Astrology of Today’s News

The massive explosion in Beirut leaving many dead and wounded and described as ‘thermonuclear’ in strength happened at 6pm last night. Reports put it down to an accident sparking off a warehouse filled with unstable ammonium nitrate. Although the result in the trial of the accused killers of former PM Rafic Hariri due this Friday has conspiracy theories swirling.

It occurred when Mars in aggressive Aries was exactly square Jupiter, which is a high-energy, opportunistic combination – sometimes associated with zealots and those who cosmeticize their anger by turning it into a holy crusade. Though it would also fit with impracticality (and incompetence) leading to a catastrophic misadventure – the nitrate appeared to have been unloaded seven years ago from a ship and just left there.

Since Jupiter is also part of the Saturn Pluto conjunction, with the Mars square in orb of both, it is particularly potent and violent. The Sun was also just past the upsetting square to Uranus. Pluto is also semi-square the accident-prone Mars/Saturn midpoint.

The Lebanon, with a rich history back 7000 years to the Phoenicians, has been on a tragic spiral in the 20^th Century, being acquired in the carve up after World War 1 by the colonial French and gaining independence in a series of muddles in the early 1940s. Thereafter rampant corruption, greed and burgeoning debt following the long and destructive civil war between 1975 and 1990 has left the country on its knees. And now this.

22 November is celebrated to mark independence in 1943; though the official enactment was midnight into 1 January 1944.

Both charts work reasonably well though the 1944 one shows up the civil war most clearly with the war-like Saturn in Cancer square Pluto in Libra bearing down on the Capricorn Sun in 1975. And for this event Solar Arc Neptune is creating a state of high-anxiety and uncertainty in an exact opposition to the Saturn – which fits. As well as tr Saturn Pluto being in a depressing conjunction to the Mercury through this year.

The 1943 chart has the Solar Arc Neptune opposing the Mars/Saturn midpoint at the moment which has much the same effect. And it showed up the Hariri assassination most clearly with tr Pluto opposition the Saturn and an upsetting tr Uranus square the Mercury also exactly.

The only hope is that the Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter conjunction having done its worst to tear down the past, rebuilds on more solid foundations – and that goes for everywhere.

James Lovelock, best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis and for his warnings that greenhouse gases will accelerate global warming, is now 101. While he launched a hundred green and eco-movements, he diverges from most by being pro-nuclear energy – “only nuclear power can now halt global warming” – pro-fracking and anti-wind turbine.

He was born 26 July 1919 2 pm in Letchworth England and started his professional life performing cryopreservation experiments on rodents, including successfully thawing frozen specimens. He invented the electron capture detector, and became the first to detect the widespread presence of CFCs in the atmosphere. While designing scientific instruments for NASA, he developed the Gaia hypothesis.

He apologised at one point for his ‘alarmist’ assertion that as a result of global warming, “billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable” by the end of the 21st century. He still believes the climate to be warming although the rate of change is not as he once thought and he has criticized environmentalists for treating global warming like a religion.

He is a visionary Sun Neptune in Leo – Neptune being surprisingly common amongst rarefied scientists and mathematicians – with a full 9^th house of widespread communication. His Jupiter in late Cancer is in a confident conjunction to his Sun. He also has a super-determined and opinionated Mars Pluto in Cancer in the 9^th in an inventive trine to Uranus. His Mars Pluto would tend to incline him towards catastrophic fears and to sinking his teeth into controversies and hostile debates.

He also has a well-organised Saturn conjunct Mercury in his 10^th which would pull him back when he recognised he had allowed his concerns to run away with him.

Venus in Virgo is his only Earth planet in that odd way of people consumed with an interest on all matters earthy. He has leant on his missing function to guide his life – which was Carl Jung’s theory. The road to transformation lies through what we are least familiar with.

His creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics are strong; as is his leaving-a-legacy 17H.

Spain’s former King Juan Carlos, once a shining hope for democracy after he steered the country when Franco’s dictatorship ended, has voluntarily gone into exile in disgrace. He has been linked to an inquiry into alleged corruption surrounding a Saudi Arabian contract worth several billions. He said he would be available if prosecutors needed to interview him, having lost his immunity after he abdicated in 2014. In March this year his son, King Felipe VI, renounced the inheritance of his father and stopped Juan Carlos’ annual state grant.

For more detail see previous post June 18 2020: Spain – A Gigantic Royal Scandal.

Juan Carlos, 5 January 1938 1.15pm Rome, Italy, is a pushily-confident, rules-don’t-apply-to-me type with a can-be-arrogant Jupiter in Aquarius conjunct his Capricorn Midheaven opposition a 4^th house Pluto. He also has a creative Saturn opposition Neptune square an 8^th house Mercury in Capricorn.

His 9^th Harmonic chart is exceptionally strong which is the one about aiming for pleasure and especially money. His rise-and-fall, wheel-of-fortune 10^th harmonic is also notably stressed.

Relocating his chart to Riyadh put his Sun and Jupiter in the financial 8^th with his Pluto in the financial 2^nd.  That figures.

With tr Saturn now poised to cross his Midheaven he could, had he taken care, been about to embark of a successful few years – but Saturn’s tendency to extract a karmic payback for misdeeds has obviously clicked into gear with the double whammy of a reputation-denting tr Pluto following quickly behind.

Queen Sophia, his long-suffering wife who put up with years of his philandering with great elegance and grace, is staying in Spain. She was born 2 November 1938 8.15 pm in Athens, the eldest child of King Paul and sister to the later deposed King Constantine of Greece. She spent her childhood partly in Egypt and in WW11 exile in South Africa, was educated in Germany and England and married when she was 24.

She has a stalwart and private though playful and sporting 5^th Scorpio Sun in a needs-space opposition to Uranus. She also has a disciplined and used-to-tough-conditions 10^th house Saturn in forced to be self-reliant Aries opposition Mars. She also has Neptune in the 4^th so would be brought up understanding that family sacrifices were part of her existence.

It isn’t as bad a relationship as it might have appeared since his Capricorn Sun and Venus fall in her 7^th and his Jupiter in her 8^th; and his Moon is conjunct her Jupiter.

Their relationship chart has a passionate composite Mars Venus conjunction though admittedly it does square a can-be-disappointing Neptune which tends to turn dreams dust. The composite Sun is sextile an upbeat Jupiter, trine a dutiful Saturn and inconjunct Uranus. A so so relationship chart, which has its downside but also a fair few plus points. It may be that her Sun opposition Uranus appreciated personal space and her Mars Saturn would certainly acclimatise her to self-sacrifice and difficulties.

He was an exceptionally attractive man when younger so perhaps she knew what she was getting into. She was also brought up Royal and they have a different attitude to what are akin to arranged marriages. They may make the choice themselves but from a limited range of suitors since they incline towards keeping up their Royal style.

She does have a Yod of Mars sextile Pluto inconjunct a sensitive Pisces Moon on her Midheaven which will have made her exceptionally self-protective about her feelings, withdrawing into a shell when they threatened to become overwhelming. Such a Moon would suit her for charity and public work caring for the disadvantaged. Though she has faced criticism for her views on homosexuality, same sex marriage and abortion.

She has clearly been stressed recently with a road-blocked Solar Arc Sun opposition her financial Pluto last year; and the tr Saturn Pluto moving through her 8^th; But she also looks relieved in the immediate future with her Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct her Uranus; and she’s clearly in a phase of great change with her Solar Arc Uranus square her Sun; and tr Uranus opposing it.

Alex Zanardi, the Italian professional racing driver and paracyclist, has had his second near-brush with death. His first serious accident in 2001 on a racetrack, when he lost control, left him fighting for his life, losing 75% of his blood volume and subsequently both legs. Two years later he was back on the track in a modified racing car before moving over to Paralympic handcycling, winning himself several gold medals. In June this year he was again involved in a serious accident while competing in Italy, when he lost control of his handbike and veered into an oncoming truck. He has been treated in intensive care for serious head injuries, had three neurological surgeries and was put into an induced coma from which he has now emerged.

Born 23 October 1966 12.10 pm Bologna, Italy, he began racing karts when he was 13 which was the year his sister, a promising swimmer, was killed in a car crash.

He has a charming Sun Venus in Libra in an expansive (over-confident) square to Jupiter and trine an Aquarius Moon, with his Moon square Neptune Mercury in Scorpio. He has the generational Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Saturn which is also sextile/trine Mercury Neptune.

He also more significantly has an unaspected Mars in Virgo in his 8^th house which can be uncompromising, single-minded and given to constant activity. Tierney remarks that an unaspected Mars can act in an unrestrained manner, since constructive limitations that could be placed by other planets are lacking. It has a tendency to allow pent-up energy to build up until it can no longer be contained. Negative outcomes tend to be driven by the unconscious and can be irrational – which will be doubly so in his case, since Mars is in the 8^th. (Bil Tierney: Dynamics of Aspect Analysis.)

When his first crash happened on 15 September 2001 the harsh tr Pluto in Sagittarius opposition tr Saturn in Gemini was colliding in hard aspect with four of his Mars midpoints, including the disaster and accident-prone Mars/Pluto and Mars/Saturn midpoints as well as the surgery-associated Mars/Uranus midpoint. And tr Saturn was just into his 6^th house of health.

This recent accident in June has less of a Martian feel though his Solar Arc Mars was conjunct his Sun a year ago and was still within a degree – and it usually accompanies a collision of sorts. Tr Neptune conjunct Mars in Pisces was also hitting on his 3^rd house Saturn in Pisces opposition Uranus Pluto.  There’s also a setback from his Solar Arc Sun square his Saturn exactly and tr Saturn just over the square to his Sun – both of which are downbeat. Tr Neptune will now move slowly across his Saturn and Uranus in 2021 into 2022 for a long recovery.  And with tr Saturn now moving downwards through his 1^st Quadrant he’ll be in a more seclusive phase of several years ahead anyway.

His most notable harmonic interestingly is his 18H – which can be associated with fire and explosions (and serial killers). But not the more obviously accident-prone 16H or 8H or even the victim 12H. So much is not known about harmonics and their meanings (sigh).

That unaspected Mars of his does sound as if it has a great deal to do with his blighted life.

Photo: Morio

John Hume, widely credited with crafting the Irish peace process which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement, is regarded as one of the most important figures in the recent political history of Ireland. He has sadly died having battled dementia for some years. A recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award, he campaigned tirelessly across the EU, in London, and Washington where Senator Edward Kennedy became one of his most powerful patrons.

Over three turbulent decades he influenced the way successive British and Irish administrations handled their common Northern Ireland problem as he pushed for an all-Ireland solution. His guiding principle was that violence compromised the cause and only delayed peace. “Politics,” he once said, “is the alternative to war.” He was widely criticised for holding talks with Sinn Fein but it led ultimately to the ceasefire in 1994, when the IRA and loyalist combatants agreed to a cessation of violence.

He had an extraordinarily strong and enduring chart with a determined Capricorn Sun opposition Pluto in Cancer squaring onto Uranus in Taurus opposition Mars in Scorpio. That would give him, grit, courage, stamina and stubbornness. He did have a self-willed streak from Mars Uranus and a desire to control situations. But what softened down what could have been an almost ruthless chart was his Neptune in Virgo opposition Saturn Venus in Pisces – which gave him hope for a better society.

What’s interesting are the three central oppositions in his chart. Oppositions can be difficult since they lead to a going-in-two-directions tendency or a see-saw wobble between extremes.

Edward Kennedy shared that astro-trait and for all his personal failings, he was an adept at cross-party negotiation. The ability to see the other point of view and walk in their shoes was an invaluable asset for both men and Hume especially, rooted as he was in a tragically divided Northern Ireland.

When the Good Friday Agreement was finally signed on 10 April 1998 5pm Belfast, tr Jupiter in Pisces was moving across his Saturn in Pisces opposition Neptune; and tr Pluto had moved on two signs to trine his Sun and sextile his natal Pluto.

Whither Brexit? I’m not sure why I’m embarking on this post since nothing is remotely clear from the astrology.

Despite the current mood of paralysis there is no doubt the UK has left the EU and is, thus, not liable for the EU Covid bailout fund or contributions to the EU budget.  But even Boris Johnson’s father thinks he is living in “cloud cuckoo land” if he thinks that the EU will give the UK a free trade deal without adhering to EU rules on, for instance, farming standards; and the European Court of Justice edicts in other arenas of future co-operation.

Prepare for a load of Boris bluster and waffle-piffle in the face of the hard reality that there aren’t going to be any game-changing trade deals elsewhere. A frictionless trade deal with the EU will be possible, in Matthew Parris’s words, “so long as we copy the EU’s “level playing field” rules; but doing so “voluntarily” as a “sovereign” nation. Boris Johnson could burble more or less truthfully that we are no longer “bound” by Brussels’s rules because we could always walk away – and take the consequences.”  But we won’t. “This victory for Britain may have more theoretical than practical value.”

An evasive duck-and-dive solution would fit with Boris’s Sun square Neptune government, not quite as dithery and incompetent as his predecessor Theresa May’s Full Moon square Neptune government, but not far behind. Despite the aura of Machiavellian behind-the-scenes string-pulling from his aide the Darth Vader-ish Dominic Cummings there’s little evidence of brain power being expended in coping with the virus crisis let alone the looming what-next question.

The Boris Government chart, 13 December 2019 11 am London, looks devastated, turned into an emotional blancmange by several rolling crises from early this October to late January 2021 – which is the crucial period for pushing the EU up against the deadline in the hope they’ll bend.  This September on the run-up is agitated and coming down to earth with a bump. There’ll be muddle, lies and scandal from late January 2021 for a few weeks with the real downward slide picking up from late March 2021 running on and off till early 2022 with tr Neptune square the Government Sagittarius Sun. At that latter time tr Neptune is square the catastrophe-attracting Mars/Pluto midpoint on Cummings’ chart. He’s also having an exceptionally stressed September (next month).

Boris’s personal chart is being rattled by an emotionally upsetting Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Moon, exact in six months’ time which will be activated over the New Year. Plus the December Solar Eclipse is opposing his Mercury, Sun, Venus which usually indicates a crisis or several in the months following. Plus his Solar Arc Midheaven is conjunct his Uranus, exact now if his birth time of 2pm is exact to the minute, indicating a sharp change of career and life’s direction.  His Solar Return from June 2020 for a year, relocated to London, also has Uranus in the 10^th for a career twist, either voluntary or forced.

I’m marginally surprised given the severity of his virus attack and the medical tales of lingering after-effects that he isn’t suffering more obviously from diminished capacity.

His relationship chart with the UK is sagging further from late this August till March 2021; and more disappointing dips to follow after that.

On the day of ‘exit’ 31 December this year the UK chart has a downbeat tr Saturn opposition the 10^th house Jupiter, which is only passing, but isn’t exactly a joyous celebration; and there’s also an argumentative, irritable Solar Arc Mars conjunct the UK Mercury – which could also indicate transport problems since it’s 3rd house. May 2021 is when the financial problems start to bite, either post-virus or Brexit-related  or both, with tr Uranus conjunct the 8^th house Mars which kicks off several years of a financial roller coaster as tr Uranus makes hard aspects to all three financial houses and may also initially include major accidents or even natural disasters – the UK 8^th house Mars being prone to catastrophes. 2022 is blocked and stuck with Solar Arc Pluto square the Sun.

What irritates/confuses me is how remarkably little there is on the national chart indicating a game-changing divorce. Admittedly tr Uranus has been moving through the UK 7^th house of relationships since 2013/2014 which is certainly a separating influence, but it doesn’t pin point 2020 or even 2016 as the catalyst. The Brexit letter was sent when tr Pluto was opposing the UK 10^th house Moon in early 2017 – which could at a stretch also be seen as putting intolerable strain on rulership and relationships.  But it hardly leaps out as definitive.

The UK joining the EEC chart, 1 January 1973, will have the final hit of the disruptive tr Pluto square the composite Uranus late this August to late November, which would certainly suggest a significant shift in the UK/EU connection. But it’s hardly terminal.  Maybe Matthew Parries is right – it’ll be all-systems change in name only.

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

The Lincoln Project is a rebel Republican action committee formed to prevent the re-election of Trump, defeat his supporters in the Senate and they recently announced their endorsement of Joe Biden. Founder members include George Conway, Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt and Jennifer Horn.

There are rivers of venom to flow before November and many imponderables – Trump could keel over, by choice, by hamburger or by GOP panic. If he did, he’d be unlikely to be replaced as nominee by Pence.  If he ploughs ahead, the result could be delayed a la Bush/Gore or corrupted.

But for what it’s worth – the Project chart itself looks panicked this month and through September; deflated over the few days surrounding the election and devastated late January into March 2021.

George Conway, 2 September 1963, will be blocked, enraged and frustrated with tr Pluto square his Mars now till middle of this month, and again late this November through December. With another disaster-prone midpoint till late this month. Plus he has a loss-making tr Neptune conjunct his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint October to late January 2021. There’s nothing (without a birth time) that looks like a ‘whoopee, we did it’ elation.

Rick Wilson, 21 November 1963, has similarly panicky and disappointing tr Neptune aspects to his Mars, Venus and a Sun midpoint till early October and again late January/February 2021. With a couple of Saturnine dips over the election itself. And mild cheer from late January 2021 though his hostile arguments will run on through 2021/22.

Steve Schmidt, 28 September 1970, does have tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter in Scorpio late this November into December which should bring luck and relief. But he’s also labouring mightily under a discouraging tr Pluto trine his Saturn and a failed-plans tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune midpoint until late November.

Jennifer Horn, 22 June 1964 – stuck and downbeat over the election, infuriated and trapped till late this November; and upset by the December Sagittarius Eclipse opposing her Venus Mercury. She’ll get a lift from late January 2021 but not much of cheer before then.

Joe Biden himself is sagging from early October to late January 2021 with tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint; plus a failed-plans tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune midpoint from late this August to late November. He’ll buck up considerably from late January 2021 and be generally on much better form throughout the year.

So make of it what you will. There are a handful of permutations and possibilities of what could happen running into and after the election date.

Sean Penn appears to have taken the plunge into the marital pond yet again with his 32-years-younger girlfriend actress Leila George. He’s previously been hitched to Madonna and Robin Wright, as well romantically involved with Charlize Theron amongst many others. Leila George is the product of a brief marriage between actors Greta Scacchi and Vincent D’Onofrio with her mother flitting on to further liaisons thereafter.

Sean Penn, born 17 August 1960 3.17pm Burbank, California (a mere six months after Leila’s mother and a year after Leila’s father) is an uncompromising Sun Uranus in Leo is a confident and adventurous trine to Jupiter.  His infamous short-fuse comes additionally from an argumentative Mars in Gemini on his Descendant square Pluto Venus in Virgo – so he’ll be pretty full-on when it comes to one-to-one relationships. His intense Cancer Moon on the cusp of his 8^th opposes Saturn and trines Neptune which again won’t be easy for domestic bliss.

He will be ultra-charming when it suits him with Venus Pluto and stroppy when it doesn’t with Sun Uranus. His well-populated 9^th house of communication with his Sun Uranus and Venus Pluto there will fuel his rhetoric when it comes to his activism.

Leila George, 20 March 1992 in Sydney, Australia has been with him for four years so she must have half an idea what she’s getting into. Her Sun is on the cusp of Pisces/Aries trine Pluto in Scorpio with her Pluto being square Mars and Saturn in Aquarius so not an easy chart or an easy early life. She’ll be acclimatised to stressful and scary/frustrating situations. She’s also got a highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn square Mercury in Aries.

Her Pluto square Mars and Saturn clash with Penn’s Sun Uranus in Leo so it is an odd match. Although on the upside her Venus in Pisces opposition Jupiter connects with his Pluto Venus in Virgo for a hint of passion and her Sun squares his Jupiter which will smooth a few rough edges.

Their relationship chart has a super-ambitious though illusory composite Sun opposition Neptune Venus and trine Pluto. With a power-struggling, dominating composite Mars opposition Pluto.  And an ‘adventurous’ and needs-space Jupiter Uranus in a blocking square to Saturn.

In some ways Leila’s relationship with Sean Penn is not dissimilar to that with her mother Greta Scacchi, 18 February 1960 11.15am Milan, Italy, who is a Sun Aquarius opposition Uranus in Leo. Leila’s Mars Saturn and Pluto clash with the Sun and Uranus in both the parent and the spouse charts. And her relationship chart with her mother has a similar composite Sun square Neptune, inconjunct Pluto and Jupiter Uranus square Saturn and square Mars; with Mars trine Pluto.

A tricky childhood inevitably leads to tricky adult relationships – with damaging patterns that have been normalised by the child (since there was no choice) lead them into being attracted to the same kinds of energies in their early adult life.

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is a nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject funded and run by seven member entities — the EU, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the USA. It is expected to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful use to produce electricity which will lead to future commercial reactors. Overall, 35 countries are participating in the project directly or indirectly. The total price of construction and operations is expected to be in excess of €20 billion for the reactor housed near Aix-en-Provence, France.

It was agreed on 24 October 2007 when there was a creative Water Grand Trine of a Scorpio Sun trine Mars in Cancer trine a Pisces Node; with a super-confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction and Jupiter being further emphasised on the point of a T Square to a Venus opposition Uranus.

It is expected to start doing its thing in 2025 (if all goes to schedule) when the outer planets are all on the cusp of a radical shift. Tr Pluto just into Aquarius will be in an innovative trine to tr Uranus just putting a toe into Gemini and sextile the tr Saturn Neptune conjunction as it heads into Aries.

If diplomatic breakdowns don’t interfere with its progress it could point the way ahead to a brave new world.

Photo Credit: Conleth Brady / IAEA