Astrology of Today’s News

Mark Rowley has taken over as the new London Metropolitan police commissioner with a remit to root out “unacceptable behaviour at all levels, including misogyny, racism and homophobia” and corrupt officers. Repeated crises recently led to it being judged to be so poor it was placed into special measures. Public confidence crashed in the last five years under Cressida Dick with demands from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor, to radically reform and drop its defensiveness.

Scandals that rocked the Met include a serving officer Wayne Couzens kidnapping, raping and murdering Sarah Everard in March 2021 and scandals over hate messages exchanged between officers on social media platforms, some bragging about violence against women, some overtly.

 Born 4 November 1964, Birmingham, (Companies House), Rowley was grammar school and Cambridge educated, and former Counter Terrorism chief.

  He is a Sun, Moon, Neptune and Mercury in Scorpio with a tough Mars in Leo opposition Saturn in Aquarius square Mercury opposition Jupiter in Taurus. He’s not one for bending in the breeze which in the right circumstances will give him endurance and staying power but will mean he lacks flexibility at times. His prominent Neptune is a concern since it also turns up in his Term chart from today with a Sun opposition Neptune which doesn’t altogether suggest a decisive, surgical approach to cutting out the rot.

  The Metropolitan Police was founded 29 September 1829 with a Sun Libra opposition Pluto and Venus in Scorpio – his Sun is conjunct the Met Venus and his Venus conjunct the Met Sun – so a friendly connection which may not do the needful. Soft love won’t solve the problem.

  The Met is running into a total gridlock by late 2023/early 2024 as its Solar Arc Mars is conjunct Pluto. Indeed its woes are in place now with Solar Arc Mars opposing the Sun. Though, looking on the bright side, that could be because of the reputational damage caused by corruption being exposed. Gets worse before it gets better is the hopeful interpretation.

 His relationship chart with the Met will be, not surprisingly, rattled through 2023 and undermined. The pressure will also be on with Sadiq Khan with whom he has a reasonable but changeable relationship. Liz Truss looks less than enthusiastic with tr Neptune opposing and undermining their composite Venus, Sun, Pluto conjunction.

  Poor old UK – everything is in flux with no certainties in the foreseeable future.  

Accession or Coronation chart? Which is the key marker? Birth versus baptism might be a reasonable analogy and looking back it does seem the Accession chart is the relevant one. Accession happens the moment the old monarch dies and there is usually a proclamation on the same or next day with a coronation some months later.

Queen Elizabeth 1 was handed the Royal baton when her half-sister Mary died on 17 November 1558 JC at 6am and her Coronation came on 15 January 1559 JC circa 7.30am.

  Her death on 24 March 1603 JC at 2.30am most clearly affected the Accession chart with the tr Neptune in Virgo opposition Venus square Saturn in Sagittarius in hard aspect to the Sun square Pluto opposition Midheaven. On the Coronation chart there is not much showing at that point.

  Queen Victoria acceded on the death of William IV in the early hours of 20 June 1837 with a Coronation on 28 June 1938 around 12noon. When she died on 22 January 1901 at 6.30pm in Ryde, England, on the Accession chart tr Neptune was approaching a conjunction to the Sun and tr Saturn (Venus )in Capricorn were trine the Mars and sextile the Uranus with again less showing on the Coronation chart.

 In Elizabeth 11’s case she acceded sometime over night into the 6 February 1952 and was proclaimed Queen at 5 pm that day. Her Coronation was on 2 June 1953 at circa 11.20 am.

  When she died the transits to the Accession chart were starkly obvious with the rock-solid Aquarius Sun opposition Pluto being hard-aspected by tr Saturn (Moon) square Uranus North Node causing a massive upheaval and a dead-halt.  The Coronation chart had some hints but was nothing like as clear.

The time of the Queen’s death is recorded as 3.10pm  which will be the chart of Charles 111’s Accession. It is less problematic than the Proclamation chart. Though it could be divisive/argumentative with Mars close to the Descendant and preachy with such an opinionated 9th and communicative 3^rd house. Intense Pluto and Saturn in Aquarius in the 3rd along with a muddled Neptune will make for stubborn insistence on beliefs. Plus the marginally autocratic Saturn square Uranus – it could be high-handed. A much-travelled Sun Venus in the 9th and along with Mercury suggest a good deal of foreign travel.

  What is noteworthy if perhaps a touch previous is that the Fixed Moon Saturn square Uranus on his Accession chart will be upended by tr Pluto in Aquarius across the mid 2030s  which is the point at which Princes William will be at a crossroads. The Eclipse Saros cycle on the day he was born ends in 2036, leading some astrologers to suggest he could be the last monarch.  Charles will be 88 then and labouring under tr Pluto square his Scorpio Sun.

Add On: The present Royals are part of the Hanoverian Monarchy which moved onto the throne on 1 August 1714 with the coronation of King George 1. That chart s equally coming to a grinding halt in the mid 2030s with the Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the Mars for the first time  and tr Pluto opposing the Leo Sun. Even before then the late 2020s sees the Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the Pluto which will put up warning flags. 

Giorgia Meloni, a right-wing adherent of pro-Mussolini politics, is riding high in the polls for the September 25^th election. Pundits say if she fulfils the predictions she should have enough to form a coalition to  become Italy’s first female prime minister. Her next hope would be to transform Italy from a parliamentary republic, ruled since the war by a series of short-lived, unstable coalitions, into a directly elected presidency, similar to France.

 In Italy Mussolini is not regarded as repellent as Hitler, and Meloni insists her policies are not pro-fascist but centre-right. Her party’s policies include a tougher line on immigration, opposition to gay adoption and abolition of the “citizenship wage” — a guaranteed basic income.

  Born 15 January 1977 6pm Rome (from  memory), she is a hard-working, ambitious 6^th house Capricorn Sun trine a lucky, successful Jupiter in Taurus in her 10^th. She has a Yod of Saturn sextile Pluto inconjunct an 8^th house Venus in Pisces; and another sort-of Yod from Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct the Black Moon. With the Black Moon also tied into a T square opposition Uranus square Saturn in Leo.  And her Chiron is conjunct her South Node in Aries – a complicated lady with fated path in life. Ultimately successful but with twists and turns and setbacks along the way.

 She’s looking marginally deflated across the election until late October and indeed beyond with tr Neptune conjunct her Sun/Jupiter midpoint and then opposition her Saturn/North Node midpoint. She will hit a patch of good fortune from 8^th November till December 3^rd – so coalition wrangles may prove successful. Though she’ll have to have it done and dusted before early December since thereafter she’s into a run of catastrophes and calamities.

 Jupiter crosses her Midheaven from May 2023 onwards till late 2024 which should see her forging ahead triumphantly. 2024/25 will be years of surging confidence. And Saturn is heading for her peak from 2027 lasting for several years thereafter.

  She’s certainly ambitious though there’s no saying she would win a presidential election even if she did manage to get the two thirds majority to push it through.    

Charles 111 was proclaimed King at 10.04 am this morning in London on the exact Full Moon conjunct Neptune. This sounds indecisive, unstable, overly dewy-eyed. Except that the Full Moon is the fulcrum of a determinedly practical and business-like Earth Grand Trine of Virgo Sun trine Uranus (North Node) in Taurus trine Pluto. It won’t be easy to integrate two such divergent energies and Moon Neptune in Pisces as the driving planets are not instantly obvious as helpful or constructive.

  There will be arguments with Mars in Gemini in the 8^th over money amongst other things with Mars square Venus and trine Mercury.

 Uranus Node in the 7^th doesn’t leap out as cooperative or supportive of relationships, quite the opposite. Uranus Saturn can be autocratic and with Saturn in the 4^th it may point to family tensions.

  The other point of interest is the Black Moon conjunct the Midheaven in the 10^th which could give him the ‘ desire to accomplish great things in order to prove to a parent that he is worthy of love.’ It can lead to an obsession with living up to expectations by making a difference, so driven and ambitious, not wanting to settle for mediocrity. Making an impact will be important to him, stemming from a fear of failure in the public eye, scared of what others might think. Wanting to be an influential person and in control.

  It is a very different chart to the Queen’s Accession at 5 pm on 6 February 1952 which had an unbudgeable – and unfathomable – Pluto on the Ascendant opposition an Aquarius Sun. Plus a lucky and highly active Jupiter tied into a resourceful Cardinal Grand Square. Her Coronation chart of the following year has relatively similar traits with a prominent Jupiter and plenty of Cardinal signs for initiative.

  It’ll be quite a baptism of upheavals for him over the next two years which he won’t find easy with a Scorpio Sun square a 1^st house Pluto and a Taurus Moon.  He’s Fixed in a different way to his mother and lacks her ramrod straight devotion to duty and responsibility. His Saturn falls in his 2^nd house of personal finances which I have never quite understood since traditionally it means caution around money and he seems to be profligate at a personal level and less than rigorous when it comes to eliciting charitable donations. [Mind you Sarah Ferguson also has Saturn in her 2^nd and is a complete klutz when it comes to money, reckless and irresponsible.]

  Tr Uranus is tugging at his Pluto, turning his life upside down this year and early in 2023; with a sense of cutting away from the past as tr Saturn squares his Sun this year as well. Tr Uranus follows behind to oppose his Sun from July 2023 on into 2024 which will involve another set of disruptions. Plus a run of calamities from January 2023 onwards, on and off till late 2024, as tr Pluto squares his Mars/Saturn midpoint and last but not least tr Pluto will square his 10^th house Moon from late March 2023, on and off till late 2024, which will bring immense professional and personal pressures and challenges, prompting/forcing him to change.

  But for all that Jupiter will move across his Midheaven from March 2023 onwards for a year which may coincide with his coronation and will bring success in the months following. And tr Saturn is aiming for his peak from late 2026 onwards for several years – so if he overcomes the hurdles he should move steadily ahead after that.

  His relationship chart with the UK is a good deal trickier than his mother’s. There’s Pluto on the Midheaven opposition Mercury square Saturn which does suggest arguments over control and direction and a good deal of stubbornness – plus an affectionate Sun Venus conjunction. His determined Scorpio Sun squares the UK’s 11^th house Saturn which suggests he and parliament may be at cross purposes – which was always the fear expressed in Michael Dobbs’ House of Cards sequel To Play the King.  

A trooper to the end, the Queen lived up to her Saturnine Midheaven by swearing in a new Prime Minister two days before she died. An unrelenting sense of old-fashioned duty saw her through seven decades on the throne. She was described as the ‘keystone’ for the UK which gives a pointer to the void she leaves between for a country already in a turmoil of uncertainty.

The time of death was given as 2.37pm by Lady Colin Campbell but is yet to be confirmed.

  At the moment her obsessively conscientious Saturn in Scorpio on her Midheaven which gave her cast-iron resolve was being softened and undermined by Solar Arc Neptune conjunct to within minutes of a degree with Solar Arc Jupiter in opposition. Her Progressed Moon was exactly conjunct her Mars, perhaps a hint of the suddenness of her passing.

  Her Coronation chart, 2 June 1953 11.20 am London, was also being undermined this year by tr Neptune square the Mars Mercury. And the Solar Arc Pluto was opposition the Venus for an emotional ending. The Midheaven around 18 Taurus was also in the line of fire of the history-changing tr Uranus Node Node in Taurus which picked up in early August.   

  Prince Charles, 14 November 1948 9.14 pm London, was always due for a challenging crisis in a crossroads year with the approaching October Scorpio Solar Eclipse opposing his 10^th house Moon North Node in Taurus. The 10^th house Moon fits him for a public career. An eclipse opposing the Moon will bring emotional shocks and relationship tensions. The astrologer Robert Jansky writes: ‘Under this transit mama’s boys suddenly find their manhood’. He also has his Solar Arc Mars opposition Saturn, which can often accompany a death.

  Tr Saturn is also squaring his Sun this year and tr Uranus opposing it in 2023 and squaring his Pluto this year and next – so his life is in an upheaval. With a fair amount of panic ongoing as his Solar Arc Neptune opposition his Solar Arc Midheaven is sitting on top of his Jupiter opposition Uranus – a hint of not only his anxiety about whether he is man enough for the job, given his 4^th house Neptunian father; but also the effect his new role will have in squelching his adventurous streak. Tr Saturn is heading for his 8^th house from February 2023 for two years which will throw him back on his own emotional resources and could be a testing time.   Even more significantly tr Pluto will square his 10th house Moon from late March 2023, on and off till late 2024, which will be emotionally anguished and very pressured career-wise and in his personal life.

 The UK chart has a Solar Arc Pluto square the Capricorn Sun at the moment, a hint of the paralysis that comes as old structures are dismantled and before the new structures can be put in place. The last time there was a hard Solar Arc Pluto to the Sun was in 1929 during the Stock Market Crash; and the time before was over the Coronation of Queen Victoria, still in her late teens.

  When Queen Elizabeth 1 died in 1603, having reigned for 45 years, tr Uranus was in Taurus as now and the North Node was in late Scorpio. When Victoria died in 1901 after 63 years on the throne the North Node was also in late Scorpio. Now as Elizabeth 11 goes the North Node is in mid Taurus.   

All a bit astro-heavy but covers the basics and no doubt there will be much more anon as the ripples spread out.

The Duchess of Cambridge sails serenely on, wreathed in smiles, always elegant, a fulfilled mother and wife, morphing effortlessly into the challenging role of future consort. Yet she has a beyond-difficult chart.

  Born 9 January 1982 7pm (from memory) Berkshire, she has a sociable and ambitious 5^th house Capricorn Sun which opposes a friendly and family-oriented 11^th house Cancer Moon. So she was born at the time of the Full Moon, usually an indication of temperamentally incompatible parents which leaves the offspring constantly pulled between their head and their heart, unable to decide what they want.

  However in her case the Full Moon is pulled together by a formidable collection of Mars, Saturn, Pluto in Libra. That would leave precious little leeway for young Kate to express or even know what either her head or her heart wanted for herself. Her mother Carole from all accounts was hellbent on producing perfect daughters and ones who would have a chance of elevation through a marriage of rank and money.

 Carole Middleton is a Sun Aquarius with a beyond-stubborn Pluto opposition Mercury square Saturn in Scorpio. But she and Kate do get on well with Carole’s Sun conjunct Kate’s Venus, Carole’s Jupiter conjunct Kate’s Moon and opposition her Sun and their relationship chart isn’t too alarming.

  There’s no doubt a backbone of reinforced steel is needed to withstand a Royal lifestyle and the capability of suppressing personal needs in favour of public smiles – which Kate’s Venus Mercury in Aquarius square Jupiter in Scorpio is custom built for.  So a stamina-building, selfless childhood was probably a necessity.

  She’s moving into a hard-working and responsible fourteen years ahead with tr Saturn rising above her Descendant, hitting her eight year peak from 2028 onwards. Even before then Jupiter moving across her Midheaven from June 2023 for a year will see her glowing with confidence and attracting praise and success. She’s out of what has been an exceptionally tough few years with first tr Uranus in Aries and then tr Pluto in Capricorn hammering at her Mars, Sun, Moon, Saturn and Pluto and marriage significator Sun/Moon midpoint since 2012/13 – starting with the birth of Prince George. The last and final push is on till early this December with tr Pluto square her Pluto – and after that it will be less pressured.

 Though she is running into her midlife crisis (38 to 42) with the Neptune square Neptune at the moment and tr Uranus opposing her Uranus in 2026. In her case this may be more significant, since my experience of women with Sun Pluto hard aspects, is that often they don’t come into their own and empower themselves until into their forties. They pull away from their younger submissive selves and take control. So a different facet of Kate may emerge.

  Though what may pull against that marginally is her Progressed Mars going retrograde in January 2024 which often coincides with a time when there is less ability or motivation to be assertive. It can accompany a setback or a drop in vitality but could also be the walls of the monarchy closing in on her as she buckles down for the marathon ahead.

  She will have to look after her health with Pluto moving through her 6^th and crossing her Mercury and Venus ahead.  

  There is a great deal more to her than meets the eye and indeed possibly more in her than she is conscious of since she learned early on to bury a good deal of her individuality.

 In marrying Prince William she found a partner with a similar emotional background since his Cancer Moon squares Mars and his Mars is conjunct Saturn is conjunct Pluto. Their relationship would go through a few trials with the disruptive tr Uranus square tr Pluto of last decade but that has now cleared. Though neither are easy personalities.

  Her relationship with Meghan Markle is not going to improve, indeed the tensions will intensify with tr Pluto square the composite Sun in 2023/24 and tr Uranus will cause major upset as it hard aspects the volcanic Moon Mars square Venus Uranus in 2024/25.   

Actress and film maker Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling which she directs and co-stars in premiered at Venice to mixed reviews. A famously troubled production it started with star Shia Labeouf exiting reportedly because of poor behaviour of set, which he denied. He was replaced by Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde’s boyfriend, but tensions continued to rumble with reports of clashes between actress co-star Florence Pugh and Wilde.  Critics praised Pugh’s performance but criticized the screenplay, Styles’s performance, and Wilde’s direction.

  Principal photography kicked off in LA on October 26 2020 when Mars in Aries was square Jupiter Pluto Saturn in Capricorn which is an aggravated, combustible mix.

  Neither Olivia Wilde nor Florence Push are easy personalities. Wilde. 10 March 1984, New York, has a Sun Mercury in Pisces trine a determined, stubborn and short-fused Mars Saturn in Scorpio.

Florence Pugh, 3 January 1996, has a highly-strung and uncompromising Uranus, Mars, Neptune in Capricorn and her Saturn in Pisces is conjunct Wilde’s Sun.

 Their relationship chart has a power-struggling composite Sun Venus square Pluto.

  Chris Pine, 26 August 1980 8.25am LA,  a Sun Virgo with Jupiter and Saturn (not conjunct) also in Virgo managed to sail through with a smile on his face. He wouldn’t find Oliva Wilde easy with her Mars Saturn square his Uranus though their relationship chart has a bouncy, enthusiastic Mars Jupiter which would help. With Harry Styles the relationship chart is edgy and irritable. With Florence Pugh there’s a real power-couple dynamic, with a composite Sun, Jupiter Pluto conjunction which if they pull together will produce a definite result

Politics may be showbiz for ugly people. But luvvies while prettier get into equally rancorous turf and ego wars.

The Truss cabinet may be diverse ethnically but it follows Boris’s mantra of rewarding supporters and banishing divergent thinkers which hardly bodes well.

 Therese Coffey, Deputy PM and Health Secretary, overweight and a smoker, RC and anti-abortion and anti-same-sex marriage. She’s a Sun Scorpio with Saturn in Gemini opposition Neptune square Mars in Pisces (shades of Dom Cummings) – stubborn and scattergun at the same time, running into a dead-halt in a year plus with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct her Sun. Relations with Truss OK until 2024 when uncertainty and disappointment loom.

 Kwasi Kwarteng, Chancellor, a Sun Gemini opposition Neptune, will be marginally down in 2023. A volatile relationship with Truss which will rock n’ roll this year and next, which is standard for PMs and Chancellors, never an easy partnership.  

James Cleverly, Foreign Secretary, a sensible Virgo Sun trine Saturn in Taurus, is undermined in 2023. The most troubled relationship with Truss of all the Cabinet – through 2023 into 2024.

Suella Braverman, Home Secretary, an Aries Sun opposition Pluto, with a bombastic Mars in Leo square Uranus and Venus. Not a good reputation for competence or sound judgement. Uncertain later this year; disappointment between herself and Truss in 2023 with jolts and jangles.  

Ben Wallace, stays as Defence Secretary, a Taurus trine Pluto, stays on a lucky roll till late 2023. Scratchy moments with Truss from early 2023, worse in 2024.

Kemi Badenoch, International Trade, a Capricorn Sun with Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in Virgo. Losing traction from May 2023 onwards into 2024. Relationship with Truss oddly hostile though may all be buried between politic smiles. 2024 is a trouble spot between them.

Jacob Reese Mogg, Business Secretary, Sun Mercury in Gemini opposition Mars with Jupiter Pluto Uranus in late Virgo. Steam rolling ahead till early this December and although bullishly confident through 2023/24 is beginning to lose his mojo with disappointments and disasters looming from mid 2023 onwards. His relationship with Truss has fraught undertones with both jockeying for position and power. Will wobble in 2023, more obviously in 2024.

  Truss’s relationship with Opposition Leader Keir Starmer is possibly softened by her Venus in Virgo being conjunct his Sun Pluto. If he survives the course as Labour leader it may run into a few hiccups after mid 2023.

  Where she will have steely opponents are in Mick Lynch, the Rail Union leader, and Frances O’Grady, the TUC leader, The relationship chart with Mick Lynch suggests deteriorating relations this year and next and next with a hostile, argumentative tr Pluto square Saturn and Mercury with undermining Neptune brewing up confusion and scandal through till 2025.

  Frances O’Grady, head of the Trades Union Congress, has already been voicing concern about the effect of Truss’s economic policies. She’s a stalwart Sun, Mars in Scorpio square Uranus and her relationship chart with Truss is fraught at the best of times with a composite Sun, Pluto, Uranus conjunction and Mars opposition Jupiter square Neptune – all of which is being upended one way and another through the next two years.

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