Astrology of Today’s News

India and Pakistan appear to have missed the worst of the first wave of coronavirus though the lockdown and general global recession will affect them. India is also facing a potentially devastating and destructive super-cyclone due to reach the east coast by tomorrow. And Pakistan PM Imran Khan, in a face-saving gesture to root out corruption, is embroiled in a power struggle with the sugar barons who claim they won him his election victory as well as the military who sidelined him over his indecisive response to a lockdown. Experts warn of the danger to western security interests in the region if he falls and the (just as corrupt) military take over the nuclear-armed country.

What’s of note astrologically that the India and Pakistan independence charts from the 1947 Partition both have Mars at zero degrees Cancer which will be exactly conjunct the June Cancer Solar Eclipse. Mars on an Eclipse is argumentative and then some, bringing surges of anger, sometimes bringing a feeling of a collision as well as a confrontation . In the case of India since their Mars is in their 2^nd house the consequences may be mainly financial. For Pakistan with Mars conjunct their Midheaven it’s more likely to be a crisis affecting the country’s direction.

Both charts are obviously similar but with Pakistan claiming freedom at 9.30am the day before the axis of the chart is different. But both will catch the turbulent tr Uranus square tr Saturn in hard aspect to their Pluto Saturn and financial Venus in 2021 which will be a tough and jolting phase economically.

Narendra Modi’s Term from 30 May 2019 7.04pm Delhi, has a lacklustre, over-hopeful and confused Mercury opposition Jupiter square Neptune which is catching tr Neptune hard aspects through this year into next which doesn’t suggest they’ll be exactly on top of problems.

The Reserve Bank of India chart, 1 April 1935, looks shell-shocked exactly now because of the economic hit with Solar Arc Mars square the Sun. There’ll be more confidence after mid this year for a few months. But 2021 will be economically challenging with the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the financial Venus in Taurus; and 2022 will be much worse with a dead-halt Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Mars and a disruptive Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Pluto.

Imran Khan’s Government, 18 August 2018 10.15 am Islamabad, will be facing a setback over coming months as the June Eclipse opposes the Saturn in Capricorn, which will bring chickens home to roost, serious challenges and a need for a revision of policies.

The Bank of Pakistan, 1 July 1948, will be slipping and sliding in 2021/22 witha panicky-failure tr Neptune opposition the Mars and in a bubble-bursting and confidence-denting square to the Jupiter – and tr Neptune will hang around for another three years thereafter. So not an easy financial run.

Pope John Paul 11, born 100 years ago today, is regarded as one of the ‘greats’ for helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually the rest of Europe, and significantly improving the Catholic Church’s relations with Judaism, Islam, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. But a Polish documentary on child abuse by Catholic clerics has put a damper on the centenary celebrations in his home country. The documentary maker has made waves with two films on the subject so far, seen millions of times on YouTube and says he will release a third on the “role of John Paul II in the dissimulation of crimes committed by priests”.  Although mouthing the right sentiments he was heavily criticised for discontinuing investigations into Marcial Maciel of the Legion of Christ, a major fundraiser for the Vatican, who was removed later after JP’s death for widespread abuse.

Pope John Paul 11 was generally regarded as conservative on abortion, contraception, the ordination of women and celibate clergy.

He was born 18 May 1920 5.30 pm Wadowice, Poland, started to study for the priesthood during World War 11 in an underground seminary and was involved in the escape of Polish Jews from the Nazis. His mother died in 1929, his father in 1941 and an older brother was also gone – all by the time he was twenty.

He had an intense, deeply buried and enduring and stubborn 8^th house Taurus Sun conjunct a Gemini Moon. With his Moon on the focal point of a T Square to an autocratic Saturn in Virgo opposition Uranus, making him well-suited to a public life but not always practising what he preached. He had an ethereal, compassionate and optimistic Jupiter Neptune in Leo conjunct his Midheaven square a 7^th house Venus in earthy Taurus. He could turn on the charm when needed; but he also had a dogmatic Pluto in the 9^th so would dig his heels in when it came to discussions.

His Mars in Libra in the 12^th was unaspected which would make him single-minded, uncompromising, driven to constant activity. Tierney remarks of an unaspected Mars that negative manifestations are likely to be unconscious – and given that he had two serious accidents during the war years and a near-terminal assassination attempt it may be his Mars drew ‘collisions’ towards him.

When he was shot in 1981 tr Pluto was exactly conjunct his Mars which is a classic high-risk influence. Tr Uranus was retrograding in opposition to his Sun; tr Saturn was square his Solar Arc Midheaven and Solar Arc was approaching the square to his Midheaven – a perfect storm of difficult aspects.

His Election chart did have a volatile and explosive Mars Uranus in the 7^th and tr Pluto was exactly conjunct the Libra Sun when he was shot. That chart has Saturn in the 5^th house of children, perhaps a hint from the start of an overly-rigid attitude towards the subject of child abuse.

His chart did fit well with the Vatican since his Sun was conjunct the Vatican Jupiter and Midheaven; with his Gemini Moon chiming with the Vatican New Moon in Gemini. The relationship chart had a composite New Moon suggesting a complementary relationship – more whole when together – with a ‘power-couple’ Jupiter Pluto conjunction.

The faithful may regard him as the greatest and he undoubtedly made a difference for the better in many areas – but history will point out his flaws and his rigidity on progressive reforms and child protection.

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Israel has sworn in a unity government under the revolving leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz which is likely to oversee the annexation of large parts of the West Bank. It’s also likely to defer indefinitely any potential sentence for corruption charges against Netanyahu.

Trump/Kushner’s ‘vision for peace’ for Palestine, described as Monty Python-ish, which envisaged Israel taking full military control over Palestinians, grabbing much of their land and all of Jerusalem and Israeli settlements was comprehensively rejected by the Palestinians who in return had been offered the option of economic incentives, land swaps and the prospect of some form of self-rule, but with significant caveats. Speaking at the Knesset yesterday ahead of being sworn in, Netanyahu called it “another glorious chapter in the history of Zionism”.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has indicated extreme concern about the proposal and some believe it could lead to a cancellation of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty which has kept Israel safe on its eastern border. Jordan hosts millions of Palestinian refugees and would face internal disruption from the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mike Pompeo reinforced Trump’s wishes on his visit to Israel last week. The EU is preparing for the possibility that joint projects with Israel will be suspended in response to moves toward unilateral annexation.

Israel just past another birthday is moving into a longish phase of domestic mutiny with tr Pluto moving into its 4^th house for many years ahead; with tr Saturn leading the way for the first two years of that stretch. This year’s Solar Eclipses will trigger the national chart with the June Cancer Eclipse in an emotionally upsetting conjunction with the Israeli Venus; and the December Eclipse conjunct the Jupiter and opposition Uranus which could lead to an over-optimistic gamble.

The way ahead for several years until tr Uranus exits Taurus in 2026 will be exceptionally turbulent. First tr Saturn Jupiter will oppose the 10^th house Moon in early 2021, and even more disruptive and unsettling economically the tr Saturn square tr Uranus will hard aspect the 10^th house Pluto through 2021 as well into 2022. Tr Uranus then forms a jolting square to the Saturn and is conjunct the 8^th house Sun in 2022/23, before moving to make a volatile explosive and insecure square to the Israel Mars in 2024/25. Along the way tr Neptune squaring the risk-taking and opportunistic Israel Jupiter opposition Uranus in 2022 to 2024 will lower confidence and diminish luck.

Both the Gaza and Palestine declaration charts have a congregation of Fixed planets that will also be jolted through these years. The relationship with Jordan does look uncertain exactly now; with a complete turnaround in 2021 which could be a break in diplomatic relations – and unrest rolls on for several years after that.

The government Swearing In took place yesterday around 2pm which gives a limp Moon Neptune in Pisces square Venus; with a confident, controlling and unyielding Sun (conjunct Algol) trine Pluto Jupiter and Saturn; plus an autocratic and financially erratic Uranus square Saturn. The Jupiter Pluto conjunction oppose the Fixed Star Procyon which sits on the Israel national chart’s Midheaven and is associated with rises to great fame/success and just as sudden falls. Both the Israel Sun and this chart’s Sun are conjunct the destructive Fixed Star Algol.

Netanyahu himself despite having tr Saturn moving through a low-profile, less successful 1^st quadrant has tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter in 2020/21 so giving him undeserved luck to prop him up. But for all that he has tr Neptune opposing his Midheaven in 2021 which won’t do much for his progress.

Sigh. Plus ca change.The Saturn Pluto autocracy is alive and kicking the underdog.

From here to eternity had nothing on the endless Brexit negotiations which have stuttered and stumbled, slithered and shambled well beyond the public’s tolerance levels or attention span. Does anyone care anymore? If the referendum were held tomorrow with the looming CV-19 economic hit would the vote flit to a no? Not that the EU is exactly in an enticing financial state itself.

Negotiations between Michel Barnier and UK civil servant David Frost appear to be deadlocked and getting tetchy which is normal except that time is running very short with decisions required a) by June and b) certainly by October. The charts of neither look cheerful ahead. Barnier born 9 January 1951 4.40pm La Tranche, France, a Sun Capricorn square Neptune with an immoveable 8^th house Moon Mars in Aquarius opposition Pluto, has tr Neptune moving across his Midheaven this year into his 10^th and squaring two of his key career midpoints till late February 2021.

David Frost, 21 February 1965, is a Sun Saturn Mercury in Pisces with Uranus Pluto Mars spread through Virgo – so a typical Boris scattergun type. He also has Jupiter in Taurus in an (over hopeful) opposition to Neptune (Moon) square Venus in Aquarius – charming and can be stubborn but no match I’d reckon for Barnier’s Mars opposition Pluto. He’s looking just as downcast at the moment and into early 2021. His midpoints are picking up the stuck, undermining tr Neptune opposition to his Mars/Pluto midpoint exactly now and Mars/Uranus later in the year into 2021; as well as the failed-plans tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune on and off till later this year.

Gove and Boris are suggesting Brexit is all-systems-go and if the EU aren’t savvy enough to bend to UK terms then it’ll be a bungee jump off the Brexit cliff without any clear indication what elastic there’ll be to keep things afloat. Though it seems clear there will be broken promises about a Northern Ireland customs border which are being obfuscated by No 10 at the moment.

None of the charts are remotely illuminating about what comes next. This June’s Cancer Solar Eclipse will conjunct the Cancer Moon of the Boris Government chart and oppose the Jupiter which might suggest a shock which blows a hole in the laid-back, it-all-be-fine optimistic attitude. The December Sagittarius Eclipse will conjunct the Government Sun as well as oppose Boris’s Sun Venus – so it will be a game changing moment. Though in which direction isn’t clear.

From a previous post on Eclipses:

The 21st June 2020 Solar Eclipse at zero degrees Cancer is associated with difficulties, restrictions, inhibitions, separations and illusions. Bernadette Brady remarks in The Eagle and the Lark that this eclipse brings blocks and ’the individual is prone to misjudging his or her strength and is best advised to wait before taking any real action.’ It was around previously in 2002, 1984, 1966, 1948, 1930 and 1912.

The 14th December 2020 23 degree Sagittarius Solar Eclipse casting its shadow over the following months is strongly emotional about relationships or money, can involve lust and anger. There is a sense of fatedness and individuals feel they are caught up in situations or relationships beyond their control. This will bring acute frustrations and the advice is to avoid rash actions. It was around before in 2002, 1984, 1966, 1948, 1930, 1912.

The EU/UK composite chart isn’t too descriptive either except that the June Eclipse will conjunct the Midheaven suggesting a good going dilemma in terms of joint direction.

The June Eclipse will also be conjunct the Sun of the 24 June 2016 referendum vote, but whether that indicates progress or upset, I’ve no idea. Mind you that chart has a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter North Node in Virgo opposition Neptune square Saturn opposition Mercury in Gemini, which suggests instability, inability to focus and all the windmill-in-a-storm characteristics of a Mutable Grand Cross; in addition to an unpredictable and constantly changing Uranus square Pluto. For a definitive decision it’s a very wobbly chart.

31 December 2020 which is when the government stoutly insist the UK leaves come hell or high water there’s a high-tension, thoroughly bad-tempered Mars square Pluto; plus a volatile Moon opposition Saturn Jupiter square Uranus (Mars); and a mushy Venus opposition Node square Neptune.

I’m completely flummoxed so anyone else who’d like to pitch in do feel free.

None of the main players – Boris, Gove or Dominic Cummings look upbeat in 2021, quite the reverse – all bogged down in a disappointing swamp and paralysed. I reckon most people had become resigned to it happening whether they voted for it or not, but the timing couldn’t be worse, putting an additional strain on an already fractured economy.

A panic court application for fashion designer and former child actress Mary-Kate Olsen to speed through her divorce  from banker Oliver Sarkozy has failed. He has evidently ended the lease on their Manhattan apartment without informing her and she can’t get her possessions out before the closing day because of the lockdown. Sounds just like a banker but difficult to rouse much sympathy for the problems of the one-percenters.

They are remarkably similar astro-types – both Sun Gemini, both Virgo Moon and both Leo Ascendant – so much of a muchness in temperament.

She was born 13 June 1986 9.45 am Van Nuys, California, started acting as a baby along with her twin sister Ashley, and ultimately moved into the fashion business. She’s been a billionairess since her twenties. She was close friends with Heath Ledger.

She’s a freedom-loving Gemini Sun opposition Uranus; with an enthusiastic Venus in Cancer opposition Mars in ambitious Capricorn trine/saxtile a lucky-with-money Jupiter in the 8^th. Venus in Cancer is ideal for the creative fashion business and Venus trine Jupiter suits the frivolous, superficiality of it all.

Oliver Sarkozy was born 28 May 1969 10.05 am Boulogne Billancourt, France, brought up mainly abroad, the half brother of former French president Nicholas Sarkozy, has worked in top level finance in Europe and New York and been previously married for 14 years with two children.

He’s a Sun Gemini trine Uranus with a powerhouse collection of Pluto, Jupiter, Moon in Virgo in his financial 2^nd house; with an executive-ability Saturn in Taurus in his 10^th and a charming Venus in Aries on his Midheaven.

Her chart has Pluto conjunct her IC and Saturn in the 4^th square her Moon; and his has Neptune in the 4^th opposition his Sun with his Moon conjunct Uranus, Jupiter and Pluto so neither had ideal childhoods or settled emotional lives.

Money would be a factor in their relationship with his Pluto Jupiter Moon and Uranus falling in her 2^nd and her Jupiter falling in his 8^th.  And according to reports what split them was her insistence on keeping up a heavy business schedule.

Their relationship chart is ambitious and soused with Neptunian illusions with a composite Sun Venus opposition Neptune trine Pluto square Moon; with a heavy-duty Grand Trine of Pluto trine Saturn trine Sun, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition Neptune – so it was always built on shifting sands and a mirage.

Their wedding chart, 27 November 2015 in New York, was hardly an auspicious start with Uranus in Aries opposition both Mars and Venus square Pluto; with Neptune square Sun, Saturn, Mercury – some passion, a ton of frustration and irritation and disappointments to follow.

At the moment the two major oppositions in her birth chart have collided as the Solar Arc Sun opposition Uranus sits squarely on her Mars opposition Venus, which would provoke a life-changing moment running on for several years. Her Sun/Moon midpoint at 26 degrees Cancer is catching the tr Saturn opposition this year and the tr Pluto opposition in 2021/22. So the divorce may drag on acrimoniously. Tr Neptune is also square her Uranus now and moving to conjunct her 8^th house Jupiter and square her Sun in 2021 as her business almost certainly takes a hit from the downturn. Not a happy time for her.

His Solar Arc Saturn is moving to square his 2^nd house powerhouse planets with tr Neptune moving through his 8^th in opposition over coming years – so he won’t be on a high either till after mid decade.

Not a realistic match.

Yet another Al Capone movie, this one about his post-Alcatraz descent into syphilitic dementia, hasn’t impressed the reviews. The Wall Street Journal says: “If watching a shuffling, scrofulous, incontinent and delusional gangster in terminal decline is your idea of entertainment, “Capone” is what you’ve been waiting for. The Chicago Sun Times described it as “a noxious film about a noxious man”.

America’s most famous criminal ran a Chicago empire during Prohibition, built on illegal alcohol, gambling dens, bordellos, loan shark operations, protection and extortion rackets. He had judges, politicians, journalists and policemen on his payroll. His ‘Outfit’ brought in $1.5 billion in today’s money and left hundreds of corpses in its wake. He was ultimately convicted for tax fraud and once inside was diagnosed with late stage syphilis contracted from his early days working as ‘the muscle’ for numerous brothels.

Capone, born 17 January 1899 New York 9.30am (unverified) had a see-saw chart with three oppositions – an ambitious, can-be-dictatorial Capricorn Sun in a combative opposition to Mars in final degree Cancer; an innovative, unpredictable, emotionally changeable Pluto opposition Uranus Venus in Sagittarius; and a neurotic, paranoid, creative Saturn in dogmatic Sagittarius opposition Neptune. See-saw charts are continually looking for balance and rarely finding it. It’s not (on this birth time) that brutal a chart for a man who ran an ultra-violent crime outfit, profiting from human misery and depravity.

His serial killer 18^th Harmonic was strong, as was his in-the-history-books 17H; and oddly enough the victim/sacrifice 12H, which joined together a fearsome combination of Pluto Moon, Mars and Uranus, much more descriptive of his murderous lifestyle – so 12H must have an additional meaning.

His reign of terror didn’t last long – in mob-boss terms – since he was sentenced at 33 by which time his mental decline was marked. At that point his Solar Arc Neptune opposition Solar Arc Saturn was starting to oppose/conjunct his natal Sun opposition Mars. When two major chart configurations come together by Solar Arc it almost always creates a life-changing crisis – and it would be in place for the few years following when he evidently failed to make much impact in Alcatraz as his deterioration increased. Tr Neptune was starting several years of squaring his Uranus. Venus, Pluto and Saturn. With tr Pluto in Cancer aiming also to oppose his Sun and conjunct his Mars in the final phase of his 8 year incarceration which would be devastating. He died at home of a stroke just after his 48^th birthday.

For a man who became such an iconic figure for the USA, it’s a puzzling chart with less substance than might be expected. Though his Capricorn Sun was exactly conjunct the USA 1776 Pluto, tying him into the country’s seamier underworld.

Tom Hardy, always attracted to violent weirdo roles, stars. Josh Trank directed, continuing on his roller coaster career path, starting with an epic high in 2012 in Chronicle, followed by the disastrous Fantastic Four which Vulture called a “confused, joyless mess”, an abysmal box office fail.  This may not be much better.

Cataclysmic descriptions about the economic damage caused by the virus lockdown are difficult to gauge since no one knows whether it’ll be a V-shaped dip with quick recovery or an L-shaped slog. The more dramatic couch it in terms of a historic first in direness. Though parallels are being drawn with the 1976 humiliation for the UK when it was forced to go cap in hand to the IMF for a loan. The PM of the day James Callaghan said: “We used to think you could spend your way out of a recession and increase employment by cutting taxes and boosting government spending. I tell you in all candour, that option no longer exists.” What followed was a reduction in government spending, tax increases and rises in interest rates. The economy did recover and the loan was paid back within three years but it ultimately paved the way for Margaret Thatcher’s 1979 victory.

The IMF Bailout came in December 1976 when tr Uranus was in early Scorpio and squaring tr Saturn in Leo, in the months running in and after. Tr Uranus in hard aspect to tr Saturn is traditionally associated with economic recessions and another such turns up in 2021 with tr Uranus half a cycle on in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius.

On the UK chart around the time of the bailout tr Uranus was poised to oppose the 8^th house financial Mars by January 1977 with tr Saturn in square. This time round tr Uranus will conjunct that UK Mars with tr Saturn in square in 2021 – so very similar.   The Solar Arcs were marginally more damaging in 1976/77 with Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the financial Venus with tr Saturn in opposition to the UK Venus; and tr Uranus square the Solar Arc Venus.

But it’ll still be a very rocky ride ahead economically for the UK with the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the financial planets badly in 2021 with more disappointment by 2023 with the Solar Arc Sun square the 2^nd house Neptune; and more shocks in 2025 when the Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct the 8th house Mars. Tr Uranus doesn’t clear the 8^th house of international trade till 2027 so it’ll be an extended bumpy ride ahead.

The Bank of England chart, 27 July 1694 JC, with its natal Sun Jupiter in Leo and Solar Arc Uranus in Taurus will catch the tr Saturn square tr Uranus next year for high-stress challenges. With 2023/2024/25 keying up as high-anxiety phases as well.

An IMF bailout hardly seems likely since they haven’t the money to prop up the world, but similar cutbacks and shocks look unavoidable.

Psychopathic female assassins have become all the rage since the television drama Killing Eve shot the character of Villanelle to anti-hero greatness. She was evidently based on a notorious Spanish hit-woman, Isola Lopez Riano, who killed 23 people for the Basque separatist group ETA in the 1980s. She was dubbed La Tigresa (The Tigress) because of her legendary sexual prowess, often seducing policemen before she killed them. The dramatist who translated her across to television described her as narcissistic and completely lacking in empathy.

She joined the group aged 18 and spent 10 years fighting with them, with her most infamous attack being the 1986 car bomb in a Madrid square which killed 12 Civil Guard and injured 50 people. Later that year she killed five more with another car bomb, gunned several policemen and four soldiers, and attempted to kill a high court judge. ETA finally pensioned her off and she was arrested in 1994 in southern France, served time for terrorism offences and was then extradited to Spain where she was sentenced to 2,000 years in prison, though was released in 2017. In prison she renounced violence, apologised to relatives of the victims and was declared persona non grata by ETA.

She was born 18 March 1964 in San Sebastian, Spain, and lo and behold La Tigresa is the personification of a Neptunian monster – a Sun Mars and Chiron in Pisces trine Neptune in Scorpio. She might have been a dancer or a yoga teacher. With admittedly Mars in a wide opposition to Pluto which would fit with a ruthless streak. Her Venus in tactile and indulgent Taurus was trine Pluto and Uranus as well as opposition Neptune so she would have a seductive way about her.

Her 18^th Harmonic which is often strong with serial killers is very marked joining together the megalomaniac Neptune Pluto with the Sun – she found a cause that gave her permission to wield ultimate power.

The same warped ambition is found in her midpoints with her Pluto falling on her Neptune/North Node midpoint along with a brutal Mars square her Sun/Pluto and a methodical Sun conjunct Jupiter/Saturn.

Not a show I watched after the first half season but the inspiration is chilling enough.

A serial liar who became France’s go-to expert on serial killers, writing forty books which sold millions, fronting documentaries and lecturing to magistrates, prison officials and police, has finally admitted he’s a fake. Stéphane Bourgoin claimed to have interviewed more than 70 serial killers, trained at the FBI’s base in Quantico, Virginia and that his own wife was murdered in 1976, by a serial killer. In reality there was no wife, he was never near the FBI or Charles Manson.

Born 14 March 1953 in Paris 4.45 am, he was excluded three times from high school and had no diploma, worked in the horror film business and then in a Paris bookstore that specialized in detective novels and criminology. When his house of cards collapsed recently he said he just wanted to be loved.

He does have an interesting chart with a Yod onto a focal point 2^nd house Pisces Sun inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune Saturn, with Neptune Saturn opposition Mars Venus in Aries.

A focal point Sun makes for a wavering sense of self-identity which starts with low self-esteem and then flits to the opposite of aggrandisement. If mismanaged can lead to an abuse of personal will and authority – and would definitely aim him in the direction of a money-making career.

His 9^th house Saturn Neptune will make him neurotic as well as creative and a good communicator with a bent towards lecturing and publishing; Neptune Pluto is ambitious and with Saturn involved ultra-determined. Saturn opposition Mars would spark his interest in murder; Neptune opposition Mars likes publicity. Mars Venus in his 3rd house, also an indicator of a communicator and researcher keen to get his message across. His North Node in Aquarius would prompt him to find a cause to which to devote his energies – and falling in his 1^st house would also give him problems in early adult life with trying to settle on an identity/image.

I’d hazard a guess that the time might be out marginally but say 5 minutes earlier which would put his Pluto in the influential and dark 8^th. His Midheaven was in Scorpio with a Capricorn Ascendant which also fits his chosen obsession.

An oddity with an astrologically compelling chart.