Astrology of Today’s News

 

Shirley Bassey, the powerful Welsh voice of the movie Goldfinger and two other Bond themes is still going strong as she dots between Monte Carlo and London. She was born in the Tiger Bay, Cardiff, on January 8, 1937, maybe 9 am, the youngest of seven children. She grew up in poverty as her Nigerian father was imprisoned for under age sex when she was a baby and deported. She left school at 14 to work in a factory and sang in pubs, then got pregnant, resuming her career after leaving her daughter Sharon with a sister. Sharon only discovered Shirley was her mother when she was nine, by which time another daughter Samantha had arrived, perhaps the product of an affair with actor Peter Finch. Shirley’s two marriages ended in divorce and Samantha drowned in her twenties, either by accident or suicide and some said by murder.

Shirley has an ambitious, earthy Capricorn Sun and Jupiter with probably an intense Scorpio Moon. Her supercharged voice and indeed her volatile diva’s temperament come from Mercury in Aquarius opposition Pluto square Mars in Scorpio opposition Uranus in Taurus. She did nothing by halves and would either flare up or push relentlessly until she got what she wanted. Her Venus is in sensitive, musical Pisces. As is her regretful-about-the-past Saturn in a creative opposition to Neptune square North Node in Sagittarius.

Her creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics were strong as was her superstar 22H. Not an easy lady or an uncomplicated life but she pulled herself up by her bootstraps and made a success of her career if not her personal life.

Duffy, the Welsh pop singer, has emerged from a decade of seclusion recently to talk of being drugged, taken abroad and raped in a four-week nightmare. After her escape she laid low for years, often contemplating suicide. Prior to her ordeal she had been a soaring star, outselling Adele and Amy Winehouse, collecting three Brit awards and a Grammy in the US. But even before she disappeared she was a ‘cautionary tale in the music business – a near text-book exercise in career self-destruction’ according to Neil McCormick of the Telegraph. She dumped the management and producers who had nurtured her success to handle her own career with an album which flopped.

She was born 23 June 1984 6.55am Bangor, Wales, and had a troubled childhood with her parents splitting when she was 10 and her stepfather being the target of a murder plot which saw her taken into police custody for safekeeping; and caused a rift with her mother and sisters when she ran away back to live with her father. She also binge drank through her teens.

She has an emotionally sensitive and charming Sun, Mercury Venus in Cancer opposition a musical, creative and unrealistic Neptune and Jupiter in ambitious Capricorn.   Her 4^th house is horrific with Pluto and a Mars Saturn conjunction in Scorpio which suggests a scary childhood with undertones (or overtones) of violence. Her Venus trines Mars Saturn, which is especially difficult emotionally being in intense and unforgiving Scorpio. Her Uranus in the performing 5^th house, a typical placing for ‘rock’ stars also suggests an erratic romantic life. It opposes a Gemini North Node, which in itself is an indication of a free spirit with a streak of wilfulness, and a touch of a ‘bull in a china shop’ approach to life.

It’s not clear when she was assaulted but around 2011 which is when she effectively withdrew from public life her Solar Arc Mars Saturn were opposition her North Node; and tr Uranus in Aries was conjunct her Midheaven for a sharp change of direction in an upsetting square to her Sun, Mercury, Venus in Cancer, with tr Pluto in Capricorn being in a disruptive conjunction to her Solar Arc Uranus and having been in a pressured opposition to  her Cancer planets including Sun in the previous two years. Her Solar Arc Node was conjunct her Sun. It was a very fated Nodal event in many ways.

Where she’s at now is tr Saturn aiming above her Descendant pushing her into a more visible phase in her career and life. Relationships won’t be easy through the next two years with Saturn Pluto moving through her 7^th perhaps because she will carry a ‘rape victim’ identity.  And she will find her home life and family relationships especially jolted and jangled with tr Uranus opposing her Saturn and Mars from April 2021 onwards for a year.

Grim beyond thought, but it followed on from a heavy heavy atmosphere in her childhood which would acclimatise her to dark personalities. Not that she remotely asked for it, but her danger antennae would have been blunted early on.

Boris Johnson is now in the early stages of recovery, having been moved out of ICU onto a hospital ward. But his father Stanley, never one to hold back, admitted it had been a close call and said that it would take him time to recover. Despite good wishes coming his way there are also serious questions being asked about the disastrous early handling of the crisis in the UK and his overly centralised government not being designed to cope with the absence of key figures.

A brush with near-death will not only have taken it out of him physically, it will also have taken its toll on his mental attitudes, ambitions etc. So he’s unlikely to bounce back as before.

His Scorpio Moon which had tr Saturn in square late March and early this month, will take another hit mid June to early July. His Secondary Progressed Moon is exactly conjunct his Neptune which will be debilitating and that won’t move off the degree for two to three weeks ahead. He has the muddled-thinking tr Neptune square his Mercury at the moment till late April, again in September and early 2021.

If his birth time is absolutely accurate at 2pm then he has his Solar Arc Midheaven conjunct his Uranus within months which could suggest radical change of direction in his career/life. He’s on his Nodal Return this year with the June Cancer Eclipse conjunct his Cancer North Node; and the December Sagittarius Eclipse will be in opposition to his Sun, Venus for a good going crisis in the months thereafter. So he’s at a crossroads.

His Moon, which is obviously health sensitive as well as emotionally intense, will be under stress for some time to come with his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Moon late 2020/into 21, followed by Solar Arc Saturn in opposition and then Solar Arc Mars in square up to just beyond mid decade. Around 2024/25 tr Neptune squares his Sun and Venus for a lacklustre dip.

His Term chart, 13 December 2019 11 am London, is also due to catch the December Sagittarius Eclipse so it will be a challenging time then and into early 2021; with the undermining tr Neptune in an indecisive square to the Term Sun from late March 2021 onwards.

Before then the Term chart has tr Neptune in a catastrophic square to the Mars/Pluto midpoint, which was around in March, returning early October to late January 2021. Late 2021/22 could be terminal for this Term or hugely restrictive with the Solar Arc Saturn closing the conjunction to Pluto.

The UK aren’t quite as out-of-love with Boris as the US with Trump, but there’s a gentle drift downwards in approval from last month onwards extending on into 2023. The December 2020 Sagittarius Eclipse and the 2021 ones will impact the Boris/UK relationship chart so it’ll be a bumpy ride.

Dominic Cummings is equally on a slide vis a vis the UK, not that he was ever popular, but he’ll be increasingly less so with 2021 being the nadir.

Cummings personal chart isn’t too illuminating in general ahead: though this June, October and April 2021 look nerve stretched and disrupted; with panics and disasters through 2021.

Heaven alone knows what will happen with Brexit, since the economic hit from CV19 will be sobering enough without adding another layer of pain; never mind the EU being almost strained to the point of rupture by the problems of Italy and Spain.

Pic: Ben Shread

 

Despite a minor blip upwards in his poll approval at the start of the crisis, the coronavirus pandemic has set off a distinct slide in Trump’s  popularity with his electorate. His daily rant and rave, blame and vitriol briefings are increasingly been seen by his allies as hurting him and he is badly trailing the state governors and his own medical experts in terms of trustworthiness. In this sort of crisis a US President would normally have nearly 80% approval while he’s sagging into the lower forties.

In previous national emergencies former Presidents have been wheeled in to lend a hand. But the likelihood of Trump giving up his spotlight to Obama and Bush, never mid the medical experts is slight.

His relationship chart with the USA 1776 chart saw tr Pluto in the trapped, aggravated opposition to the composite Mars from late January, returning this July to mid August, and late November through December; with jolts and jangles from tr Uranus opposition the composite Pluto and trine Saturn in this March.

The June Cancer Eclipse will conjunct the relationship composite Sun which could be a critical turning point in terms of national approval; with the July Capricorn Lunar Eclipse hitting the composite Venus for an emotional shock.

His relationship charts with both Republican charts, 28 February 1854 and 22 February 1856, are stressed this year and on. With the 1854 chart especially from exactly now to mid June as tr Saturn squares the composite Sun and is inconjunct Mars; with a disappointment-writ-large tr Neptune square the composite Pluto as well.

His Term chart has just finished the discouraging tr Saturn square the Sun, a few days back, returning mid June to early July. Over the election, assuming it still holds for November,  the Term chart has a disastrous tr Uranus square the Mars/Saturn midpoint; and the Progressed Moon conjunct the Term Saturn square Mars, which is usually also a setback.

His own chart all this year has the demoralizing tr Pluto opposition Saturn and emotionally wounding opposition to his Venus/Saturn midpoint denting his narcissism. With major frustrations also running all year and through 2021 with tr Pluto square opposition the Sun/Mars midpoint. July to late September this year looks like a disaster zone for him when tr Uranus not only squares his 12^th house Pluto for a major upheaval but also his accident-prone Mars/Saturn midpoint.

The December Sagittarius Eclipse will throw a crisis or two his way as it is conjunct his Moon and opposition his Sun – which could be career, family and/or health.

Tom Joseph of @TomJChicago keeps chipping away with videos of his increasingly erratic behaviour and speaking patterns and lack of coordination as symptoms of increasing dementia.

Nothing is certain but it’s difficult to see how he can survive health-wise never mind politically. Certainly 2021 will see a sharp decline as tr Neptune squares his Sun and Moon.

Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the US Presidential election clearing the way for Joe Biden. Though in these troubled times nothing much is certain. What follows assumes Biden is still standing by November and indeed that the election goes ahead on schedule.

Sanders was never going to get past the massive blockages on his Mars in Aries from Solar Arc Pluto in opposition and transiting Pluto in square. Exactly as of now he also has the confidence/false-happiness denting tr Neptune square his Jupiter; and a disruptive, all-systems-change tr Uranus square his Pluto.

What Biden has in the immediate future: tr Saturn square his Moon April 7^th (now) till mid June, which will be emotionally discouraging as well as perhaps physically pressured – Boris Johnson has tr Saturn square his Scorpio Moon now, amongst other aspects. Tr Saturn also squares his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint at the same time which is stuck, no progress, confidence denting. He also has a collision of sorts from Solar Arc Mars square his Moon exact now and for a few months ahead. Tr Uranus is in the same disruptive square to his Pluto as Sanders, in his case in May and again late November/December and February 2021. In a man of his age both the Moon and Pluto jolts could be problematic.

He has a couple of tricky career aspects if his birth time is accurate. Tr Neptune opposing his Virgo Midheaven from late this month till late August which will be undermining; and his Solar Arc Midheaven opposition his Saturn, exact at the year end, which is usually a setback.

Late August to late November he has tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune midpoint which usually coincides with plans not working out – with the caveat that Jupiter will be joining in over the election conjunct tr Pluto. But tr Neptune is also opposing his Mars/Jupiter midpoint early October to late January 2021, which also suggests ambitions with little hope of succeeding.

He looks much more upbeat from late January 2021 and will be firing ahead with more energy with greater success through 2021/22. I doubt a delayed election is possible but it would certainly suit him if it was.

Pic: Greg Skidmore.

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William Wordsworth, the Romantic poet, was born 250 years ago today on 7 April 1770. His poetry is some of the most quoted in the world; and along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge he launched the Romantic Age.

His mother died when he was eight and he was separated from his nearest sibling, his sister Dorothy, who was sent off to live with female relatives. When they were reunited in their late teens they formed an obsessively close attachment especially on her side which remained throughout his life. Initially she kept house for him, transcribed his poems and he described her as ‘the sister of my soul’ who ‘made me a poet.’ He fathered one child with a French woman, but later married his childhood sweetheart Mary which sent his sister into a hysterical fugue. She accompanied them on their honeymoon and stayed throughout his married life as he and Mary produced five children. By 40 Dorothy had become insane although she lived to 84, just after William died.

William Wordsworth had a pro-active Sun Venus in Aries in his entertaining and creative 5^th house square a bleak Pluto opposition Saturn in Cancer. He would have had a dark side, suffering from depression; but he balanced it with a lighter, more hopeful facet to his character from his Sun Venus trine Jupiter. His creative Neptune on his midheaven was in an inspired trine to Uranus and also trine Pluto for an Earth Grand Trine, a pointer to his inspiration from nature. ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud – a host of golden daffodils.’

He had a Yod of Jupiter sextile Mars in Aquarius inconjunct Saturn, which would present him with challenges, since it demanded a good deal in terms of maturity and discipline.

His third house of siblings did have an intense Pluto and unconventional Mars in Aquarius there. Dorothy, 21 December 1771, was a Sun Mars in Sagittarius which was conjunct his Jupiter for a mutually supportive connection. With her Gemini Moon in opposition in his 8^th house, so she would feel deeply attached to him. Her Saturn opposed his Mars so there would be aggravations – not the least for his poor wife, who regrettably doesn’t have a birth date.

Dorothy possibly had a Mutable Neptune in Virgo on the point of a T Square to Moon opposition Mars which might explain some of her nervousness and instability.

Their relationship chart had a power-struggling Mars Pluto and a power-couple Jupiter Pluto conjunction; with an unsettled composite Saturn square Uranus; and a wide affectionate Sun Venus. It was not remotely an easy relationship for a 24/7 lifestyle, or menage a trois as it turned out.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

Continuous as the stars that shine

and twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretched in never-ending line

along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

 

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not be but gay,

in such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

what wealth the show to me had brought:

 

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

 

Honor Blackman has died, who played the iconic Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, the third Bond movie. Her status as innovator of tough feminine leads had been cemented in the television Avengers series as the leather-clad Cathy Gale. She regretted her typecasting from Pussy Galore, but it fitted her kick-ass character. She had had an abusive father and dispensed with husbands after two failed attempts saying they were a ‘hindrance.’

After TV and film she moved into the theatre and built a fresh reputation as a musical star in productions of Mother Goose, The Sound of Music and On Your Toes. She worked into her eighties, touring in My Fair Lady and in West End stint in Cabaret as well as appearing in a one-woman show.

Born 22 August 1925 6 am Plaistow, England she credited her father with instilling discipline despite his beatings. She took boxing lessons with her brother Ken and at one point knocked out two male bullies in the school playground. She thought about becoming a gym teacher but opted for acting instead. During the war she volunteered as a motorcycle dispatch rider, tearing around London at top speed, taking little notice of the falling bombs.

She had a filmic and entertaining Sun Neptune in Leo on her Ascendant; with a confident and tough Half Grand Sextile from a super-determined Pluto opposition a performing 5^th house Jupiter, sextile/trine Mars Mercury in Virgo and Saturn in Scorpio. Her Virgo Moon was conjunct Venus and both opposed Uranus. Her actors’ 15^th Harmonic was exceptionally strong; as was her creative 7H.

Patrick Macnee, whom she starred opposite in the Avengers, 6 February 1922 1 am London, had his Midheaven exactly on her Ascendant for a good career connection with his charming Sun Venus in Aquarius in her 6^th house of work; and his Taurus Moon in her 10^th conjunct her Midheaven. It wouldn’t all be sunshine and roses since his Mars in Scorpio (opposition his Moon) fell in her 4^th and his Saturn squared her Jupiter and Pluto. Their relationship chart mirrored the pluses and minuses with an easy-going composite Venus, Jupiter, Sun and a power-struggling Mars square Pluto.

Sean Connery, 25 August 1930 6.05 pm Edinburgh, had his Sun Neptune on her Ascendant for a high-profile connection; though with his Midheaven on her IC, reminding her perhaps of her father, with his Mars in Gemini in an irritating square to her Moon and Uranus. The irrelationship chart hints at a good deal of attraction with a composite Venus opposition Jupiter square Pluto; though with some aggro from a composite Mars trine Uranus trine Saturn. But it clearly sparked off a good deal of creative tension.

She didn’t have an uncomplicated life with a difficult father and abusive first husband who was a financial fraud, had a nervous breakdown; nursed her former second husband through stomach cancer; and lost a good deal of her savings in a pension fund collapse. But she made it to 94. Patrick Macnee died at 93 and Sean Connery is still golfing in the Bahamas at 90 – so hardy specimens all.

Queen Elizabeth’s inspirational talk to the nation, watched by 22 million, produced a flood of thanks and compliments. She acknowledged the dedication of front-line staff, counselled co-operation and evoked the wartime spirit. Her first ever public address was on radio during World War 11 when she was fourteen during the blitz with the Royal Family staying in London and Windsor.

During the London blitz which ran from the autumn of 1940 to mid-1941, following the Battle of Britain, when the Luftwaffe bombed the capital and subsequently other major cities, there was considerable loss of life and millions of homes and buildings were destroyed. It started as the triple conjunction of Jupiter Saturn Uranus in Taurus was drawing closer. At that point tr Uranus was conjunct the young Princess Elizabeth’s IC, the lowest part of her chart, so it must have felt that her foundations were being severely shaken.

She has an extraordinarily Fixed chart with not just a Taurus Sun, but also Mars Jupiter in Aquarius opposition Moon Neptune in Leo square Saturn in obsessively conscientious Scorpio conjunct her Midheaven. It gives her incredible endurance and staying power, can be stubborn, not overly adaptable. She prefers to plough the same furrow and not deviate. So tr Uranus rattling her Fixed planets must have been a severe test of her ability to stick to the same course. When WW11 broke out in 1939 tr Saturn was exactly conjunct her Sun with tr Pluto just past the square to her Sun – challenging times indeed.

At the moment she does have the discouraging and serious tr Saturn exactly square her Sun until early April along with tr Saturn conjunct her Mercury/Midheaven midpoint, returning mid-June to early July; with some insecurity from tr Uranus square her Mars/Node exactly now for a few days; and more worries from early April to mid-June with tr Saturn square her Mars/Pluto midpoint. A fair number of her friends, including family, Princess Anne etc – were at Cheltenham Races which will have been a CV hotpot, with Camilla’s ex-husband already down with it.

The UK chart had Uranus Jupiter and Saturn in the 8^th through these darkest days of WW11 in 1940/41; with tr Uranus opposing the Solar Arc Midheaven. The UK’s financial planets in the speculative 5^th, financial 2^nd and 8^th were also being seriously jolted; as was the legislative Saturn in Leo in the 11^th. The Solar Arc Sun had just passed the conjunction to the UK Sun and the Solar Arc Pluto to the 10^th house ‘ruling’ Moon; with Solar Arc Mars approaching the conjunction to the UK Mars. So it was immensely stressful.

What’s around at the moment isn’t as stark. Tr Uranus is moving through the UK financial 8^th, from exactly now, for several years ahead which will be changeable, unpredictable and jolting in terms of economics – worse from 2021 to 2023 as tr Uranus rattles the UK Mars, Venus and Neptune. With a major blockage come 2023 as Solar Arc Pluto squares the UK Sun.

More immediately there’ll be a discouraging blip from early April to mid-June when tr Saturn opposes the UK Jupiter, dampening enthusiasm and confidence.

But still the legend of the stiff upper lip Blitz spirit, while undoubtedly over-embellished from the reality of the time, does stiffen peoples’ spine and provides a helpful dose of grit from a tougher generation.

Boris Johnson has been hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms continuing into the second week. He does have tr Saturn square his Scorpio Moon until April 4^th; and his Secondary Progressed Moon exactly conjunct his Neptune at the moment; as well as tr Neptune now well into his 6^th house of health. That last doesn’t necessarily indicate major issues but does suggest that health may be less robust than in the past. Since the 6^th house also rules work, tr Neptune there for many years ahead does point to ego-driven ambitions not bringing success. Neptune demands selfless service and the necessity to put aside hopes of personal glory.  He also has tr Uranus exactly now square his Sun/Pluto midpoint late March until early April which usually coincides with a sudden change of circumstance, including arrest (confinement).

His Solar Return located to his birth place New York has his Sun in the 6^th widely square Neptune and Jupiter. Though whether NY or London, the Solar Return has a completely blocked Mars Mercury opposition Saturn Pluto. And his Lunar Return for the four weeks from March 12 located to London is severely curtailed and locked in with Saturn Pluto Jupiter Mars in the 8^th; and a directionless Neptune in the 10^th.

Although his aides insist he’ll continue running the country from his hospital bed, his deputy may have to take over. Dominic Raab, 25 February 1974, raises derision amongst commentators. He’s a Sun Mercury in Pisces square Neptune, so not exactly a dynamo; though he does have a more stalwart Mars in Taurus trine Venus in Capricorn. He has an ideologue’s Air Grand Trine of Jupiter in Aquarius trine Saturn trine Uranus, as befits a true believer Brexiteer. His Progressed Mars is exactly conjunct his South Node at the moment which will pull him back into a disorganised, scattered frame of mind. There’s not much showing on his chart minus a birth time until 2021 when he’s into a downhill slide.

Ditto Dominic Cummings, who shares with Jeremy Corbyn, a mystifyingly blank chart where major events are concerned. He looks upbeat in May and seriously rattled in June. 2021 is his disaster year.

Matt Hancock, Minister for Health, 2 October 1978, a New Moon Pluto in Libra with Mars, Uranus, Venus in Scorpio, is panicky and frustrated this year with tr Pluto square his Sun/Mars midpoint until late year; tr Neptune in a panicky-failure square to his Solar Arc Mars – with upheavals, disruptions and road-blocks from 2021 onwards for a few years.

Of the health chiefs with birth dates.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, 4 August 1966 (net sources), has been roundly criticised for his control-freakery slowing the widespread availability of testing. He’s a Sun Leo with an excitable Mars, Venus, Jupiter in Cancer trine Neptune, sextile Pluto Uranus – so although in mild aspects that Pluto will make him insist on holding the reins. His Chiron is conjunct his Saturn in Pisces; and at the moment his Solar Arc Saturn is exactly conjunct his stubborn Taurus North Node. He’s not having a good year from heavy transits to several midpoints. Most notable exactly now, tr Saturn opposition his Sun/Jupiter midpoint denting his confidence; and tr Pluto conjunct his Saturn/Neptune (epidemic and illness associated) midpoint through until late 2021.

Patrick Vallance, 17 March 1960, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, is a Sun Pisces with Venus Mercury also in Pisces trine Neptune; with Mars in obstinate, contrary Aquarius in a brooks-no-interference opposition to Uranus. That Mars opposition Uranus has moved by Solar Arc to exactly square his Saturn in Capricorn bringing a hard reality check and a mammoth setback.

Thank heavens for the Queen. She at least exudes calm, common sense and competence.  Methinks the fall out from the virus won’t just be economic.  These political charts above hint that by the time it settles (cross fingers) several careers will disappear into the dust.

ADD On: The National Health Service (NHS) was founded on 5 July 1948. The Cancer Sun has been rattled by the Eclipses of late, including the Lunar Eclipse of this July; with even more challenges from the December 2020 Sagittarius Eclipse and the June 2021 Gemini Solar Eclipse which will be shaking up its T Square of Venus Uranus Mercury (Moon) opposition Jupiter square Mars in Virgo. 2021 looks its most testing year with panics from an undermining tr Neptune opposition the Mars and square Jupiter; and a forced-upheaval and disruption from tr Uranus square the Pluto. The pressures will stay in place till mid decade; and it looks as if it will struggle mightily to cope with the workload.