several years ahead. 

 His bond with Trump with a composite Pluto, Saturn, Mercury, Sun, Mars is toxic, only capable of surviving if the white-hot/black anger is directed outwards. If their involvement in a war against others was knocked out of the equation and they turned on each other ???!!!  Wipe out. Again late May to end of August this year will prove a disappointment to them. Though it won’t end the friendship.

 Netanyahu’s 2022 Term chart has a yod of South Node sextile Sun inconjunct Mars – which fits with a regressive and aggressive/martial administration.

 Both Smotrich and Ben Gvir (without birth times) look relatively upbeat over the next two or three years. Though there may be cracks appearing with Netanyahu. No doubt they hope to supersede him at some point. Smotrich is an opportunistic Sun Pisces opposition Jupiter Mars conjunction which is being activated this year and in 2027.

  Ben-Gvir has a determined and adventurous Jupiter Venus in Taurus opposition Uranus which is being challenged and possibly boosted over the coming two or three years; with a super-confident, self-aggrandising Jupiterian yod inconjunct an ambitious Neptune sextile Pluto. He could be prominent towards late decade.

 An intriguing argument has been put forward about Israel’s long term future – that it is likely to turn into a ‘third-world economy’ because the fast-growing ultra‑orthodox Haredi community is under-educated, under-employed and refuses national service. The view is thought to be overblown but it is still true that the more educated, productive, entrepreneurial and tax-paying part of the population, which stocks the military, is growing far more slowly than the Haredi who at present number about 1.5 million people, or 14pc of Israel’s population. They typically marry young, have large families and their segregated schools focus on religious scripture, often at the expense of subjects such as maths and science. Few will go to university, and up to half of Israel’s Haredi men do not join the mainstream workforce.

Add On:  The head of the leftwing Democrats party, Yair Golan, said; “Netanyahu promised a historic victory and security for generations, and in practice, we got one of the most severe strategic failures Israel has ever known.” “It’s a total failure that endangers Israel’s security for years to come.”

The reality is that Netanyahu gambled everything on his war and in his failure to secure the fall of the theocratic regime, the seizure of Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, or meaningful state degradation, Israel’s global standing – already massively tarnished by its actions in Gaza, where it has been accused of committing a genocide – has been damaged.

 The fallout in terms of public opinion and diplomacy is likely to be even more serious for Netanyahu and Israel. In America, in particular, a political consensus dating back to the 1960s is visibly crumbling. Israel’s role in pushing Trump to war in Iran has been assailed by both progressives and Maga’s far right, while support for Israel more broadly is at historic lows even among Jewish voters.

“In a war with no winners, Netanyahu looks like the biggest loser
As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/08/war-with-no-winners-netanyahu-israel-iran-us-ceasefire