Astrology of Today’s News

Stanley Baxter, the comic actor whose female impersonations in his lavish TV spectaculars attracted vast audiences, has died at 99. ‘His breadth of talent was unmatched – satirist, stand-up comedian, singer, dancer, impressionist, wit, poet, panto dame, dramatic actor, writer and choreographer.’ His shows at their height were watch by 14 million viewers and involved often up to 45 costume changes as he mimicked Shirley Bassey, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland and others. Made with meticulous care and high production values, they were among the most expensive productions in the field of light entertainment.

 For all his success he was a troubled soul. He said in an interview “I’m still not quite sure who I really am, which makes it easier to play other people, but a lot harder to be convincing as Stanley Baxter.” He also struggled with his lifelong homosexuality, telling his biographer “I never wanted to be gay.”

   He was born 24 May 1926 2.15 am Glasgow, Scotland, with a timid insurance actuary father and a flamboyant mother who fostered his interest in the entertainment business from an early age and encouraged him to do Mae West impressions. After WW11 he did his National Service in the Far East, serving with fellow comedian Kenneth Williams who remained a close friend. He married an actress when he was 26 and remained married for nearly fifty years. She had mental health problems and died eventually of suicide. He spent the past 25 years as a virtual recluse in his first floor apartment in a Highgate Village art deco mansion. ‘He dreaded going out – believing himself to be decrepit, he feared being recognised and, worse, pitied.’

He was born a few days after after Robert Lifton, the psychiatrist who shed light on the darkest corners of human behaviour (see post 18 November 2025) three weeks after David Attenborough and a month after Queen Elizabeth 11, so he shared their stalwartly enduring Fixed chart. In his case he was Gemini rather than Taurus which fitted his communicative and quixotic temperament. But he did have the Fixed T Square of Jupiter in Aquarius in his 1^st opposition an uncommitted-about-relationships Neptune in his 7^th square an overly conscientious Saturn in his 9^th.

  Possibly most significant was his 5^th house Pluto in his chart area of entertainment conjunct Sirius, the brightest star in the sky which confers honours. It may be one reason for the number of eminent personalities from that year. (And Margaret Thatcher and Peter Sellers from 1925).

  Baxter’s deeply buried, intense 8^th house Moon in Libra opposed Venus (and Nessus) squaring Pluto pointed not only to a possessive mother – but might also be a clue to his talent for female impersonation with Nessus Venus = deceit about women at its crudest.  He also had a creative though unhappy Water Grand Trine of Mars in Pisces trine North Node (Pluto) in Cancer trine Saturn with Uranus in Pisces trine Saturn as an outlier.

 His Sun is virtually unaspected bar an out-of-element sextile to Uranus which would not bolster a strong sense of personal identity.

 A wonderful entertainer and a staple of my childhood visits to Christmas pantomimes in Glasgow with his double act along with Jimmy Logan.

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Football fans are up in arms about the “scandalous” ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico which are seven times more expensive than in the previous one in Qatar for the final. It will cost about £5,225 for a supporter to follow their team through to the final if they were to attend all eight matches in the cheapest ticket category. That rises to about £8,850 in the mid-price range, or £12,357 for the top tier.

FIFA, 21 May 1904, has three planets in Taurus, including the last degree Sun which is being triggered by tr Uranus conjunct across till next April – so there may well be ructions before the event. The first match kicks off in Mexico City on 11^th June when tr Uranus will conjunct the FIFA Mars so the federation will be on high alert.

 Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA since Sepp Blatter’s ignominious exit in 2015, 23 March 1970, is a Sun, Mercury, Venus in Aries opposition Uranus in Libra and Sun Mercury trine Neptune; with a hard-edged Mars Saturn conjunct in Taurus in an opportunistic opposition to Jupiter which won’t always give him good judgement.

 His Pluto in Virgo which opposes his Sun Mercury, is conjunct the FIFA North Node so he does have a strong, controlling impact on the organisation’s direction. He’s facing a few ups and downs ahead with an undermining Neptune (and Saturn) conjunct his Sun in early 2026 and later; and a nerve-stretched tr Uranus opposition his Neptune.

  His relationship chart with FIFA hints at feelings running high at the moment, with uncertainty running into January and pressures continuing on in 2027.

  Infantino has been accused of breaching his organisation’s rules on political neutrality in presenting Trump with a bizarre inaugural Fifa peace prize at the World Cup draw in Washington recently.  He is a Trump supporter though they are not natural allies with Infantino’s Mars Saturn in Taurus square DT’s Pluto; and GI’s Pluto square DT’s Sun and Moon – so there must be ulterior motives which are not clear at the moment.  The relationship chart has a needs-space, differing-agendas composite Sun square Uranus. By the time of the tournament in June tr Neptune will be square their composite Mars which suggests their mutual backslapping will be massively undermined.  

Trump rampages on like a bull on the loose threatening to break up the EU, stop bolstering Europe’s defences, cosy up to Russia and withdraw from NATO. As with many of his wild demands there is a nugget of sense in a sliver of them. Europe does need to step up on the defence front. But there are indications he is not carrying the support of senior Republican lawmakers with him. The Republican-led House and Senate Armed Services Committees weighed confirmed a defense policy bill reaffirming U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO and restricting the Pentagon’s ability to reduce U.S. troop levels in Europe.

 A former US ambassador said: “A large majority of Republicans … in the Senate and the House believe Russians are adversaries of the United States, that Moscow’s war on Ukraine is a Russian aggression that must not succeed.”

 The relationship charts between the USA and the two Russia charts of 1917 and 1991 also suggest the US as a country is mistrustful of Russia with anxiety and setbacks across this winter. More so than with the EU – the USA/EU chart is fairly locked together.

  The USA/NATO chart is more problematic with indications of growing challenges and tensions through 2026, more so in 2027 – though that also could involve other factors such as outside aggressors. One of Trump’s supporters politician  Thomas Massie recently said: ‘NATO is a Cold War relic. We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries.’

 Massie, 13 January 1971, a Sun Capricorn trine Saturn in Taurus on one side and trine Pluto on the other looks blocked in February 2026 and upbeat though over hopeful by April. His relationship chart with Trump is locked together by a composite yod and heading for confusing, disappointing times in 2026/27.

 The EU is under extreme pressure now and on for a few months with Solar Arc Pluto opposition the Moon and square Uranus but that should ease off through 2026; with a muddled-about-direction tr Neptune Saturn in late Pisces square the Midheaven till February 2026 and conjunct the Descendant causing havoc in neighbourly relations ahead.  There’ll be some discouragement in a face-reality 2026 with the Solar Arc Sun square Saturn and financial disappointment with tr Pluto square the Neptune; good news and a lucky break in 2028 with SA Jupiter conjunct the Sun but more significant challenges as tr Pluto squares the Moon and opposes the Uranus in 2029/30 hinting at forced changes of future plans. Ups and downs.

 Trump will continue to hammer away at the EU through 2026/27 pushing for a split but it looks more confused than terminal.

 Putin’s birth date is not confirmed but on the October 1952 date his relationship with Trump would seem to be powering ahead through 2026 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Jupiter – though that could also hint at a power play, as Putin pulls DT’s strings. With mayhem and tensions breaking out in May and after July 2026.

  I am not sure how well they work but having sifted through a few earlier political global partnerships, the relationship chart between Trump’s Admin chart and Putin’s 5^th Term look both overly confident as a pair and mired in confusion, evasion, deceit and excessive expectations. That chart will jolt and jangle through the winter and April 2026 looks fairly explosive.   

See previous post: UN, WHO, NATO, ICC – upending the global order 26th February 2025

John Candy, much beloved star of Uncle Buck, Stripes, Splash , Brewster’s Millions, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Cool Runnings has had a celebratory documentary made, thirty years after his death.

 Renowned for being helpful in real life as well as portraying likable and buoyant screen personalities, he had another side to him with self-admitted mental health problems with severe anxiety and panic attacks. He also had an obesity problem as well as an alcohol, cigarette and cocaine habit – all of which contributed to his death at 43 from a heart attack.  

 He was born 31 October 1950 in Toronto, Canada, with his father dying of heart problems, aged 35, when John Candy was five. He had wanted to be a professional footballer but an injury put an end to that dream and he started acting when in college.

He had an intense and charming Sun, Mercury, Venus in Scorpio in a mischievous and freedom-loving trine to Uranus (Moon) in Cancer. His Uranus (Moon) were square Neptune which can be highly strung. And there was a complex dance between his Pluto, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. His Pluto opposed Jupiter for confidence and trined Mars for super-determination though with an underlying element of fear. His Saturn opposition a Pisces North Node squared Mars for a self-destructive streak and fear about the dangers of life; with his Jupiter inconjunct Saturn for a constant wobble between highs and lows.

  When he died suddenly in his sleep on 4 March 1994 there was a pressured tr Pluto North Node opposition Algol square Mars; with Mars approaching a conjunction to his Saturn a few days later. His difficult stars were all congregating together.

  Comedians always do seem driven by inner troubles.

The ghosts of the Irish Troubles continue to prowl with a report on the notorious British spy ‘Stakeknife’, believed to be the senior IRA member Freddie Scappaticci, who was the perpetrator of 14 murders and 15 abductions during the Troubles.

The nine-year investigation was critical of the Army and the Security Services (MI5), finding that more lives were probably lost than saved through the operation of Stakeknife, who “committed grotesque, serious crime” including torture and murder.

  Colonel Tim Collins, a former British Army officer who served with the SAS and as commander of the Royal Irish Regiment during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, said agents such as Stakeknife helped prevent wider bloodshed. He said: “The report lays bare a catalogue of failures – operational, ethical and institutional – that cannot be ignored. But “the question is not whether agent-handling was perfect. It wasn’t. The question is whether it was necessary. And it was – because the alternative was far worse.”

 The report stated MI5 was “closely involved in his handling”.

 Freddie Scappaticci, 12 January 1946, Belfast born of Italian parents, who died in 2023, certainly had a chart hinting of the potential for abusive behaviour with a Capricorn Sun Venus opposition Saturn Mars in Cancer square an expansive Jupiter.  Over-confident, hard-edged, short-fused with a penchant for the military and cruelty. Mars Saturn is the historical astrological signature for assassinations. He also had a Taurus Moon square Pluto which would do nothing to soften his approach.

  What intrigues me is the chart for MI5 (the UK Security Services) founded 7 October 1909 which has a Cardinal Grand Cross of a Libra Sun Mercury opposition Saturn in Aries square Neptune in Cancer opposition Uranus. Cardinal Grand Crosses hint at a lifestyle of revolving crises, in this case involving subterfuge (Neptune) and fanaticism (Uranus Neptune).

  Even more pointed, is a Mutable T square of Mars in Pisces opposition Jupiter square Pluto – Mars Pluto for danger, ruthlessness and determination plus Mars Jupiter for opportunism and impulsive actions, often marketed as moral.  That T square is being undermined by tr Neptune Saturn in hard aspect in the final trudge through Pisces till early 2026. Which may not be a consequence of this report since they will have their hands full elsewhere with terrorists from various sources including Russia/China etc.  

 But what is eye-catching is the MI5 Mars in Pisces which is exactly conjunct Chariklo (= eternal suffering), Nessus (= lies and manipulation) and conjunct Eris, planet of discord, disruption and provocation as well as the unfortunate Scheat. All of which seem fitting.  It is a formidable chart.

 1909 with the same Fixed stars in place oversaw the laying of the Titanic hull – all four Fixed Stars were square Pluto. When it sank in 1912 the Fixed stars had moved to different positions but the late Pisces Moon was exactly conjunct Eris and within two degrees of Scheat, the shipwrecking Fixed star.

An assortment of obituaries of dissimilar notables.

  Ian Douglas Hamilton, protector of the African elephants, was born 16 August 1942 and dreamed as a child about saving animals. After an Oxford degree in zoology, he became the foremost expert on elephants and was the first to alert the world to the ivory poaching holocaust, bringing about the first global ivory trade ban in 1989.

 He had a Sun Leo close to his wounded healer Chiron, with a kindly Venus in Cancer sextile Neptune in Virgo. His Mercury Mars and North Node in Virgo were square both Saturn and Uranus in Gemini attracting him to excitement (Mars Uranus), animals (Virgo) and spreading the word. His Jupiter in Cancer was also trine Mars Mercury giving him an additional surge of enthusiasm. Plus a sociable Libra Moon.

 Martin Parr, 23 May 1952 Epsom, England, a photographer known for using harsh flash and saturated colours, and for imbuing his images with a sense of humour, captured the attention of an international fan base and celebrated the quirks and intricacies of everyday British life. He was more interested in photographing village fêtes than foreign wars.

 A curious and communicative Sun Gemini with a Gemini/Taurus Moon, he had a vibrant and enthusiastic Jupiter in Taurus opposition Mars in Scorpio. And a creative and affectionate Venus in Taurus on the focal point of a Fixed T square to opposition the North Node in Aquarius. He had the chart of a man on a mission.

   Sophie Kinsella, 12 December 1969 London, author of the bestselling Shopaholic series of novels, has died at of brain cancer. She wrote her first novel while working as a financial journalist which was acclaimed by critics and became a top 10 bestseller. Her most successful series started with The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic. Her books have sold over 50 million copies in more than 60 countries and have been translated into over 40 languages.

 She had an intriguing and tricky chart though seemed to have been happily married with five children, She had a controlled/controlling Sun Sagittarius square Pluto and two yods – Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Saturn in Taurus and Mars in Aquarius sextile Saturn inconjunct Pluto. She was designed to work exceptionally hard with an emphasis on money (Saturn in Taurus); and to be influential (Pluto). She also had a publicity-attracting Mars square Neptune.

What is the astrological signature for blinkers? A narrowing field of vision that only encompasses a handful of talking points. The news is an endless repetition of Trump, Putin, Gaza, Ukraine and a few Royal flim flam distractions. In an individual, a shrinking world can signal depression but this seems to have infected the entire western culture.

 Uranus in innovative Gemini should have broadened not shrunk our perspective. Pluto in Aquarius in trine had been expected to add another layer of enlightened growth and interest in different perspectives.

  Blame it all on Neptune? It was the driving planet of the recent Virgo Solar Eclipse trine Uranus trine Pluto and opposition Neptune and Saturn in Pisces.

  Neptune in mythology was god of the seas and earthquakes as well as horses. He controlled the waters and was believed to have the power to calm or stir up waves and storms, control the tides. In his rape of Medusa to get back at Athena he also exhibited sadism and a vengeful nature. But nothing much to suggest constricted vision.

  This is thinking in progress (muddled) but looking across the historical outcomes of Neptune Pluto, Saturn Neptune and Uranus Neptune conjunctions, we seem to be feeling the negative effects of them, despite them being in supposedly ‘easier’ trines and sextile aspects at the moment. My impression from working with country charts is they do respond to ‘easy’ aspects (sextile, trine) with much the same impact as hard (square, opposition, conjunction).

Taking the negative first:  

Neptune Pluto together historically produced megalomaniac dictators – Attila the Hun, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Tse Tung.  

Saturn Neptune undermines a solid grip on reality and induces paranoia.

Uranus together with imaginative Neptune lack common sense, can foster irrational and misleading thinking.

 All of the above aspects can have a constructive purpose but it seems blocked for the moment, perhaps waiting for Neptune to swim out of the remnants of Pisces – in late January 2026, followed by Saturn exiting the swamp in February and finally the North Node heading backwards into Aquarius in July 2026.

  I remember contemplating Neptune’s move into Pisces in 2012, being mistrustful of all the high flown, spiritual expectations that were floating around. It doubles up the trickier side of Neptune which includes a cruel streak with a dismissal of the real world and the body. Revenge and inhuman cruelty often sit side by side with extreme compassion, great creativity and strong religious yearnings. Financial and other scandals always have a whiff of Neptune about them, with its quality of deceptiveness and its persuasive sleights of hand. Confidence tricks come under Neptune’s banner, with its inability to set boundaries or to distinguish between thine and mine, and its tendency to lie and distort.

 Neptune puts the dream above reality, writes off human sacrifice as a necessary cost to gain the end.

  Even Uranus in aspect to Pluto is often often projected onto society’s scapegoats. The Jewish story, and black African-American history have strong connections to this pairing as Pluto’s need to annihilate separate identity as a threat to the power base emerges.

  The positive upside of all the above combinations can undermine obsolete structures in society to foster constructive change (Uranus Pluto), can be enlightened, civilized, cultured, creative (Uranus Neptune) and helpful to underdogs, giving women and workers a hand up (Saturn Neptune).

  But not much of the progressive energy seems to be breaking through. Those of a paranoid inclination might be tempted to think that the megalomaniacs in power have us brainwashed – Pluto controls and Neptune lies.   ‘The “Great Lie” refers to a propaganda technique described by Adolf Hitler in Mein Kampf, where a massive, outrageous falsehood is repeated until people believe it, as they assume no one would dare invent such a huge deception.’

  Trump does have a capacity to ’soak up all the oxygen’ – me, me, me, me. And Putin is the ultimate shape-shifting trickster (as is Netanyahu).

 Maybe it is less to do with Neptune forcing us into narrow tunnel-vision and more the pernicious effect of Pluto exerting control.  ‘Thou shalt have no other authority – or focus of attention – than me’.

  Astrologers have a tendency to look on the bright side in advance which is understandable but it does bring disappointment when the good news is slow to emerge.

 Anyone with any other bright ideas do feel free to comment.

Add ON: One further thought.  World War 11 began to slowly turn round with Pluto in early Leo and Uranus in late Taurus in 1940 with the UK holding firm through the Battle of Britain; and Hitler miscalculating with the advance into Russia in mid 1941. Pearl Harbour in December 1941 happened with Uranus just into Gemini, bringing the US into the war. With more turning points in 1942 in North Africa and Stalingrad.

 So it took Uranus in Gemini sextile Pluto in Leo a while before it brought liberation and cessation of the conflict in gradual stages through 1943/44, before the final closure  in 1945 – though the seeds were sown before Uranus exited Taurus.

  The mistake at the moment may be expecting instant relief and a rapid entry into better times. It has to be fought for.

The enigma that is Nick Cave – post-punk, gothic rock, profane and religious – is having a moment with a documentary  about him – Veiled Worlds – coinciding with the tv version of his novel The Death of Bunny Munro. Known musically for his obsessions with death, religion, love, and violence, he has had an eclectic career with constantly changing themes from the 1970s though he has always been preoccupied with Old Testament notions of good versus evil. The death of one of his sons aged 15, ten years ago who fell off a cliff when high on LSD understandably had a profound effect on him. Another son died in 2022, aged 31, following a long history of mental illness.

  Nick Cave born 22 September 1957 at 12.20pm (unverified) Warracknabeal, Australia, has a Sun conjunct Mars in late Virgo opposition Scheat – on this birth time on his Midheaven. He has a musical Venus Neptune in Scorpio with Venus square Uranus; and a tough-minded, bleak Saturn square Pluto Moon. Not an easy emotional life but not quite as ‘dark’ a chart as his work and obsessions might suggest. Though different birth time and houses would change a good deal.

 But on this chart he has the storm-tossed Scheat and Eris, planet of discord in his 4th house of family and the unfortunate Nessus in his 5^th house of children.

 When his son Arthur died in 2015 his Solar Arc Pluto was conjunct his Venus and about to square his Uranus for an intense and tumultuous experience with tr Pluto was crossing his Ascendant forcing him to re-evaluate who he was.

 His 2009 novel The Death of Bunny Munro focuses on a middle-aged lothario, whose constant womanising and alcohol abuse comes to a head after his wife’s suicide. A travelling door-to-door beauty-product salesman, he and his son go on an increasingly out-of-control road trip around Brighton, over which looms the shadow of a serial killer making his way towards Brighton, as well as Bunny’s own mortality.

A tortured soul. Though he is keen, as one reviewer said, to show that the devil does not have all the best tunes even if his musical fans would prefer him to keep his religious beliefs out of sight.  

  Mobland, the gritty drama about warring crime families in London now filming season 2, appears to be strained on set as well as on screen. Stories have emerged that Helen Mirren’s professional and disciplined approach clashes with Tom Hardy’s lateness and swaggering attitude.

  Creative types tend to be volatile but interesting to see the astro-dynamics. She was born 26 July 1945 2am (biography) London and he, 15 September 1977, London.

 Helen Mirren is a determined Sun Pluto in Leo with an Aquarius Moon. While he is a Sun Virgo square Neptune, with Venus Saturn conjunct in Leo and a boisterous Mars Jupiter in Cancer.  His Sun is conjunct her Jupiter which should be a positive connection but his Uranus is square her Pluto so he will fight against her controlled approach. What is possibly the crux of the matter is his Mars in Cancer exactly conjunct her North Node. His Mars brings force into the relationship and will push her to change which given her controlling Sun Pluto won’t be received kindly.

 Their relationship chart has a stark, exact composite Sun, Uranus, North Node conjunction hinting at two strong individuals who won’t compromise easily with each other and need space to pursue their own path. There may also be an emotionally stressed composite Moon opposition Mars square Pluto; with a dogmatic, unyielding Pluto conjunct Mercury.

  According to the Daily Mail, Tom Hardy also clashed with South African actress Charlize Theron during filming Mad Max: Fury Road, which released in 2015, ‘due to creative differences, lateness and his immersive acting style, leading to a tense environment.’

 Born 7 August 1975 8.23am Benoni, South Africa, Charlize Theron is a vibrant, attention-attracting Sun Leo like Helen Mirren, with her Moon and Mercury also in Leo. Her New Moon is square Hardy’s Uranus so he would be at cross-purposes to her; and her Mercury is conjunct Hardy’s Saturn for difficulty in communicating. Her Pluto is also square his Mars Jupiter conjunction in Cancer so he would feel his exuberance being over controlled.

 Their relationship chart was not quite as difficult as his with Helen Mirren. With Charlize Theron there is a composite Sun Venus square Jupiter = superficially friendly; but also a tension-inducing composite Saturn square Uranus; and a power-struggling composite Mars trine Pluto.

   Drama and melodrama on and off screen.  Virgo versus Leo may also be part of the problem.