Astrology of Today’s News

Robert Todd Lincoln is a fascinating study in the fate versus freewill debate. Is a life pattern laid down at birth which attracts certain experiences, wished for or not?

  Lincoln was the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln, a business lawyer and company president, who served as US Secretary of War and the U.S. ambassador to GB. He was present or nearby when the assassination of three presidents occurred – his father, James Garfield and William McKinley.

  He was born 1 August 1843 in Springfield, Illinois, no birth time and had a Leo Sun, with a Libra Moon almost certainly tied into a Cardinal Grand Cross opposition Pluto square Venus opposition Saturn. A Cardinal Grand Cross would give him a restless temperament, an over-abundance of initiative and a tendency to live a life of rolling crisis. With Saturn Pluto involved he would have grit and perseverance though also a tendency to experience the harsher side of life – and gave him an aptitude for a job such as Secretary for War.

   But even given all that, three Presidential assassinations does seem a coincidence too far.

  Looking deeper into his chart it becomes clearer. His Mars in Sagittarius and Saturn in Capricorn appear to have little connection. But their midpoint at zero degrees Capricorn is conjunct his North Node which ties him into the zeitgeist and both square his Uranus. Mars Saturn was the traditional astrological signature for assassination. The North Node tied him into the spirit of the age. And Uranus added an explosive and doubly violent overtone. His Uranus was also semi-square his destructive Mars/Pluto midpoint which would also make being a bystander at murders more likely.

  On all three occasions his North Node either natal or by Solar Arc Directions was highlighted; as was his Cardinal Grand Cross with the natal or SA Pluto or Saturn being rattled.

  Mars Saturn does have a connection with death in general, having military associations. In my own life it has been present by transit when significant family members died – not by violent means, in one case by old age.

ADD ON: Two others who were bystanders at several calamities – at sea – were stewardess Violet Jessop, 2 October 1887 who survived the Titanic and two other sea disasters; and ‘the unsinkable stoker’ Arthur Priest, 31 August 1887, who survived four including the Titanic.

 Arthur Priest was a Sun Virgo with his Jupiter in Scorpio square a Mars Saturn conjunction in Leo. His Mars Saturn was emphasized being on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Venus (Uranus) in Libra trine Pluto Neptune in Gemini. He’d certainly be tough and arguably his Jupiter square Mars/Saturn would bring luck to dangerous/life-threatening situations. At the Titanic sinking 14 April 1012, his Solar Arc Venus Uranus, the leading planets in the mini Grand Trine were conjunct his Jupiter; and tr Pluto was inconjunct his SA Jupiter.

Violet Jessop also had Jupiter in Scorpio which may have been on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Pluto sextile an Aries Moon. At the 20 September 1911 collision of HMS Hawke tr Jupiter was square her Mars/Saturn midpoint. At the Titanic sinking her Solar Arc Uranus was within a degree of being conjunct her Jupiter and tr Uranus was exactly square her SA Sun. At the 21 November 1916 HMS Britannic sinking her SA Sun was conjunct her Jupiter.

  Not quite as clearcut as Lincoln but pointing to the blessings of a strong Jupiter. A chart axis from a birth time might also be significant.

Is the US heading for civil war?  Amidst a generally panicky mood about everything from an impending World War 111 to a possible raging pandemic, the unstable and divisive political situation in the USA, exacerbated by the January 6 insurrection, is producing real fears of an internal rupture.

 The classic civil war astro-signature is transiting Pluto conjunct the Sun which oversaw the tearing apart of the USSR and the Syria civil war.

 The previous US civil war starting 12 April 1861 did not impact the USA 1776 chart’s Sun in any noticeable way.  Though it did conjunct the Taurus Sun on the USA First President chart, 30 April 1789.

  What showed up on the 1776 chart was a Uranus Return, tr Pluto square the Leo North Node and Neptune on the cusp of moving into Aries.

  There are certain similarities to the previous Civil War influences around the 2028 election with another Uranus Return (every 84 years) and tr Pluto in Aquarius opposition the Leo North Node. The USA’s North Node is sensitive – 9/11 happened during the exact tr Neptune opposition the North Node.

  So the next election might be the more fraught one – though I hesitate to feed into the American obsession with elections which generates a constant angst and anxiety about the next midterms and the next Presidential before the ink is dry on this one.

  But the same influences rarely produce the same outer events so nothing is certain.

See previous post: Civil Wars, messy splits – no clear signs ahead 6th May 2022 and other civil war posts in search.

The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power is the provocative title of a new book. It looks at the internet’s winner-takes-all dynamic set up by Jeff Bezos who launched his competition-squashing behemoth in 1995.

   Amazon’s march to monopoly has raised questions about why the US government has done little to stop its anti-competitive behaviour, caring more, it is suggested about “consumer welfare”, which puts efficiency and customer outcomes above all else.  There is an antitrust lawsuit on the books against Amazon but it could be years before that reaches a judgement.

  The chart of the first sale, 16 July 1995, is, astrologically speaking, jaw dropping with an imaginative Water Grand Trine from a Cancer Sun (= has a nose for public trends) trine Pluto in Scorpio (conjunct Jupiter) trine Saturn Moon in Pisces. It is both sensitive to customer needs and unyielding. Built for endurance. The Water Grand Trine is formed into three talented Kites with the Sun opposition the inventive, inspired and can-be-fanatical Uranus Neptune in Capricorn; Saturn in an unsentimental, can-be-destructive opposition to a hard working Mars in Virgo; and Pluto opposition Algol. If there was ever a chart for a colossus this is it.

 Jeff Bezos, 12 January 1964, is no slouch in terms of a birth chart either, with a super ambitious Capricorn Sun and Mars but more significantly Jupiter in pro-active Aries on the focal point of a yod to a mould-breaking, inventive Uranus Pluto conjunction sextile Neptune. Stratospheric ambitions which could be brought low by massive over-confidence.

  There will be hitches and glitches ahead but nothing that stands out as hubris brought crashing down.

  [I fear I am one of the ones who sighs ‘Amazon is nasty but it works’.]  

Bird flu has jumped across to cows and is rapidly spreading through herds in the USA with traces found in milk. The risk to the general population is still considered low, given H5N1 does not appear to transmit from human to human. Those most at risk are farm and poultry workers close to infected animals. But researchers are concerned, given the potential for further mutations through intermediaries, such as cows, cats or pigs.

  If mutations enable human-to-human spread, avian flu would become the top priority for governments around the world. The fatality rate is estimated by the World Health Organization at 52%, including young people. The US government is preparing a vaccine plan, with Tamiflu, a flu antiviral, seen to be an effective treatment. As yet it is considered a US problem with  UK beef being largely imported from the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands.

  Given we are deluged with catastropherian panics daily in the media it could be just one more scare but if it does spread it makes sense for health authorities to be prepared.

 The recent Covid-19 epidemic had a Saturn Pluto conjunction stamp, hinting at deprivation, hardship and destruction but that is not usually a sign of illness. more often bringing significant wars.

  The astro-signature most associated with epidemics is a Saturn Neptune conjunction of which the next one is due in 2025/26 in Aries. The Spanish flu epidemic towards the end of World War One which wiped out more people in a single year than the Middle Ages black death plague (between 25 and 50 million) coincided with the Saturn Neptune conjunction in Leo of 1918.

  An epidemic of St Vitus Dance (chorea) broke out in Europe in 1021 when Saturn and Neptune were together in Aquarius; the disease causes involuntary jerky movements and leads to brain deterioration.   The plague that devastated Europe and Asia during the 1340s was marked by the Saturn–Neptune conjunction in Aquarius of 1344, and the Uranus–Pluto conjunction at the same time. The outbreak of bubonic plague in London in 1665 and the Great Fire of London a year later both took place when Saturn and Neptune were together in Capricorn.

  In 1846 in Aquarius, widespread famine in Ireland followed the failure of the potato crop. By the conjunction of the late 1980s in Capricorn, the AIDS virus was running amok, causing countless deaths in Africa, Europe and the United States.

But given there are three Saturn Neptune conjunctions per century an illness blight is not a constant.

 There is another side to a Saturn Neptune conjunction in providing practical care for the suffering.  Medical advances are highlighted. Take one example, the Saturn Neptune conjunction in 1881 in Taurus, oversaw Louis Pasteur’s discovery of the anthrax vaccine.

  Another thought – the foot and mouth outbreak in the UK in 2001 which saw a crisis in British farming with 6 million cows and sheep slaughtered came two years after the famous/infamous August 1999 Solar Eclipse. It had a highly charged, destructive Mars in Scorpio opposition Saturn square Uranus opposition a Leo New Moon Grand Square and its path ran across the UK. There were not too many instant effects in the UK but when transiting Mars returned eighteen months later to Scorpio the foot-and-mouth outbreak occurred.  

 The Great American Eclipse recently was not as stressful as the 1999 eclipse was in terms of aspects but it might be worth keeping an eye on later triggers to the 2024 eclipse chart.

Celestial straws in the wind.

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Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction was overturned yesterday by the New York Court of Appeals, reversing a case that helped launch the #MeToo movement. The decision means Manhattan DA’s office will once again have to try the serial predator, and his accusers may have to take the stand again. The court ruled that the original judge had improperly allowed women to testify about allegations that Weinstein wasn’t on trial for. In all more than 80 women have accused producer him of sexual assault.

  He will remain in prison, because he also faces a 16-year sentence on a separate case in California, where he was convicted in 2022 of rape and other sexual misconduct.

  Judge Madeline Singas, one of the dissenters at the Court of Appeal, said that with the decision, “this Court continues to thwart the steady gains survivors of sexual violence have fought for in our criminal justice system”.

Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer who represented eight of Weinstein’s accusers, said the decision was “tragic” and “a major step back”. “Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts… the jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony.”  Lindsay Goldbrum, who represented six Harvey Weinstein victims, said the appeal court’s criticism of the use of witnesses not directly connected to the charges was a “leap backwards” and damaging to future cases. She said that the witnesses had “nothing to gain personally from participating in the trial. Their only goal was to give a voice to dozens of other women who suffered so much”.

  Weinstein, born 19 March 1952 9.45pm New York, despite his jubilation at the result is not cheerful moving forward with tr Neptune conjunct his Pisces Sun from this May off and on into 2025, followed by tr Saturn conjunct his Sun in 2025. And his ruthless, domineering Mars square Pluto in its Solar Arc Directions is still catching tr Pluto hard aspects into 2025.

 This month’s Aries Solar Eclipse was conjunct his Jupiter and opposition his Neptune – for hope and disappointment.

 Actress Ashley Judd, one of the first to speak out against Weinstein, has been voicing her disquiet about the court decision.  Her Saturn North Node in Aries caught this month’s Solar Eclipse which can bring discouraging experiences with a sense of weight and renewed responsibilities. Tr Pluto is still square her Aries Sun through this year for more challenges. She also has her Jupiter Neptune in hard aspect catching ups and downs through June and on.

  The law is an exceptionally blunt instrument when it comes to sexual offences and the calibre and biases of senior judiciary in charge of decisions leaves a great deal to be desired.

  I really do not wish to see HW’s repulsive face endlessly back in the newsprints.

 An astro-intrigue. His Mars in Scorpio went retrograde by progression when he was five and remains so throughout his life – which clearly did his career ambitions no harm at all  since he had a glittering succession of cinema triumphs. His Mars in his 1^st squares a control-freak, bullying Pluto conjunct his Midheaven – he really does have an unpleasant chart which reflects his tendencies.

Humza Yousaf’s coalition with the Scottish Greens has collapsed after after the Scottish Government scrapped its flagship climate change target last week. He will now lead a minority government with 63 MSPs out of a total of 129 members, slightly less than half. In theory the next election will be May 2026 though presumably it could come sooner.

  These are troubled times in Scotland with former SNP CEO Peter Murrell’s arrest on financial charges and a cloud still hanging over Nicola Sturgeon plus all manner of political squalls over taxation and other policies.

 Yousaf’s Term chart, 28 March 2023 3.03 pm Edinburgh always hinted at partnership problems with Saturn in the 7^th and Neptune in the 8^th plus Pluto square the Midheaven and a divisive 10^th house Uranus. It has a hugely stressed Mars in excitable Cancer conjunct the Moon, square Sun and Neptune, trine Saturn and inconjunct Pluto – so was never going to be a harmonious administration. The recent Aries Eclipse rattled up its Mercury Jupiter on Aries and the October Libra Eclipse will oppose the Aries Sun. If it survives into 2025 tr Saturn and Neptune in Aries square the Moon Mars will probably see the end of it.

 Yousaf’s personal chart, 7 April 1985, has his Aries Sun rattled by this month’s Solar Eclipse and his Mercury by October’s Libra Eclipse. Tr Saturn is square his Uranus this month for high tensions and eruptions. He looks particularly rattled this coming week till early May with tr Uranus square his Mars/Saturn midpoint and tr Pluto square his Sun/Mars – calamities, catastrophes and vicious arguments. And the frustrations and hostilities will continue on and off into 2025.

 The SNP 7 April 1934 chart is also being seriously rattled by this month’s Solar Eclipse with its Sun Mars in Aries opposition Jupiter square Pluto catching the full effect; with eruptions and tensions in June and on and off into spring 2025.

  I was never sure what it meant but the original Act of Union of Scotland and England chart, 1 May 1707, was always due for an upheaval with tr Uranus conjunct the Taurus Sun and square the Jupiter Uranus, finishing now.  With a setback coming in 2026 with the SA Mars conjunct the Saturn. It can’t mean another independence referendum since that boat has well and truly sailed. Even the Devolution 17 November 1998 Scotland Act is being seriously jangled – and has been through the past two years over Sturgeon’s surprise departure and is still subject to major jolts and disappointment through into 2025. Were it not such a mire the whole devolution set up should go back to the drawing board for a rethink.  

Add on:

 Humza Yousaf appears to have a birth time of 11.20pm 7 April 1985 Glasgow which puts his Scorpio Moon on his Ascendant with tr Uranus in opposition at the moment; and tr Saturn opposing his Virgo Midheaven. With a confidence-busting SA Neptune moving to conjunct his Jupiter over the next few months. If he survives the fairly catastrophic Uranus transits to two of his Saturn midpoints over the next three weeks till mid May, he’ll have more major disruptions this August onwards into early 2025 and a major setback in 205 from SA Sun opposition his Saturn.

 Alex Salmond’s Alba Party, in the shape of Ash Regan its only MSP member who defected from the SNP after her defeat in the leadership contest, may be called in to offer support in the event of a no confidence vote.  Salmond, 31 December 1954 4.30pm Linlithgow, looks over excitable over the next three weeks though more hopeful in later May. But overall is heading for SA Neptune in a lacklustre, undermining conjunction to his Sun in 2025.

  Ash Regan, 8 March 1974, has nothing to suggest uplift this year though she has a lucky-break tr Uranus square her Jupiter from July 2025 onwards.

ADD ON:  John Swinney, formerly leader of the SNP pre-Salmond, has been retrieved as yet another continuity candidate to take the tiller. Born 13 April 1964, he is another Sun Aries with Mars also in Aries on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile Pluto. A yod focal point Mars in Aries is generally thought of as a hothead and loose cannon which hardly fits Sean Connery’s view of him as boring and lacking energy – though the Mars may be deeply buried in his chart.

  He’s in a mixed phase with confidence and high hopes from tr Pluto square his Jupiter at zero Taurus but damped down by Solar Arc Saturn also at zero Taurus. This autumn’s Libra Solar Eclipse opposition his Mars will bring a few fireworks and noisy arguments as will the spring Solar Eclipse in 2025 in Aries. It’ll be a wild ride; with 2026 looking like the end of the road politically with a frustrating and dead-halt SA Mars square his Pluto and tr Uranus square his Saturn.

ADD ON: John Swinney was sworn in as First Minister on 8 May 2024 around 11.47am Edinburgh. This puts a charm-offensive Sun Venus, Moon in the 10^th plus a changeable Uranus and a lucky Jupiter. With a financially restrictive Saturn in the 8^th and maybe Neptune also in the 8^th (depending on time being accurate) so money problems may be the Achilles Heel.

Terry Anderson, the American journalist who was held captive for six and a half years by Islamic militants affiliated with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organisation in the 1980s/90s, has died.

 He was held longer than any of the several dozen other western hostages captured in Lebanon during the civil war, had to endure many months in solitary confinement, was beaten, blindfolded, poorly fed, chained by his hands and feet, and deprived of sunlight and company. He said he “almost went insane”, banging his head against the wall until he bled, but he never gave up, surviving because of his religious belief, military training and stubbornness.

  After his release he met his daughter for the first time, born while he was held captive; his father and brother had died of cancer during his imprisonment. Years of PTSD followed in a restless, troubled life with his multi-million dollar compensation frittered away in bad investments though he did give to philanthropic causes. In his latter years he finally found peace on a small Virginia horse farm.

  He was born on 27 October 1947, one day after Hillary Clinton, in Ohio with a police officer father, joined the US Marine Corps, served as a combat journalist in Vietnam and afterwards having gained a college degree joined Associated Press, reporting from Japan and South Africa before being posted to Lebanon in 1982 as the country was sinking into civil war.

 Like HC he was a Sun Scorpio with a formidable collection of Mars, Pluto, Saturn in Leo square Venus Mercury in Scorpio opposition a North Node and Algol in Taurus. Very Fixed, utterly determined, he was built for endurance and would cope well in crisis, high-adrenaline-rush situations to which he would be inevitably attracted.

  His years in captivity started with tr Pluto conjunct his Scorpio Sun in early 1985 and in the exceptionally tough years thereafter transiting Pluto squared his Mars, Pluto (and midpoints to Saturn) with tr Pluto square his Saturn when he was released. When he was captured he was on his Nodal Return at 38. When he was set free in 1991 the transiting Uranus, Neptune, North Node in Capricorn were square his Neptune with tr Saturn square his Sun.

 [Houses would make a significant difference in his fate versus Hillary Clinton’s though she would also be undergoing massive pressures during these years.]

  What intrigued me looking at other hostages were the similarities. Terry Waite, 31 May 1939, a Church of England envoy and humanitarian, in captivity for nearly five years, has an extraordinarily tough Pluto opposition Mars square Saturn in his natal chart, with a Scorpio North Node and a Scorpio Moon opposition Uranus. Tr Pluto was conjunct his North Node when he was captured. When he was released tr Saturn was conjunct his Mars and tr Pluto was around the conjunction to his Moon.

John McCarthy, 27 November 1956, a former journalist, has a Sun Saturn in Sagittarius conjunct North Node in late Scorpio square Pluto with Venus Neptune in Scorpio square Uranus – again heavy Scorpio influence.  He was on his Saturn Return at 29 when he was captured with tr Pluto in Scorpio square his Uranus. And possibly tr Neptune in Capricorn square his Libra Moon,.  When he was released five and a half years later tr Saturn was square his Neptune and then Venus; with the transiting Uranus Neptune in Capricorn somewhere around the square to his Moon; with the transiting North Node inconjunct his natal North Node.

  The Scorpio/Taurus North Nodes and Scorpio planets plus heavy Pluto are marked across all three.

 Brian Keenan, the Irish hostage, a teacher and writer, 28 September 1950, is an exception. He has a Libra Sun and Pisces North Node – though may have a Taurus Moon.

  Tough aspects in a natal chart do give individuals the capacity to endure hardship though they also have a habit of attracting the challenging situations which require those traits.

 What is worth noting is that Terry Anderson after years of mental turbulence, which was hardly surprising given his ordeal, found peace on a horse farm – which with a Taurus North Node could not be more apt. Reaching out for nature brings contentment.  

Johnny Depp’s road back to redemption after the lurid allegations during the trial with Amber Heard comes with the cinema release of “Jeanne du Barry” about one of Louis XV’s mistresses.  

  Depp plays French king Louis XV, who is generally disparaged by historians as ‘a do-nothing king who left affairs of state to ministers while indulging in his hobbies of hunting and womanizing.’ 15 years after his death the French Revolution broke out.

Louis XV, 15 February 1710 8.18am Versailles, acceded to the throne when he was five and died sixty years later. He married at 15, had ten children before he was 30 and thereafter embarked on a series of high profile affairs with several mistresses including Madame du Pompadour and latterly Jeanne du Barry.

  Louis had the chart of a willful rebel with an Aquarius Sun opposition Pluto Uranus in Leo squaring onto an over-the-top, can-be-arrogant Jupiter.  

 Depp, 9 June 1963 8.44 am Owensboro, KY, has some similarities having a Pluto, Mars, Uranus conjunction in Virgo with his Pluto square his Gemini Sun – so the same disruptive, chaotic Uranus Pluto and controlling Sun Pluto. They also both shared an unloved Venus square Saturn.

  The comparison shouldn’t be stretched too far but there are enough similarities to allow Depp to understand the role.  Depp also has two yods – one from Sun sextile Jupiter into Neptune and the other from Moon sextile Neptune onto his Sun – he tends to get lost in dreams or addictions and has problems moderating his ego.

  Jeanne du Barry, the centrepiece of the movie,  born 10 August 1743 7.30am Vaucoulueurs, France, was the illegitimate daughter of a poor seamstress, convent educated but sold in her teens to a nobleman pimp who schooled her as a courtesan. She became the last of Louis XV’s mistresses and after his death was executed for treason by guillotine during the Revolution.

 Jeanne du Barry was a Sun Leo square Pluto South Node in Scorpio with an Aries Moon opposition Mars square Neptune  – suited for a life of performance and publicity.

 Actress and director Maiwen Le Besco, 17 April 1976 1.25 am Les Lilas, France, who is fascinated by Du Barry, calling her a ‘feminist’ which hardly fits. She does have some crossovers with her historical heroine. Her Scorpio North Node is conjunct Du Barry’s Pluto South Node and Maiwen’s passionate Venus opposition Pluto square Mars hooks into Du Barry’s Moon Mars Neptune T square – sex and power would seem to be the attraction.

  Depp will be jangled and jolted with tr Uranus square his Saturn next month and then conjunct his Mercury Venus (conjunct Algol) in June/July – and running on and off into spring 2025. Not too settled on the relationship front and he may run into career setbacks come 2025/26 with tr Pluto square his Midheaven. But he’ll keep trucking in what will always be a fairly chaotic life.

Taylor Swift in her incessant hunt for publicity to sell albums has been making capital about past relationships taking aim at Matty Healy, who was a short-lived fling of a few weeks last year and Joe Alwyn. As well as aiming a barb at Kim Kardashian according to fans who are understand the kickback codes in songs.

 Swift has form for mining her love life in her songs. Joe Jonas, Harry Styles, Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston are a few of the exes she headlined and monetized in her songs.  

 Born 13 December 1989 in Reading, PA, her birth time is questionable though maybe 5.17am, which would put a vengeful Mars in Scorpio on her Ascendant with Pluto in her 12th and Jupiter Moon in her 8^th which would fit with intense entanglements and an inability to let go grievances.

  Her spat with Kim Kardashian was seemingly over a Kanye West situation but may also be hyped up a la pre-boxing/wrestling matches for the publicity.

  They are certainly not a good fit with T’s Mars conjunct K’s Uranus, T’s Pluto conjunct K’s Mercury in Scorpio; and T’s Sagittarius Sun conjunct K’s Neptune. Inflammatory and evasive.

  Their relationship chart has a chilly and combustible composite Sun, Saturn Venus Mars conjunction. Tr Uranus is moving to oppose the Saturn from next month and then the Sun in June and Venus in July and on – so this squall may run on.

 Previous post on Joe Alwyn and Matt Healy see post 7 May 2023 and other Taylor Swift in SEARCH..