Astrology of Today’s News

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The shooting of an MIT physics professor at his home two days after two economics students were gunned down at Brown University, Rhode Island  has ended with the suspected gunman found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

  The assumption is that the shooter, Carlos Valente, 22 January 1977, Torres Novas, Portugal, had been a fellow student years before of Nuno Loureiro, the professor he killed, but their paths had diverged since then with one successful, the other not. Valente had studied at Brown 25 years ago.

 Valente was a Sun Aquarius, with a Saturn in wannabe important Leo in a can-be-autocratic square to Uranus, and a highs-and-lows square to Jupiter. He had a can-be-hostile Mars square Pluto as well as two yods – Mars in Capricorn sextile Venus inconjunct Saturn; and a wide-ish yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Jupiter. He would be lacking in self-esteem from Saturn, needing to mature if his actions were not to be self-defeating – and over grandiose with a stressed Jupiter.

He had been through an undermining phase recently with his Solar Arc Neptune conjunct his Sun so his morale would be low. And he may have had his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Pisces Moon, triggering his anger. The Libra Moon at the Brown University shooting was conjunct his Pluto triggering his Mars square Pluto as well.

  Brown University was founded 15 September 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island, with a Virgo Sun and South Node, square Mars in Sagittarius (conjunct Pluto) and trine Saturn in Taurus; plus Mercury opposition Uranus square Jupiter in Cancer. High vitality, high in the rankings and good at producing entrepreneurs.

  At the moment it has its Solar Arc Pluto exactly conjunct its Virgo Sun for a shuddering halt, all the more so with Solar Arc Mars following along behind in coming years; and tr Saturn Neptune square the Mars Pluto conjunction through 2026, with SA Neptune conjunct the Saturn in 2027 – the repercussions will be felt for a considerable time ahead.  The university Neptune is also catching tr Uranus in square until April 2026; with both Solar Eclipses of 2026 rattling its Neptune as well. So a confused and shaky time. At the shooting tr Mars was also conjunct its natal Mars for an added alert.

The last survivor of the Tulsa Massacre, the single worst incident of racial violence in American history which occurred in 1921, has died aged 111. Viola Ford Fletcher gave evidence to Congress in 2021 on the 100^th anniversary of the white supremacist attack on a prosperous Black community known as Black Wall Street, destroying hundreds of Black-owned businesses, churches and homes. 10,000 were left homeless and bodies were tossed into the muddy Arkansas River or dumped into mass graves, making it impossible to count the dead though a figure of 300 has been suggested. She also wrote a memoir Don’t Let Them Bury My Story in which she said she had suffered nightmares every night since she fled as a seven year old with her family, losing everything.

  The massacre was sparked by a rumour that a white woman had been assaulted by a young black shoe shiner though she denied it ever happened. After the massacre, ordinances were put in place that prevented residents from rebuilding their homes, and their insurance claims and lawsuits were denied, leaving almost the entire population homeless. Viola would never return to education and was forced to give up on her childhood dream of becoming a nurse.

 Viola Ford Fletcher, born 10 May 1914 Lawton, Oklahoma – some references say May 5^th but 10th fits best – was a Sun Taurus square Jupiter in Aquarius; with Mercury in Taurus on the focal point of a T square to Mars in Leo opposition Uranus. She would be optimistic and enthusiastic as well as lively and outspoken. With Venus Saturn conjunct in Gemini trine Jupiter Uranus and Pluto in Gemini trine Jupiter. Despite her experiences she did have luck and a positive outlook to keep her moving forward.

  The massacre starting at around 10pm 31 May 1921 in Tulsa, OK, had a transiting Mars square tr Saturn prominent which is one signature for assassination. Uranus was also in an opportunistic opposition to Jupiter and explosive square to the Sun (and later) Mars.

  The 5^th house Sun Mars in Gemini was square Uranus in Pisces in the financial 2^nd opposition Jupiter Saturn in Virgo in the 8^th. Resentment over a prosperous black community may have been one trigger with such a pronounced 2/8^th emphasis. As well as pointing to the damage caused which amounted to the equivalent of $32 million nowadays. 10,000 were left homeless and were never compensated which also fits Chariklo (eternal suffering) in the 4^th house. Viola and two other survivors did belatedly get a private donation in 2020 to make up for their wrecked lives.

 When the massacre happened Viola had an undermining and panicky tr Neptune conjunct her Solar Arc Mars and the same from her Solar Arc Neptune conjunct her Mars in the aftermath. The transiting destructive Mars square Saturn was impacting on her Saturn and Solar Arc Venus, pulling her away from security and friends. Remarkably little is registering at that point on the USA chart.

Inconceivable and witless even by today’s standards of reality-twisting – the Journal for Medical Ethics no less has printed a 9000 word essay from global academics proclaiming that objections to female genital mutilation are misplaced. It claims that laws banning FGM are “stigmatising” towards migrant communities and global efforts to end FGM are based on “racialised stereotypes” and “western sensationalism”. Neo-colonial is bandied about; with a suggestion that girls who have been forcibly mutilated are being “objectified as victims”.  

There has been a furious response from survivors, doctors and midwives outraged that a medical journal would minimise the massively-documented harms FGM causes which they fear could set back decades of progress.

More than 230 million girls and women around the world have had their genitalia mutilated, mostly in Africa, but also in parts of Asia and the Middle East, usually on historic religious or cultural grounds.

It is a barbaric and misogynistic practice aimed to remove sexual pleasure from women (and presumably thereby preventing them from straying from their controlling husband) and usually performed on young girls without anaesthetic.

  The Journal of Medical Ethics, founded in 1975 is part of the British Medical Journal Group whose first issue was published on 3 October 1840.

 The 1840 chart has a Leo Sun conjunct Alphard (the water serpent brings honours and danger by poisoning) with both conjunct the South Node. The Aquarius North Node will give it a tendency towards activism. There is also a bleak, can-be-cruel Fire Grand Trine of Mars South Node trine Saturn trine Pluto in Aries giving self-confidence and a hint of self-righteousness.

 At the moment there is a Solar Arc Jupiter square Mars with Solar Arc Neptune square the Jupiter. Mars Jupiter can be opportunistic, extremist and has a tendency to glorify fighting crusades to gain social approval. Jupiter Neptune is scandal-prone, tending to impractical idealism, lacking in discrimination.

  The BMJ midpoints hint at a nerve-stretched and turbulent few months ahead. Which is the least of what they deserve.

  It may not be quite as damaging a scandal as the Lancet in 1998 publishing Andrew Wakefield’s article linking the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism which set off more than two decades of distorted thinking about vaccines despite his findings being exposed as bogus.

 The Lancet, 5 October 1823, like the BMJ has a Libra Sun and Mars in Leo and similarly Jupiter Neptune aspects = purports to be balanced but blows its own trumpet without stopping to double check.

 When that scandal blew up their Solar Arc Neptune was square Pluto and their SA Uranus opposing Neptune.  So some similarities.

Leaving aside the Trump-friendly redactions and omissions in the latest partial Epstein file dump, Bill Clinton does not come out of it well – and not just because it is a skewed hit job on the Democrats.

 Born 19 August 1946 8.51am Hope, Arizona, he has a Leo Sun square an intense and pleasure-seeking 8^th house Taurus Moon. His late Leo Sun is conjunct Alphard Sun which is said to convey power and authority but tending to suffer through own acts and from enemies. Loss of honour. Others who have this placing include Roman Polanski, Nick Fuentes, Sean Penn, disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards.

  Clinton also has a glittery and charismatic collection in Libra in his first house of Mars, Neptune, Venus and Jupiter; with a lucky Jupiter trine Uranus sextile his Sun. His Moon is on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Jupiter sextile his Sagittarius South Node = emotionally disorganized, driven by impulses, over-confident and tending to give in to primitive desires.

  At the moment he does have tr Pluto opposition his Saturn until early January 2026 so will be gloomy and rather despairing though he must have known it was coming since that has been around since early 2024.

 Hillary, 26 October 1947 6.45pm Chicago, Illinois, is also under pressure with tr Pluto square her Scorpio Sun. She has been under considerable pressure over the past year plus with an additional Solar Arc Pluto Mars conjunct her Sun as the Biden debacle unfolded with the subsequent Democrat loss. She does look marginally cheered by 2027 with her Solar Arc Jupiter opposing her Saturn and square her Mercury.

 The million dollar question is why she stuck by Bill through his philandering years which were hardly a secret even before Epstein.

 His Sun falls in her domestic 4^th house conjunct her Saturn for an enduring family connection; with his charismatic Libra planets falling in her 5^th house of romance, fun and children so he would bring entertainment to the party.  Her Venus in Scorpio is square her Mars, Pluto, Saturn in Leo which hints at damaged emotional responses from childhood and possibly even a masochistic streak. Her 12^th house Taurus North Node is conjunct his 8^th house Moon which suggests a fated connection and one where she is conditioned to expect  rolling turmoil.

  Hillary’s late Pisces Moon is also conjunct the unfortunate Fixed star Scheat which hints at constant worry, a tendency to become controversial and to attract enemies known and unknown. Can be self-destructive.

  The embarrassment/humiliation must affect Chelsea,  their daughter, though like Hillary she must have long been aware of Bill’s inclinations. He became president when she was 13 which made for difficult teen years. His Sun falls close to her Midheaven so he would be instrumental in setting her career path and with his Moon closed to her Descendant would depend on her for support. But her relationship chart with him is aggravated with a composite Mars Pluto conjunction and a muddle of positive and negative aspects to their composite Sun. That chart looks undermined at the moment up till next April. Though his health is not great so it may not all be the Epstein tangle.

 Hillary’s Sun Venus, Jupiter fall in Chelsea’s 1^st house making her mother a role model; though there will be fractious moments with Chelsea’s Leo Moon being conjunct Hillary’s dogged Mars. Their relationship chart is easier and hints at an emotionally intense though also surprising 2026 with tr Pluto conjunct the composite Venus and tr Uranus conjunct the composite Moon.

 The Hill/Bill relationship chart is muted if not separated at the moment with tr Neptune Saturn opposing the composite Sun Mercury through till February 2026.

Can you sidestep fate? Is the course of events in our life predetermined? The imponderable question for astrologers.

   In Greek mythology, the Moirai or  Fates, were three sisters – the spinner, the allotter and the inevitable. Freewill was not an ancient concept. But the modern mind rejects a pre-ordained ‘destiny’ as a concept. In so far as it is considered at all, the general view is that individuals make their own choices.

  Below is a collection of random thoughts.

  Modern astrology takes an intermediate position. The birth chart, for reasons that are not understood, lays down the temperament, talents, family dynamics and the likely path that lies ahead. Following Carl Jung’s theory – that of which we are unconscious meets us on the outside as if it were fate – psychological astrology says that with more self-awareness, there is greater freedom of decision and the ability to direct events (or avoid troublesome ones.)  

 Though this raises other unanswerable questions. Can anyone become so enlightened they only live out the positive aspects of their chart, thereby ducking fate/negative events  altogether? Nope. Some have inter-generational family issues that can take several lifetimes to work out.

  Why are some individuals temperamentally inclined (or elbowed by events) into becoming more conscious, while others live a life stubbornly unaware that there are choices – and remain blown around by the celestial winds of their deeper unconscious.  

 Is it fair to blame people for attracting negative events? What could have been done differently?

  Astrologers do have tools at their disposal to suss out in advance what is likely to happen within limits since predictions are about possibilities and not set in concrete.

 As an example:

 Years ago I was invited onto a cruise starting in Greece and heading for Turkey, Israel, Egypt. Since my (can-be-ominous) Pluto Midheaven line runs through Greece I was marginally anxious but on checking my transits nothing potentially dangerous  flagged up. In the event we were in Egypt two days before the Luxor Massacre in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt which killed 62 tourists. The Tel Aviv visit was overshadowed by heavy security presence since it was the anniversary of Rabin’s death. I returned unscathed though blinking slightly. The risk was there but did not affect me directly. Had my transits indicated accidents and danger as well as the astrocartography I would probably not have gone.

 But most people do not have the tools or the time – and anyway I have always insisted that astrology should not be the sole decision maker otherwise you end up a neurotic wreck double checking every minutiae.

 A more tragic example is the actress Natasha Richardson, killed in March 2009 after falling when skiing in Canada and banging her head.  She was born 11 May 1963 5pm London and had an 8^th house Taurus Sun on the focal point of a T square to a can-be accident prone Mars in Leo opposition Saturn – with Saturn in her sporting 5^th house. Relocated to Mont Tromblant, Quebec to where the accident happened her Mars opposition Saturn was brought into sharp relief, with Mars sitting on the Ascendant opposition Saturn on her Descendant in the 7^th. That might have flagged up a worry especially since it was magnified up by a destructive tr Pluto square her Solar Arc Mars. Plus a jolting SA MC conjunct her Uranus and an explosive (though minor) tr Mars opposition her Uranus. So tricky place and tricky aspects proved calamitous.

  Tragedies happen and it is ghoulish as well as distasteful to suggest they could have been avoided. And yet and yet, there are indicators.

 The other approach is to say that a lifestyle has to be chosen to fit the chart. A high-pressure, high-risk chart needs to walk a path that lives out the individual’s temperament. Marie Colvin, the war correspondent, and Christine Lagarde, of the IMF/EU Central Bank, both with Mars Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto chose to live out those truly difficult energies. Admittedly Marie Colvin was assassinated in her late fifties in Syria. But had either of them attempted to stay a suburban housewife existence their lives would have been riven throughout with disputes and hostility.

 Bruno Bettelheim, the child psychiatrist, worked at one point with a violent boy patient, who after a good deal of therapy did moderate his behaviour. As an adult he worked in the New York stock market. Bettelheim said he regretted that his former patient had chosen such a conflict-ridden job. Yet it suited his temperament. His Mars may have been turned in more constructive directions but it still existed at an elevated level. He was never going to turn into a nine-to-five  automaton or a softie. He needed thrills, excitement and adrenaline-rushes.

 Jung again:  Freewill is the ability to choose to do what we must – puts it a different way. You are who you are. Accept it and get on with it.

  Another personal story. When I left London to live in France in October 2001, it was an insane leap if I look back on it. Furniture, cats and me. Only later did I reflect it had happened on transiting Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto = bleak, deprived, hardship, war – which was colliding with my Gemini Moon Uranus and squared my Virgo Sun. The astrology in advance would have seemed scary and deeply depressing. In the event it turned into a great and crazy adventure.  Reflecting on the  astrology what seems important to ask was what would have happened if I had stayed.  Then I suspect the full discouraging weight of Saturn Pluto would have landed on me.

   It indicates that the choices you make even with difficult influences can turn positive. Well I say choices but I am not sure everyone (most) would have made that ’choice’ and I can hardly claim credit for it. Having a super-charged Uranus was handed to me at birth with all its concomitant problems but it made the move possible.

 Fate and freewill – a riddle within a riddle. Choices matter. But is freedom of choice (or self-awareness) a given to all temperaments, never mind to individuals born into certain environments?  My experience would say not.

  No great conclusions except that life ain’t fair. Some are luckier than others. Comments welcome.

Carlos Alcaraz, ranked No 1 in men’s tennis single, has astonished the sporting world by splitting from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero who has nurtured him since 2018 through all six of his Grand Slam titles. There are no clear reasons given and Ferrero clearly did not want the separation.

 Alcaraz, born 5 May 2003 3am Murcia, Spain, comes from a tennis playing family, with some suggestions his father may have been behind the split. Alcaraz has a quick witted 3^rd house Taurus Sun and Mercury square a publicity-attracting Mars Neptune in Aquarius on his Ascendant opposition Jupiter so fairly ego-centred and confident; as well as enduring and stubborn. With so much Fixed energy he will not appreciate too much change.

  He also has a cool, hard-working Moon Saturn in Gemini in his sporting 5^th house opposition Pluto, so there will be an element of family control/possessiveness in his life.

 At the moment tr Uranus is moving across his IC in late Taurus which completes an entire Uranus cycle with Ferrero which started in 2018 with Uranus in late Aries. Uranus moving into his 4^th does suggest a pull away from the past and an emotional upheaval. Tr Saturn was also recently square his Saturn Moon which again suggests a shift in his emotional and competitive outlook. Plus next year sees his tr Uranus square Uranus which is also often a rebellious time of pulling away from childhood. And he has his Solar Arc Uranus square his Moon two years back and then square his Saturn by 2027 – so yet more pressure to step back from restrictive relationships.

  I cannot find his father’s birthdate but I would not have been surprised if he had (and might ahead) pull away from certain family ties. Though with his Moon tied into a Saturn opposition Pluto he will be fairly chained in.  

  Ferrero, 12 February 1980, Spain, has his Aquarius Sun in Alcaraz’s 1^st house giving his image a boost. His enthusiastic Mars Jupiter in Virgo is trine Alcaraz’s Taurus Sun for an uplifting and motivating link. He also has his Uranus conjunct Alcaraz’s Midheaven so would change the course of Alcaraz’s life. But perhaps the connection being Uranian would not have been expected to last for ever.

  His relationship chart with Alcaraz is super-intense and high-powered with a determined composite Mars Pluto square Jupiter; plus a friendly and serious Sun Venus trine Saturn; and a highly-strung Mercury square Uranus Neptune. Not always easy but it clearly worked.

  Alcaraz ahead has tr Jupiter moving through his 6^th in the immediate future = good for health and work, then tr Jupiter rises above his Descendant until it reaches a successful 2030 – and before then in 2028/29 tr Pluto square his Mars/Jupiter midpoint should bring positive results. But this coming year in 2026 looks a touch confused, uncertain and not productive. The transition may be tricky to handle and bring results. 

The Winter Solstice marking the ingress of the Sun into Capricorn on December 21^st in the northern hemisphere is the shortest day and longest night. Since prehistoric times it has been a significant time of year in many cultures, marked by festivals and rites. Ancient monuments such as Newgrange, Stonehenge, and Cahokia Woodhenge are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice.

 Capricorn associated with Janus, the Roman god, is two faced – not duplicitous, but looking back to the old year and facing up to the new. Which mirrors the astrological glyph for Capricorn, combining two opposites – the goat able to climb mountains and the fish swimming in the ocean.

 Days may be short and the temperature low, but in olden times livestock were often slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a plentiful supply of fresh meat was available. Less light, more food.

 Whether or not the ingress chart for the Winter Solstice or other Cardinal Ingresses are enlightening is questionable.

 This one has Pluto trine Uranus in late Taurus sextile Neptune (Saturn) and Jupiter trine Neptune Saturn, sextile Uranus which is much the same information as can be gleaned from eclipse charts. Plus a Sun Mars conjunction; and Venus square Neptune Saturn.

This ingress does have the warlike Mars MC through Venezuela which may be significant.

Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, has been wrong-footed when her bizarrely outspoken comments about senior members of the administration were published in Vanity Fair. Her lame excuse was she thought her conversations were for a book, and didn’t expect the writer to quote her so extensively. Despite rapid denials and the usual obfuscations from the White House, the conversations appear to be on the record. Vance she dubbed a conspiracy theorist whose conversion to MAGA was politically self-serving. Musk was odd and addicted to ketamine; Pam Bondi messed up over the Epstein saga. And Trump had ‘an alcoholic’s personality’ with a penchant for vengeance.

 Born 14 May 1957, she is a long-time political consultant and lobbyist, who led Trump’s fundraising apparatus, since 2021 and was a co-campaign manager for the 2024 election.

  A determined, stubborn and controlling Sun Taurus square Pluto, she has a wide-ish yod of Mercury in Taurus sextile Mars inconjunct Saturn in Sagittarius. Such a Saturnine yod can be self-defeating if not well handled. Her Uranus is square Mercury, square Neptune and trine Saturn. What is curious is the juxtaposition of Fixed Pluto contrasting with a wayward Uranus. All personalities have contradictory traits but hers seem more marked.

 Her Taurus Sun falls on Trump’s Midheaven so she is well suited to furthering his career, but her Pluto on his Ascendant and conjunct his Mars contains the seeds of problems with her trying to control his image and getting resentful (however discreetly) with his bombastic attention-seeking. Her Mars in Cancer is conjunct his Mercury for arguments; and her Uranus is conjunct his 12^th house Pluto for a potentially destabilising effect – or arguably for letting his dark secrets emerge from hiding.

 Her Sun is also exactly conjunct the Inauguration (Trump Second Term) Uranus hinting she may not be entirely behind his wayward, upset-the-applecart and delete-the-past initiatives.

 Her chart is badly rattled at the moment with a panicky Solar Arc Neptune conjunct her Mars and a turbulent SA Pluto square her Uranus also now; plus a catastrophic tr Pluto opposition her Mars/Pluto midpoint this month till early January 2026. It won’t get easily swept under the carpet.

 Her relationship chart with Trump has a hint of froideur in late January 2026 but it will be June 2026 onwards when the real upsets take place.

 Needless to say J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio are distancing themselves from her; ditto Bondi.

  How naïve can she/they be? I did not expect to be quoted! Really??

  Renowned and popular director and actor Rob Reiner has been killed along with his wife, mother of his four children, in a suspected double homicide in Hollywood. He came to prominence as Mike “Meathead” on the CBS sitcom All in the Family in the 1970s, and appeared in Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club, Primary Colors and The Wolf of Wall Street amongst others. He also directed When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and The Shawshank Redemption amongst many others.

 Born 6 March 1947 10pm New York, with a well-known actor father and mother, he had a filmic Pisces Sun and Mercury in his entertaining 5^th house opposition a Virgo Moon and square an 8^th house Uranus, making him inspired and innovative in directing and writing, as well as a talented performer. He had an influential and controlling Pluto on his Midheaven conjunct Saturn opposition Venus in Aquarius. 

  A communicative though hidden Air Grand Trine of a 12^th house Neptune trine Venus trine an 8^th house North Node, was formed into a Kite by Venus opposition Saturn, making Saturn his driving planet.

 His Saturn was being massively assaulted astrologically around now with tr Pluto in opposition (conjunct Venus), with his Progressed Mars being square his Saturn exactly and his Progressed Moon was conjunct his Saturn. Any one of those would be challenging but all together it would be over whelming. Tr Pluto opposition Saturn is depressing and heavy going. Progressed Mars square Saturn is high-risk and destructive, accident-prone and short tempered; with his Progressed Moon adding another layer of woe.

  His 5^th house Pisces Sun and Virgo Moon were also bring triggered by the September Lunar Eclipse at exactly the same degrees. The 5^th house rules children as well as creativity and entertainment.

  According to press reports his son Nick has been taken into custody and charged. Though nothing has been proved so comments should be reserved until there is a legal verdict.

Ten years ago there was a drama which documented Nick’s long struggle with addiction. Nick co-wrote the script with a friend from rehab, inspired by their experiences, while Rob directed the movie, drawing from what he went through as a father. In it the son resents the harsh way his father and mother are treating his addiction, with mandatory stints in rehab. At the end the  father issues an apology for the sometimes-unsympathetic way he treated his son.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rob-reiner-nick-reiner-being-charlie-movie-1236450528

 Nick Reiner, 14 September 1993 is a Sun Virgo in an excitable trine to Uranus Neptune in Capricorn, sextile a determined Pluto in Scorpio. His Pluto is also on the focal point of a Fixed T square to Venus in Leo opposition Saturn in Aquarius – so an overloaded Pluto in Scorpio. His highly strung Uranus Neptune are also square a volatile and overly-impulsive Mars Jupiter conjunction in Libra. It is a chart that is spilling over with exuberant energy and immensely intense, battened down and repressed at the same time.

 His Solar Arc Mars is conjunct his Pluto exactly now which pulls together his two central configurations by Solar Arc which usually points to a life-changing moment – and Mars Pluto certainly indicates anger, frustration, high-risk. Whether or not he was involved the brutal slaying of his parents, it would have a enormous effect.

  But nothing is proved until it is proved in court.

 The Hollywood chart is also showing shock and fear from this tragedy with the Solar Arc Mars conjunct Saturn now and the Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the South Node for a shocking event on home territory.

ADD ON: Astrologically speaking Rob Reiner and Trump were always going to be at cross purposes with RR’s Full Moon square Trump’s wayward Uranus in the 10^th. RR’s Mars was close to Trump’s Descendant for arguments and a fiery chemistry. RR’s Midheaven Pluto was conjunct Trump’s Pluto for a tug of war.

 That translated in the relationship chart into a struggle-for-the-upper-hand composite Sun opposition Jupiter square Pluto.

 Psychologically speaking it is Trump’s narcissism arguably inflating towards dementia. The narcissist can’t bear not being centre of attention – so inserts themselves into whatever scenario is ongoing – and in Trump’s case that embraces all headline news stories. He also harbours a cauldron of spite and hatred for anyone who stands against him. So sympathy for a murdered Rob Reiner is beyond his capability.

Odd thoughts from psychoanalytic literature on delusional narcissism.  

London psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas talks simultaneously of the pervert and the fascist as if they were interchangeable. He speaks of the “empty heart of the pervert”  – “On the verge of a moral vacuum, the mind splits off [its] dead core self and projects it into a victim” who then becomes “a disposable nonentity.”  The profoundly destructive processes are then denied by a form of delusional narcissism. There is a false idealization of the self, a delusional grandiosity in the perpetrator.

     The pervert/fascist mind purges itself of what it has contained. “The cleansing of the self suggests the possible birth of a new, forever empty self to be born …. with no past (which is severed) and with a future entirely of its own creation.”

Janine Chasseguet-Smirgel, the French analyst, writes eloquently both about perversion and group delusion. “He who does not think “she writes” as the group does is excluded, harassed, killed or declared insane.”

     The same process of denigration, character assassination, caricaturing is further described by Christopher Bollas, talking about The Fascist State of Mind –  one which he says “entertains no doubt or uncertainty”. Distortion of the views of opponents to render them less intelligible and credible is the first move. They have to be discredited because no separation of view is possible from the accepted one.