Astrology of Today’s News

The #freeBritney campaign and pleas from Britney Spears herself have failed to sway a US judge into removing her father as conservator of her estate. It seems an odd decision since her lawyer said she was “afraid” of him, had no “viable working relationship” with him, had not spoken in a “long while” and that she would not perform so long as he remained in the role. Her mother who appeared at the hearing described the relationship between Britney and her father as ‘toxic’.

  Since her breakdown in 2007 she has not controlled her financial affairs or many of her career decisions under the court-enacted agreement. Her father and attorney have managed her assets and personal life – including being able to restrict her visitors and communicate with doctors about her treatment.

  The relationship chart with her father is strikingly difficult   – with a power-struggling and unstable composite Sun, Pluto, Uranus conjunction and a one-sided, ‘unfair-treatment’ composite Mars Saturn conjunction. It certainly wouldn’t foster a co-operative or amiable mood between them. It’s also tied together in a fated way with a composite Yod of Neptune sextile Uranus Pluto inconjunct Venus in Aries; with Venus opposition Mars Saturn. Relationship Yods tend to lash together individuals in a life-changing way which irrevocably affects the trajectory of both their lives. The hard-edged, aggravating Mars Saturn may also square the composite Moon.  All in all not a great chemistry.

  His Sun, Venus, Uranus in Cancer fall in her career 10^th, his Mars in ultra-determined Scorpio in her financial 2^nd and his Jupiter in her business-finances 8^th – no surprises that her success and her wealth are primary matters of interest to him And his Neptune is conjunct her Saturn which will induce suspicion.

  She looks, not surprisingly, uptight now with her Solar Arc Pluto conjunct her Mercury putting her under mental strain; plus discouraging tr Pluto square her Saturn/Pluto midpoint this month and then in a career-losses square to her Jupiter/Saturn through February 2021 and on and off till late 2022. She will start to cheer up from late April 2021 onwards in patches. And some of the family tensions and tug-of-war may diminish slightly as tr Saturn and Jupiter move out of her 4^th into her performing/sociable 5^th from this New Year. But it’ll be an emotionally intense and not always supportive year with tr Pluto conjunct her Venus and tr Neptune opposition her Mars.

The Georgia run-off elections on January 5^th that could determine control of the Senate are falling foul of squabbles within the local republicans about whether there has been fraud or not. The fear is that kicking up a rumpus may deter Republican supporters coming out to vote if they swallow the Trump line about wholesale cheating since they might think there was no point.

R.Kelly Loeffler will face a challenge from D.Raphael Warnock, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. R. David Perdue is running against D. Jon Ossoff, chief executive of a media production company.

 None of the following has a time of birth so information is missing.

Kelly Loeffler, 27 November 1970, a Sun Neptune in Sagittarius, has exceptionally mixed stars. On the downside through January she has a frustratingly cornered tr Pluto square her Mars and a disastrous tr Uranus square her Mars/Saturn midpoint. But she also has a Solar Arc Pluto conjunct her Jupiter and tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Pluto which would suggest success. So make of it what you will.

 Raphael Warnock, 23 July 1969, is a Sun Leo in a lucky sextile to Jupiter Uranus in Libra. He’s looking marginally undermined with tr Neptune square his Venus in Gemini with more Neptune transits from late January. He’ll be in better fettle come 2024 with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter.

David Perdue, 10 December 1949, is another Sagittarius with a determined Mars Saturn in Virgo. He’s not got anything cheerful until next spring. Before then tr Neptune squares his Sun now and in January and continues on a downhill slide thereafter. Though he is on his Jupiter Return over this new Year.

Joe Ossoff, 16 February 1987, is a Sun Aquarius with a fiery Mars in Aries trine Uranus Saturn in Sagittarius. He has one minor Jupiterian up in January and is in better form from February onwards as tr Pluto sextiles his Jupiter. He’s young enough to come back another year.

  Usual six and half a dozen from the astro. If I had to hazard a guess – and it would be a guess – I’d say Kelly Loeffler might make it and David Perdue might not. But on the info available it’s less than clear.

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, the leftwing Congresswoman has lashed out at the Democratic party for lacking “core competencies” to run campaigns. She denied that the Movement for Black Lives and the Green New Deal had been instrumental in the poor showing with loss of congressional seats. She endorsed Bernie Sanders early on.

  Born 13 October 1989 11.50am Bronx, New York, she’s a fiery Sun Mars in Libra with an Aries Moon; and the innovative though can-be-chaotic triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn and Neptune in Capricorn.

  She’s not at her most successful at the moment with tr Saturn moving through her 2^nd house and will be in a better position by 2023 when her Solar Arc Jupiter is square her Pluto. Though that won’t necessarily shoot her to the top of the tree since she’s got a good deal ahead for two decades thereafter.

  She’s not the best fit with Biden since her Pluto is conjunct his Mars in Scorpio which hints at a degree of hostility and power-playing. Their relationship chart is aggravated and chilly now and into this December with tr Saturn square the composite Mercury Mars; and tense through next spring.

  If anything her relationship with Kamala Harris is trickier still. Both are Sun Libras with Aries Moons which doesn’t make it easier.  Alexandra’s Pluto is conjunct Kamala’s Neptune and square her Mars; and her Saturn, Uranus, Neptune fall in Kamala’s 7^th. The relationship chart has friendly aspects; but also a slippery and ego-clashing composite Mars square Neptune and Jupiter, which tr Neptune is undermining till late January 2021; and will be pressured through to late 2022 with tr Pluto square the Sun and Venus.

 It’ll be a tug of war.

  Rupert Murdoch is not only earning the ire of the Trump camp because of Fox news USA calling Arizona first for the opposing team, he’s also in the crosshairs of an Australian petition with a record 500,000 signatures complaining about Murdoch media dominance.

   News Corp Australia controls 70% of local newspaper circulation. Among recent controversies, its titles have been accused of minimising the role of climate change in reporting last summer’s bushfires, and publishing some misleading reports about the spread of coronavirus and the effect of lockdowns in Australia.

  Murdoch senior is knocking on at a few months off ninety, 11 March 1931 23h55, Melbourne, AU. And isn’t enjoying what lies ahead. Tr Saturn will oppose his Mars from the 14^th of this month to the 25^th for an anger-provoking setback and possibly a minor accident. Then he’s got a couple of catastrophic tr Pluto hard aspects to his Mars/Pluto and then Mars/Saturn midpoints from late this month to late January; and then a stuck and discouraging Solar Arc Saturn square his Pluto, exact in four months. Just to round it all off he’s got tr Neptune moving to the lacklustre conjunction with his Pisces Sun from late February, on and off for a year. And additionally tr Saturn is moving through his low profile, less successful 1^st quadrant about to hit the nadir from this New Year on with perhaps financial strictures for the next two years.

  Son Lachlan, now co-chair of NewsCorp, 8 September 1971, will also be feeling the strain now and into 2021 with tr Neptune opposition his Venus till late January for disappointments, financial and other; a discouraging uphill slog from late January. And worse his Mars in Aquarius which is tied into an Air Grand Trine and a Kite is catching the ratchety, tension-erupting tr Uranus square tr Saturn from late March onwards through 2021. The economic ups and downs always accompanying Saturn Uranus will hit him hard. He’ll get his mojo back from 2023 onwards but it’ll be a long haul before then.

  Rupert Murdoch’s relationship with Joe Biden is a power-struggle at the best of times with a composite Sun opposition Pluto – and their connection will be moving through turbulent times in 2021 in particular but on through till 2023 as well.

Please add below. Older posts under News on the top bar.

The Inauguration of January 2021 (assuming all runs to plan and time) does look a mix of successful and explosive. There’s Pluto on the Midheaven which is marginally surprising, more often turning up in dictator’s administrations given its tendency to over-control. There’s a successful and confident Jupiter in the 10^th. But it is tied into a conjunction with Saturn and both square a disruptive Mars Uranus in the 12^th – so there could be all manner of mayhem.

  Looking back on past Inaugurations where momentous events happened in the aftermath:

George W Bush First term, 20 January 2001, which oversaw 9/11 and the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan had a warlike Mars opposition Saturn square Uranus; a directionless Neptune in the 10^th; and a financial dirty-dealing Moon Pluto in the 8^th.

JFK Inauguration, 20 January 1961 12.45, wasn’t overly descriptive, though it had a Yod of Mars sextile Node (Pluto) inconjunct Sun and Jupiter conjunct Saturn.

Franklin D Roosevelt 4^th Term, 20 January 1941, had a brutal Jupiter Saturn in Taurus square Pluto in Leo opposition Mercury, with Pluto trine Mars – descriptive of Pearl Harbour the following December and the USA entry into WW11 that followed.

Herbert Hoover, 4 March 1929 – a setback Mars opposition Saturn, sextile/trine Neptune in last degree Leo (the end of the Roaring twenties) – the Wall Street Crash and Great Depression kicked off in October 1929.

Woodrow Wyatt. 4 March 1913, had a Mars Uranus conjunction – WW1 followed.   

 Abraham Lincoln, 4 May 1861, also had a brutal Mars Pluto in Taurus trine Saturn with a high-tension Saturn square Uranus – the Civil War broke out one month later.

The inaugurations of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan – neither of the charts were that remarkable despite an attempted assassination and a near impeachment/resignation.

  The one with some striking similarities is the Inauguration of Andrew Jackson, 4 March 1829, which had a Mars in Taurus square Uranus with Uranus opposition Saturn.

Wiki: ‘Jackson’s name has been associated with the shift and expansion of democracy with the passing of some political power from established elites to ordinary voters based in political parties. “The Age of Jackson” shaped the national agenda and American politics. He feared that monied and business interests would corrupt republican values. He rejected the view of a powerful and independent Supreme Court and thought Supreme Court justices should be made to stand for election. He called for the abolition of the Electoral College.’

Though he has also been heavily criticised for his Indian Removal policies which exacerbated tensions with the Native American tribes and caused great hardship.

If Biden pushed through some of Jackson’s ideas on changing the political system, that would be real progress.

  Some of the Inauguration charts are descriptive, in particular those leading into a war but others are less so.

‘Tis the time’s plague when madmen lead the blind.” Shakespeare, King Lear.

Boris blunders and bungles along making a total bollix of the pandemic response, sparing the odd moment to cast a glance towards the Brexit negotiations. Today he’ll talk directly to the EU President Ursula von Leyen, pushing his standard line of – there’s a deal to be done but we don’t care if it isn’t.

   If the UK leaves the transition period on 31 December without an agreed trade deal, tariffs would be imposed, which would cause damage to the UK economy. The National Audit Office has warned of “significant disruption” when the Brexit transition period ends. Moody’s has downgraded the UK’s credit rating, pointing to a “weakening in the UK’s institutions and governance”. Since the start of the year, the FTSE 100 is down 22 per cent, more than comparable European equity indices.

   The election of Joe Biden would also shift the dynamic since he has said he would not allow peace in Northern Ireland to become a “casualty of Brexit” and that any USA/UK trade deal must be contingent on respect for the Good Friday Agreement and preventing the return of the hard border. And that is a conundrum without a solution if a No Deal happens.

   As ever the astrology is as clear as a pea-soup fog about any breach. All that is showing on the UK chart is an exceptionally bad-tempered 3rd house Solar Arc Mars conjunct Mercury, exact in ten weeks though in effect now, which may be more to do with Covid restrictions. Though 70-mile lorry tailbacks in Kent border areas at New Year might well spark up a belated yowl from the electorate who will waken up to the implications of what the Brexiteer mob and the Boris bodge have done.

   In 2021 there will be significant pressure on the financial UK 8^th house Mars from late March as the tr Saturn square tr Uranus collides in hard aspect. The economic hangover from the pandemic plus perhaps Brexit miscalculations will cause major havoc – and that runs off and on into early 2022. Into 2022 the UK Solar Arc Pluto squares the UK Sun for a grind-to-a-halt year with more financial panics and major upsets as tr Uranus squares the 5^th house speculative Venus and then opposes the 2^nd house Neptune in 2022/23. By 2023 tr Uranus will be square the UK 11^th house Saturn for sudden changes to the legislature (parliament). And there will be a jolting Solar Arc Saturn opposition Uranus on top. And by 2024 the Solar Arc Uranus will be conjunct the 8^th house Mars for more crises and perhaps national disasters, since that Mars is very accident prone in terms of trains crashes/ferry sinkings etc.

   There’s nothing much of cheer to indicate a sudden get-a-grip ability emerging from the Boris Government, 13 December 2019, with catastrophic panics running now till late January 2021; with added frustrations through this December and brain-mush from late January through February 2021. From late March tr Neptune squares the Government Sun for a year long phase of dither and indecision.

  Boris’s own chart is bedevilled by Eclipses with the Lunar late this month shaking up his Pluto Uranus and Saturn; and the mid December Sagittarius Solar Eclipse opposing his Mercury, Sun, Venus which will be mentally stressful with several crises running over the months thereafter. His Solar Arc Uranus is moving towards the exact conjunction to his Moon, in 10 weeks’ time, but undoubtedly triggering early – that could be health-connected or personal financial upsets. He’ll get a minor lift late this month to late December from tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint but that’s a mild influence.

  On his relationship chart with Ursula von Leyen, there’s not much of note instantly barring a mild indication of change from later this month for a few weeks; with more showing into spring of 2021. The same timeline is true of Boris’s toxic Mars Pluto relationship chart with the EU.

  Joe Biden was never going to be an easy fit with Boris since his Saturn Uranus in Gemini clashes mightily with Boris’s scattergun Mars in Gemini and Uranus, Pluto and Saturn. Indeed Biden’s Sun Venus in late Scorpio opposes Boris’s focal point Mars – for arguments all the way. Biden’s controlling/influential Pluto fall in Boris’s 10^th which may help to push him onto a different track; and Biden’s Jupiter falls in his 10^th as well for a positive effect.

  Their relationship chart is very heavy duty with a hostile power-struggling composite Mars Pluto conjunction in the middle of a Half Grand Sextile from a suspicious Neptune opposition Saturn sextile Jupiter – some good, much more truly difficult. Not much hand holding ahead if Boris stays the course – and Biden wins.

Win or lose Trump seems destined to hog and haunt the limelight for the foreseeable future. His increasingly frenzied claims of fraud and having his rightful title nicked from under his nose aren’t just driven by his narcissistic need to be top dog but from a realistic fear about what comes next.

   Out of the White House, he loses immunity from trial on criminal charges. A Manhattan grand jury is looking into suspected bank, insurance, tax and other fraud; and the New York state attorney general’s civil investigation has dropped legal hints that it is building a case against Trump, some of his children and The Trump Organisation for allegedly running a racketeering enterprise. Indictment on racketeering charges would allow prosecutors to immediately seize his assets, including Trump Tower, his golf courses and Mar-a-Lago, as the fruits of criminal enterprise. On top of this, a handful of women are suing Trump for sexual assault, slander and other civil offences. And he has an estimated $900 million in loans due in the next four years.

  All of the above will contribute to his agitation. That plus his lifelong, driving philosophy of revenge, outlined in his book Thinking Big. Over 16 pages, he describes his desire to commit violence against those who challenge him; and what gives him pleasure is destroying the life of anyone who refuses his demands.

  Deutsche Bank are rumoured to be trying to cut him (and his debts) loose. The relationship chart between both DB January 1870 and DB March 1870 and Trump hint at a widening gulf through this December with a catastrophic patch from late February on and off till January 2022.

   Even Fox and owner Rupert Murdoch appear to be drifting away from their once revered Supreme Leader. His relationship chart with Murdoch indicates major disruptions late this December to early February 2021 – and worse from May onwards; with a further downhill slide in 2022.

   Similarly his trusty bagman Mitch McConnell appears to be jumping ship with chills between them after the middle of this month and consternation from June 2021 onwards.

  What’s intriguing me is Trump’s relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell which was inherently fraught from the start with a composite Saturn opposition Neptune Mars square Uranus. Their connection is being battered every which way from late this December extending right through 2021 to 2023 by tr Pluto in hard aspect. 

  And the same is true of the Bill Clinton/Ghislaine Maxwell interface with tr Pluto square their composite Mercury, Neptune Sun square Uranus from late this month and on for several years ahead.  And ditto Hillary.

  Trump’s feelings towards Audrey Strauss, Acting New York US Attorney, responsible for the Maxwell case amongst others, will intensify from late this December and reach def-con hostility through 2021/22 with tr Uranus square their composite Saturn, then Pluto, Mars, Sun.  

  There are moves afoot evidently by the Maxwell family to have Ghislaine released on bail from prison pending trial which won’t be till fall 2021. But by the looks of her Solar Return from this December she looks excessively stuck. At the moment she’s heading for her Second Saturn Return this December hitting on her Saturn in the legal 9^th, which fits.  Her arrogant Jupiter on her Midheaven opposition Moon square Neptune will be rattled by the tr Uranus square tr Saturn from spring 2021 onwards which will be a rollercoaster ride with a few lucky breaks but mainly emotional upsets and health pressures. 2022/23 always looked to be her worst patches.

  It’ll be a long and winding path ahead.

For Maxwell: See posts July 2 and 15 2020.

Jacinda Ardern’s Second Term New Zealand government was sworn in just after 11 am this morning. That gives an uncompromising, innovative, trailblazing though unsettled Scorpio Sun opposition Uranus which is the driving rod of a Water Grand Trine of Sun trine Neptune trine a Cancer Moon. It’ll be compassionate and caring though fairly inward looking as well as intent on rocking a few boats. There’s also an argumentative Mercury square Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter; and an enthusiastic though not always sensitive or sensible Venus opposition Mars square a Cancer Moon.

  There’ll be ups and downs from the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the Government Sun from May onwards for a year which is likely to be at least in part economic woes. But the bullishly confident and usually successful Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct Pluto, exact in late 2021 should offset early problems.

  Jacinda Ardern’s own chart (rectified to 1.59pm by Graham Ibell) has tr Neptune opposition the Saturn from late May 2021 on and off till late 2022 which will be uncertain and panicky. Plus a major-setback Solar Arc Saturn square her Sun, exact in late 2021. She will have some successes along the way and upbeat phases but she will be guiding New Zealand through a turbulent few years ahead.

See previous posts: Ardern – 16 October 2020; and NZ 5 May 2020.

America Decides:-

1. Joe Biden.

2. Trump.

3. Incredibly drawn out, messy, inconclusive, lawyer-ridden process, probably including violence.

(Thanks to Christian Adams cartoon, Evening Standard.)

Memo for astro-election watchers: never ever get distracted by polls. They are invariably off.

Following on from the previous November 1 post below and earlier thoughts on the Supreme Court, there does look to be considerable upheavals, disruptions and excitement in the Supreme Court from November 18^th till December 20^th with tr Uranus square the SCOTUS Uranus. That timeline is also highlighted on Associate Justice Elena Kagan’s chart with her Taurus Sun opposing Neptune at 7 degrees Scorpio; and Sonia Sotomayor’s, Stephen Breyer’s and Samuel Alito’s. So several of the SCOTUS team will be on red alert.

   Chief Justice John Roberts has more conspicuous movement on his chart from late December through January; as does Amy Coney Barratt. But one way or another SCOTUS will be moving through stormy seas with mainly Uranian pressure bearing down on the institution itself as well as those serving it right through until after the standard Inauguration date of January 20th.

  The next flare up point will be April/May 2021 with major stress showing on various of the Associate Justices’ charts.