Astrology of Today’s News

Brazen betrayal is the theme of “A Spy Among Friends” a new TV drama series about Kim Philby, who not only deceived and double-crossed his country as a soviet agent, but also his closest friend Nick Elliott as well as the service they both worked for. It takes a special kind of amoral and unscrupulous personality to live that kind of a lie for decades. Elliott served in MI6 with Philby, having come up through similar upper-class Cambridge-educated backgrounds and stood by him against all accusations after MacLean and Burgess defected in 1951.

  Writer Ben Macintyre said Elliott could no more believe that Philby could be a Soviet spy than that he could fly to the moon. This was “the inner circle of Britain’s ruling class where mutual trust was so absolute and so unquestioned that there was no need for elaborate security precautions. They were all part of the same family.” Philby was ousted from the service and Elliott still supported him until 1963 when Philby confessed and fled to Moscow.

  Philby was born in Ambala India on 1 January 1912 at 2.30pm (unverified bt) and became persuaded by communism when at Cambridge. He sold secrets to the Soviets for 26 years before defecting.

  He had a Capricorn Sun, possibly in the secretive 8^th, which makes sense; and an intense, also secretive Mercury in the 8^th opposition Pluto. But more significantly he had his Mars in Taurus conjunct Algol and possibly his Moon as well opposition a charming Venus in Scorpio. The ultra-powerful and can-be-destructive Algol wreaking havoc behind the scenes.  He also had the can-be-fanatical Uranus opposition Neptune of the time square a stand-alone North Node in Aries. The 25 years he spent in Moscow after his defection were unhappy and disillusioning.

  Nick Elliott, born 15 November 1916, played in the drama by Damien Lewis, had his Scorpio Sun conjunct Philby’s Venus for a friendly connection and opposition Philby’s Mars (Moon) – he selected the charm and ignored the ruthlessness. Elliott’s Jupiter was conjunct Philby’s North Node so arguably providing a naïve cover for his illicit activities; and Philby’s Neptune was conjunct Elliott’s South Node for the most devastating of triple betrayals – of friendship, country and MI6.

 Their relationship chart had an emotionally-loaded and risky composite Grand Trine of Pluto trine Venus trine Mars and North Node, which would in part be soaked up in the joint secret service work they shared. But was blown apart in the early 1960s by tr Uranus and Pluto in Virgo opposing the composite Mars.

  When Elliott was finally forced to accept the truth, his chart showed clearly the extent to which he was shattered – Solar Arc Mars opposed his Neptune for panicky-failure. His Solar Arc Saturn squared his Mars for a major setback. His Solar Arc Mercury opposed his Pluto provoking the gloomiest of thoughts. And tr Saturn then in Aquarius was conjunct his Uranus and moving to square his Sun – jolting, discouraging and a sharp reality check.

The Nodal cross overs are interesting since they were at the heart of the most damaging events in the history of British espionage.

As a further thought, looking at Philby’s chart against the UK, it puts his Sun within less than a degree of the UK Sun for a strong connection but his duplicitous Neptune fell in the UK 10th; and his Saturn in Taurus was in a hostile conjunction to the UK 8th house Mars. Philby’s Mars Moon in Taurus was also in the UK 8th square the UK Saturn. He was certainly suited to work behind in the scenes in the realm of dirty secrets but his Algol square the UK Saturn, ruling the country’s legislature and his Neptune would put him at cross purposes to the UK’s interests.

Add on: Have added chart for St John Philby, his father. His wiki entry worth reading. Pro-Arabist, anti-semitic, thought to have handed over info to the Saudis – so had slightly the same leanings as his son, though how he squared his ‘socialist’ views with the House of Saud isn’t clear. Makes it all the more astonishing that Philby Jnr was welcomed into M16 with no questions asked.

Bosnia could be in imminent danger of breaking apart as Serb separatists carry out their threat to recreate their own army. The international representative warned that the country was facing “the greatest existential threat of the postwar period”. Recent Bosnian Serb police “counter-terrorist” exercises last month were, he said “tantamount to secession without proclaiming it.” There is a “very real” prospect of a return to conflict, he said. With Russia and Serbia supporting the breakaway factions.

  The Dayton Agreement which brought an end to the bloody Bosnia War of the early 1990s has been criticized for creating an ineffective and unwieldy political structure, with the  single sovereign state known as Bosnia and Herzegovina composed of two parts, a largely Serb-populated area and another mainly Croat-Bosniak-populated one.

  The Bosnia independence chart, 3 March 1992, is exhibiting more than the usual degree of jitters with the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the Mars, Saturn, Venus in Aquarius this year and next.  With the New Year to mid February 2022 especially disruptive and explosive as tr Uranus squares the Mars. The discouraging Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the Sun also hits exact in six months; with collisions and shocks in 2024 as the Solar Arc Mars is conjunct the Sun. In 2023 there is rebellious and turbulent tr Uranus opposition Pluto.

   The treaty which ended the war, signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 at 11.48am, shows disappointment writ large with tr Neptune square the Sun Jupiter over the next three years and tr Pluto in an upsetting conjunction to the Uranus through 2022/23. So the predictions may not be far off the mark.

   With support for the ruling South Africa ANC party dropping as years of neglect come home to roost with potholed roads, uncollected rubbish, and water and electricity supplies shut off for hours, if not days on end, Monday’s municipal elections will serve as a litmus test of support for President Cyril Ramaphosa. He is likely to seek a second term as head of the ANC next year and then as the nation’s leader in 2024 but he is facing an uphill battle to revive the coronavirus-battered economy and end corruption that has devastated state finances. The country has been hit by a series of crippling power blackouts with the state-owned power utility Eskom, which provides about 90% of South Africa’s electricity, struggling to survive. For years it has been marred by allegations of mismanagement and corruption.

 Ramaphosa’s chart, 17 November 1952, looks trapped and enraged through 2022 with tr Pluto conjunct his Mars; and in a state of complete disruption come 2023/24 with tr Uranus square his Pluto and opposition his Sun.

  His 25 May 2019 11.30am Term chart is logjammed for the next few months into 2022 and not fulfilling his hopes for two years thereafter.

 The modern South Africa, 27 April 1994 12 am Pretoria, chart has Uranus moving across the IC and through its domestic 4^th house for seven years ahead indicating a restless electorate who want to pull away from the past. Tr Pluto conjunct the Uranus through 2022 could see demos and rebellions, certainly a push for radical change. Tr Saturn moving down through the lower profile First Quadrant from this year doesn’t suggest prosperity coming any time soon over the next few years. It may be almost the end of this decade as tr Pluto moves across the Ascendant that the country gets a grip.  

 The 31 May 1910 country chart is in a state of upheaval as well as completely stuck exactly now with tr Pluto conjunct the Uranus and the Solar Arc Sun square Pluto. 2022/23 look lacklustre and sagging years with tr Neptune square the Pluto and opposition the Solar Arc Sun. With deprivation and hardship in 2024/25 as tr Pluto squares the Saturn; but possibly shifting into more enthusiastic times come 2026/7/8.   

  A sarcastic post by a local blogger lets rip about the state of South Africa: ‘Democracy, if that is indeed a real word, has been hollowed out by over a decade of state-sponsored mega violence, self-imposed austerity, weapons-grade incompetence, craven corruption.’ ‘The elections of the future won’t matter at all – they’ll be show trials for lousy ideas crafted by an increasingly inept array of second-rate autocrats. This is, of course, not a polite observation in a country where thousands died for the right…’

  A tragedy.

Add On: The African National Congress (ANC) which has been in power since Mandela’s election in 1994 was founded 8 January 1912. Oddly enough only a few days after Kim Philby was born – totally unconnected – except both charts have Mars conjunct Algol in Taurus so both were guaranteed to have a turbulent history. At the moment the tr Uranus square tr Saturn is causing ructions colliding with the ANC Saturn until early 2022; with severe stress till late this month from tr Pluto trine the Mars; and more obvious upheavals in 2022/23 from tr Pluto conjunct the ANC Uranus. 2023 to 2025 will undermine the party’s power and influence as tr Neptune squares the ANC Pluto.

 When Mandela was elected the ANC was on its First Uranus Return for a high, though the transiting South Node conjunct the ANC Mars and Algol might have pointed to problems to come.

The Queen has been told by her doctors to rest and restrict herself to light desk duties. She will miss the Festival of Remembrance on November 13^th though hopes to be at the National Service the next day. It’s hardly surprising given her recent busy schedule, Prince Philip’s passing only a few months ago and her 95 years. All things considered she’s doing exceptionally well.

  But it does cast a chill as the public come to terms with the knowledge that she can’t be there forever.

  The late November Taurus Lunar Eclipse will fall across her Midheaven, Saturn in Scorpio and Solar Arc Neptune as well as her IC – so it will be significant for her. Perhaps at least a hint that she needs to find a better balance in her lifestyle.

  Charles equally is not having his best of years with his father’s death, the Fawcett financial scandal and his younger son Harry’s brickbats hurled across from California. He has his Solar Arc Pluto opposition his 10^th house career-driven Taurus Moon; and his Solar Arc opposition his 2^nd house Saturn – so love, money and career all being jolted; as well as a panicky, undermining tr Neptune square his Mars till mid January 2022.  If his birth time is accurate to the minute then 2023 looks to be his year of major change with his Solar Arc MC conjunct his Uranus then. Though it could come earlier.

  The Queen has been part of the fabric of the UK for so long its difficult to imagine life without her. It hasn’t always been an easy relationship but her conscientious 6^th house Pluto is conjunct the UK’s Midheaven and her Cancerian North Node is conjunct the UK’s Cancer Moon, symbol of the country’s ruler – both of which suggest a crucial connection.

  Her relationship chart with the UK has an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction and a power-couple Jupiter Pluto conjunction so she undoubtedly raised the UK’s status. There’s also a less easy Mars opposition Neptune Saturn square Uranus – so she wasn’t always as popular as now.

  Charles is less good a fit with the UK though his Scorpio Sun does trine the 10^th house Moon; and his Midheaven is conjunct the UK 7^th house North Node in Aries which suggests he could be instrumental in leading the UK through its independence years away from the EU. The UK/Charles relationship chart has a friendly Sun Venus tied into Uranus Jupiter so he may be more popular than it seems as of the moment – though there’s also a bad-tempered, maybe hostile Mars Saturn Pluto Mercury so he will come in for criticism as well.

  William has his Cancer North Node in the UK 10^th conjunct the UK MC which would seem to align their destinies and his assertive/decisive Mars in Libra is conjunct the UK Ascendant and square both the UK Sun and MC, so he could be an invigorating force. His relationship chart with the UK also has a friendly composite Sun Venus – and a composite Jupiter Saturn, which merges idealism with practicality.

   Although the Queen is unlikely to abdicate altogether she may continue to give up more duties and pay heed to the passing years. Her mother lived to be 101.

See previous post September 11 2021.

The marriage from hell was laid bare in the UK Jackson murder trial this week with the accused wife claiming she was the victim of years of physical and emotional abuse from her fourth husband whom she had stabbed to death. She finally snapped after a trivial argument over food and the remote control. Relatives claimed she was narcissistic and a liar who had left three marriages, with her third husband suiciding after he discovered she was having an affair. David Jackson, a retired lieutenant colonel, was on his third marriage. Both seemed to be opinionated, stubborn and heavy drinkers – so presumably the 24 year marriage was bound together by some perverse symbiosis. The jury didn’t buy her persecuted-wife tale and she has been given an 18 year sentence though plans to appeal on the grounds of coercive control.

  She was born 13 February 1955 and spent the first twelve years in care, so didn’t have a great start. She has a more than unusually bleak chart with an Aquarius Sun Mercury opposition Pluto square Saturn in Scorpio. She also has Mars in assertive Aries opposition Neptune and in a volatile square to an adventurous Uranus Jupiter – stubborn definitely with all that Fixed energy, disruptive with a focal point Uranus and explosive with Uranus square Mars.

  There’s no birth date for him yet but one may emerge. A ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’  Liz Taylor/Richard Burton flesh-tearing liaison which both seemed to be invested in otherwise they wouldn’t have stayed.

 She does have a destructive 12^th Harmonic which can be victim or healer – it links Mars Saturn Pluto and Venus – so her reaction to her experiences would be threatening. Her extra-tough, can-be-self-defeating 16H is also marked with destructive aspects; and even more so her 18H.

With the Supreme Court’s approval rating slipping in the USA and only 28% polled recently wanting to see the pro-choice Roe versus Wade repealed, there will be a moment of truth coming. The Texas near total ban on abortions even where rape or incest are involved and a Mississippi similar one are coming before SCOTUS in November and December. It will be the first abortion case argued before the court since the nomination of three justices by former Republican president Donald Trump gave conservatives a 6-3 majority on the panel. Congress has already adopted a bill to enshrine the right to an abortion in federal law to protect it from any possible reversal but it has no chance of passing the Senate.

 The first hearing on November 1^st has a tricky Sun Mars in Scorpio with Uranus in opposition and square Saturn – which will make for an aggravated mood. The aftermath with Mars closing these aspects to exact will be rancorous and bitter. John Roberts, the Chief Justice looks discouraged and he must be worried about the lack of public respect. On the Roe v Wade chart January into February 2022 look the most aggravated time. With some cheer following in February. But the issue won’t go away.

  From a previous post September 24 2020:  ‘Roe v Wade was signed 22 January 1973 at 10 am Washington, DC which gives a stalwart Aquarius Sun trine Pluto sextile Neptune in Sagittarius; with an optimistic Uranus square Jupiter Mercury; and a destructive Mars opposition Saturn. There are tremors of an upheaval this year until late December though nothing would be decided that quickly. Though an anti-abortion choice for SCOTUS might send shivers of fear through the chart. Where the major debate comes is 2023/24 with tr Pluto conjunct the Mercury with a seriously rattled and insecure Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Mars in 2024/25. Tr Pluto will also be conjunct the Sun in 2024 so that looks the most challenging time.’

The SCOTUS chart itself is on edge with tr Saturn square the Uranus and tr Uranus square the Sun; with confusion following in December as Pluto squares the Neptune – and 222 is no better with tr Neptune conjunct the Saturn and opposes the Moon. Not too woman friendly from the look of that. Disappointment will be the mood and it will be internal as well as external.

See also post September 2 2021 Texas anti-Abortion.

Add On: Amy Coney Barrett, 28 January 1972, the latest Trump and uber-religious appointee, has tr Saturn exactly conjunct her Aquarius Sun now, so sobering days till mid November. Where her chart looks super-stressed is 2023/24 when she has a serious setback from Solar Arc Saturn square her afflicted Mars; and tr Pluto in a discouraging trine to her Saturn into 2024 as well; along with a deflated-hopes tr Neptune square Jupiter in 2024.

 Brett Kavanaugh, another recent Trump appointee, is equally look devastated in 2023/24 with a panicky -failure tr Neptune opposition his Mars; tr Uranus square his Sun plus plus a couple of other negative influences.

  Neil Gorsuch, 29 August 1967, will be jostled around in 2023/24 as tr Uranus is in a helpful square to his Jupiter but also in an explosive, insecure opposition to his Mars Neptune in Scorpio – so more bad than good.

  It could be personal travails in each case but altogether it looks challenging and not progressive for the right wingers.

Zayn Malik, formerly of One Direction, has denied hitting Yolanda Hadid, the mother of his erstwhile partner Gigi Hadid in a domestic argument. The couple who have had an on off relationship since 2015 have reportedly split. Supermodel Gigi Hadid is sister to fellow models Bella and Anwar and the daughter of Yolanda Hadid, a Dutch-American television personality and former model, best known as a star of the American reality-television show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Shades of the Kardashians.

Yolanda, 11 January 1964, is an ambitious Sun Mars in Capricorn with her Sun square Jupiter, trine sextile Neptune and trine Pluto; and a sophisticated, chilly Venus Saturn in Aquarius. A force to be reckoned with.

  Zayn Malik, 12 January 1993 10 am Bradford, England, is a highly-strung Sun, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury in Capricorn opposition a volatile Mars in Cancer so he probably has a short fuse. And his relationship chart with the putative mother-in-law was and is ferociously hostile with a composite Mars opposition Pluto square a tussle-for-the-upper-hand Jupiter Sun. Not a good combo with her controlling Pluto conjunct his Virgo Moon.

  Gigi Hadid, 23 April 1995 6.26am Los Angeles, is a Sun Taurus with Pluto in the 7th which will attract her to intense partners. Her mother comes across in her chart as forceful with a Moon opposition Mars; and her Moon is conjunct her mother’s Saturn for a chilly interface, plus she has the highly-strung Uranus Neptune in her 10^th which also represents mother.  But their relationship chart is affectionate enough with a composite Sun Venus and only a minor spot of irritation from a composite Mars trine Saturn.

  All a fuss about nothing much in the lives of less than amiable types.

The Facebook parent platform is changing its name to Meta from 1 December, reflecting the company’s push to build an avatar-filled virtual world known as the metaverse – the “successor to the mobile internet” – where users can shop, game and socialise in a shared virtual space. Zuckerburg hopes to attract 1bn more users and “hundreds of billions of dollars of digital commerce a day” in the next decade. The existing individual brands — Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Oculus — will not change.

 The timing is unfortunate given the bad publicity from recent whistleblower testimony but it can be a successful business strategy, as with google and Alphabet.

 The 1 December launch date has an ultra-ruthlessly determined Mars in Scorpio in a publicity-attracting trine to Neptune and sextile an influential/controlling and seductive Venus Pluto in Capricorn. Plus a risk-taking, opportunistic Jupiter square Mars. It’s a strong chart for a go-getting enterprise.

 Below is a rerun of an earlier October 5 2021 post on Facebook and Zuckerburg.

The fates have conspired to give Facebook the week from hell with a prolonged outage yesterday, wiping billions off share prices and a whistleblower accusing the company of placing “profit over safety” on primetime TV in advance of a hearing before US senators today. The six hour break in service was deemed to be an internal configuration fault which shut down not just the internet feed but also entry into the building for engineers trying to fix it.

     Francis Haugen, a former product manager, hired to help protect against election interference, leaked a trove of internal company documents to the Wall Street Journal which have created its deepest crisis since the Cambridge Analytica scandal – and has now stepped into the open. She said FB had lied to the public, exaggerating the progress it had made tackling hate, violence, and misinformation on its platform.

“There were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook. Over and over again, [it] chose to optimise for its own interests, like making more money.” FB’s shares have dipped 13 per cent since the WSJ began publishing its series in mid-September.

  Mark Zuckerburg, 14 May 1984 2.39pm White Plains New York, whose Taurus Sun is conjunct Algol, with Venus close by, opposing Mars Moon Saturn in Scorpio isn’t one to panic or over-react to pressure. But he’s in a long run of tr Uranus hard aspects to his Scorpio/Taurus planets, jangling him this year, more so in 2022/23/24. Even he will have to budge. The Eclipses from this November’s Taurus Lunar Eclipse and on through 2022 into 2023 will rattle up a good going series of crises, so he’ll have to change whether he likes it or not. His Progressed Mars will conjunct his 2nd house Saturn in 2022 which could see a major financial setback.

  What is odd about the FB IPO chart, 18 May 2012 11.31am is the Jupiter in Taurus which tr Pluto is trine at the moment and should be instilling confidence not the reverse. Though admittedly tr Saturn square the Midheaven won’t help and there will be disappointments with tr Neptune hitting the financial Venus and Mars/Uranus midpoint earlier this year and throughout 2022.

  There’s also a further calamity from 2^nd to 10^th December this year which shows up on Zuckerburg and the IPO chart.

 The original FB chart, 4 February 2004, is jolted, jangled and nerve-stretched this year and next with the disruptive and uncertain tr Saturn square tr Uranus hitting on the Neptune Sun in Aquarius; with financial woes in 2022/23 from tr Neptune conjunct the Venus; and worse problems in 2023/24 as the dead-halt tr Pluto squares the Mars in Taurus.

Rishi Sunak, the UK Chancellor, despite all media rumours that he and Boris did not see eye to eye has indulged in a lavish budget. It has alarmed ‘small government’ Tories and stirred up criticism for those affected by tax rises, with gloomy prognostications about financial pain to come with inflation, rising mortgage rates and the Brexit effect.

  In fact he never looked overly out of sorts with Boris on the astrology, though there’s a degree of suspicion and doubt written into their relationship chart. There’ll be some discouraging moments between them over the next fifteen months but it looks as if 2023 is when the cracks begin to show.

   Sunak, 12 May 1980, is a stalwart Sun Mercury in Taurus trine Saturn; though with his Sun on the focal point of a Yod to Neptune sextile Pluto – mega-ambitious but not always sure of himself. Though he’s had a golden run of Winchester, Oxford, Stanford University as a Fulbright scholar, Goldman Sachs and marrying a billionaire’s daughter before moving into politics. He’ll be bullish this December though behind the smiles he will have sinking moments of uncertainty with tr Neptune opposition his Saturn until mid January; followed by a run of dashed-hopes/failed-plans and confidence-undermining Neptune transits to two Pluto midpoints through 2022. He’ll have a high late in 2022 – or at least will be making a determined push to speed ahead with his Solar Arc Pluto square his Jupiter. 2023 will be disruptive and a year of sudden change with tr Uranus starting to conjunct his Sun.

  His Chancellor’s chart, 13 February 2020, is blocked and frustrated till the New Year, under discouraging stars in 2022; but it is 2023 which will see his applecart being tipped up.   

Trailblazing standup comedian Mort Sahl has died at 94. He is credited with revolutionising American comedy in the 1950s with his acerbic political satire. He was described as a cross between Lenny Bruce and Bob Hope and though he never shocked with obscenities, he aimed like a ‘heat seeking missile’ on his target, who would be a public figure of any political inclination.  One tribute said ‘pound-for-pound, [he was] the funniest, most innovative comedian of them all, throughout his entire career.’

  One of his comments was “Washington couldn’t tell a lie. Nixon couldn’t tell the truth and Reagan couldn’t tell the difference.”

  Born 11 May 1927 8.30am Montreal, Canada, he was a Sun Taurus in a creative square to Neptune in Leo, oddly enough in his communicative 3^rd. He had a lucky, successful Jupiter in his career 10^th in an adventurous conjunction to Uranus square a charming Venus in Gemini. Where he got his acid-edge was a ruthless and enraged Mars Pluto in Cancer in his 1^st sextile Mercury and his Sun.