Astrology of Today’s News

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The Solar Eclipses this year are in spine-straightening Saros Series. The late December 2019 Solar Eclipse at four degrees Capricorn heralded a sense of traumatic transformation and significant endings running in effect for several months across the beginning of this year.

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 Total 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.

Mercifully the following two eclipses from mid 2021 onwards look much more cheerful.

In the context of the USA elections: – the December 2020 Sagittarius Eclipse will be critical for Trump since it is conjunct his Moon and opposition his Sun. Eclipses conjunct the Moon tend to bring up the past, with public image under scrutiny and habit patterns come under review as well. The Sun opposition the Eclipse is a crisis time for the ego when mistakes have to be faced and changes made.

This Eclipse is also opposition the USA Mars in Gemini, which echoes the explosive Inauguration chart since it suggests high levels of anger and argument, almost open warfare, with no compromise being the motto of the moment. It will also be exactly conjunct the Trump First Term Saturn and square Mars. There’s always a price to pay when Saturn hits Eclipses, mistakes owned and responsibility taken for sorting out self-created muddles – and part of that may be the mega-trillion dollar debts run up during this administration.

The Lunar Eclipses throughout the year will also elbow Trump and the USA chart. The June 5^th Lunar Eclipse at 16 degrees Sagittarius will oppose Trump’s Uranus which will bring a considerable jolt; with the July 5^th Lunar Eclipse at 14 degree Capricorn conjunct his Term’s focal point Pluto which again like Uranus offers a stark choice between change or decay. This Lunar Eclipse will also collide with the USA Cancer Sun so it does suggest a critical moment in destiny where decisions have to be made and junk tipped overboard.

The November 30^th Lunar Eclipse at 9 degrees Gemini will hit on the USA Uranus.

Roll on 2021.

An add-on which may be special pleading since I truly dislike Trump. Last month’s Lunar Eclipse hit the Trump Term Pluto which sits on the focal point of a pushily-confident Jupiter opposition Uranus. That Jupiter was always going to save him a load of trouble and squeak him undeservedly out of tight corners – with Jupiter Pluto exemplifying his rules-don’t-apply-to-me approach. When Eclipses tug at Pluto it suggests that something radical needs to change otherwise what follows is disintegration and deterioration. On the Term chart also Pluto has moved by Solar Arc to square the Uranus exactly now which by rights should indicate instability. Admittedly Jupiter is standing by with a safety net but it may be there’s more than meets the eye about his ‘victory’ and (cross fingers) there could be more that crawls out from under stones to back up the astrology. Part of which may be his failing health.

Mike Pence is looking remarkably chipper over the election and inauguration. He will have some sticky moments before then with a disruptive, explosive, insecure tr Uranus square his Mars from this weekend to early March, when his relationship with Trump looks in turmoil. And his connection with Trump moves into undermining, swampy territory from late March through April with tr Neptune square the composite Sun on their relationship chart, repeating in September and early 2021.

Pence also has a discouraging, unloved tr Saturn opposition his Venus in late March to early April, and again in the second half of June. Late May and early June also see a jangled tr Uranus square his Mars/Uranus midpoint. But what will keep him afloat this year and next is tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter in Scorpio picking up from later this month on and off for nearly two years ahead and exact over the inauguration next January. He also has tr Pluto conjunct his Solar Arc Jupiter now till late 2021, exact over this year’s election.

Add on: Forgot to mention he has tr Saturn opposition his Mars at the inauguration and square his Neptune just after – that can be accident-prone, setbacks or aggravation. But his Jupiters will save him a deal of grief. Doesn’t mean he’ll be a central player, just that he is not feeling too discouraged.

 

The legendary Kirk Douglas, one of the old-style Hollywood stars, and father to Michael has died aged 103. He was renowned as difficult to work with and admitted to having anger issues, the legacy of a poor childhood with an aggressive alcoholic father, a Russian-Jewish immigrant rag peddler, but he was also liberally-inclined. He helped dissolve the blacklist against communist writers in the late 1950s, by hiring the non-grata Dalton Trumbo to rewrite the Spartacus script and giving him an on-screen credit, rather than the noms de plumes he’d recently become accustomed to.

Born 9 December 1916 10.15 am New York, he was a Sun Sagittarius in a lucky, confident trine to Jupiter in Aries, sextiling onto a maverick Uranus in his 1^st house. His restless Gemini Moon opposed his Sun and fell in his performing 5^th house. His Venus squared Uranus and he had Neptune Saturn on his Descendant so committed fidelity wasn’t his style and he had endless affairs through both of his marriages. He also notably had a do-or-die-determined and ruthless Mars in Capricorn opposition Pluto.

That last aspect clashed badly with his son Michael, 25 September 1944 10.30 am New Brunswick, New Jersey, who is a Sun Neptune in Libra square Saturn opposition a Capricorn Moon. He would experience his father with suspicion, creative certainly, but also exacting and critical as well as evasive. And scary to boot since that Mars Pluto is volcanic when it lets rip. Although they made up in the end there was a long and fractious period when there was major strain between them. Their relationship chart is a classic of love and hate with a composite affectionate Sun Venus and a resentful, hostile Mars trine Saturn Pluto.

His second wife Anne to whom he was married for sixty five years said she accepted his affairs since she was more European though it was an odd match. Born 23 August 1919 in Germany, she had a stalwart and stubborn Sun Mars in Taurus on the focal point of a T Square to an Aquarius Moon opposition Neptune; with her Sun Mars sextile a super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer. She was a strong, enduring personality who was clearly able to live with his wandering ways for the benefits the match brought. Their relationship chart had a needs-space Sun conjunct Uranus but it also opposed an affectionate Venus and squared onto an expansive and lucky Jupiter. Though it wouldn’t be easy at times with a composite Mars trine Pluto.

Trump’s approval ratings have improved significantly since his impeachment because of positive responses to his Iraq policy, trade deals and the economy. Liberals and the liberal media watch with horror-struck outrage as he stumbles on spewing lies in all directions, kicking over the constitution, breaching protocols, backed to the hilt by a supine GOP. Tom Joseph of twitter feed @TomJChicago reckons he’s heading off the edge with dementia. On his State of the Union speech he wrote: “Cranked up, most likely on stimulants and Levodopa, Trump struggled all night with body jerking, teeth baring, arm trembling and a podium death grip. His dementia Tour de Force climaxed with this neurological body jerk/spasm.”

And yet like Rasputin, Trump just keeps on trucking.

Trump does have tr Jupiter now moving through his 5^th house for a year which will boost his confidence and make him grandstand more than usual. He’s also (birth time being accurate) got tr Pluto trine his Midheaven from now-ish which is generally constructive on the career front running till late 2021. But apart from that his astrology is all pressured, challenging, obstacle strewn.

Tr Pluto is opposing his Mars/Node at the moment and his Saturn which suggests being under mountainous strain and feeling trapped. Tr Saturn is also opposition his Venus exactly now (recurring twice before the year end) which tends to dent popularity or at least brings a sense of being unloved. It could also have financial implications.

Tr Pluto then moves on to oppose his Sun/Mars midpoint, Venus/Saturn and Mercury/Pluto from February 22^nd till early July and again late December till late January 2021.

Pluto on Sun/Mars = fanatical, unscrupulous, tendency to overtax strength, violence, trapped, in some cases associated with cardiac problems.

Pluto on Venus/Saturn = exceptionally lonely, feeling unloved, can be perverse and sometimes is associated with glandular problems.

Pluto on Mercury/Pluto = doubles up on the demagoguery, fraudulent speech, tendency to overtax nervous system, dogmatic to the nth degree.

[This late February to early July period, and again late December to late January 2021, and again to the end of 2021 – is when tr Pluto is opposing the Mercury on the USA 1776 chart starting the grinding and bitterly fought battle through the US’s Pluto Return two years later. Some Republicans said they had to vote with Trump against the impeachment because they feared the culture war that would break out if they didn’t support him.  This transit of Pluto battering on the USA Mercury opposition Pluto is likely to lead in that direction.]

To return to Trump, late this March till early October he has a couple of Neptune hard aspects to Uranus midpoints suggesting lack of energy, muddle-headed, nervous exhaustion.

His relationship chart with the USA, despite the polls, indicates the start of a two year run of aggravation from now till late 2021.

Into 2021 he has tr Neptune hitting on his Moon and Sun/Moon midpoints and a couple of Neptunian swamps which will affect him mentally as well as physically from Solar Arcs later in the year.

Nancy Pelosi doesn’t look as if she is winning much. She has a Solar Arc Sun square Neptune and a Solar Arc Saturn square Jupiter around now both of which aren’t successful; plus a plans-not-working-out tr Pluto trine Neptune now and on and off till late 2021. More losses and failed plans late this month till July and again across the New Year to late January 2021. She’ll have a small stroke of luck from mid April for two weeks but that apart is pushing into a headwind.

Of the Trump sprogs, the most upbeat looks to be Ivanka, who has tr Pluto square his Jupiter Pluto in Libra from late this month on and off till late 2021.

The Saturn Pluto conjunction appears to be acting as expected with repressive force, trampling over decency, might-makes-right-wins however unfair, the underdog gets trampled. And not just in the USA though it is the most egregious example. In the UK Boris is acting like a tinpot dictator dismissing fears over US food standards as mumbo-jumbo, mishandling climate change and adopting a wildly unrealistic approach to EU negotiations as if he had the upper hand, described by analysts as a ‘mad man’ strategy. All too bizarre.

 

The long awaited, much trumpeted Trump/Kushner Palestine Peace Plan has been roundly condemned on virtually all sides – ‘Trump and Netanyahu have made Mideast peace an even more distant prospect’. ‘Nothing more than a deal between con artists trying to escape their legal problems.’ (Netanyahu facing corruption charges ditto Trump.) ‘ The most deranged, farcical tragi-comedy in Middle East history,’

In the plan the land that the Palestinians will control are ‘sliced and diced by Israeli controlled roads to isolated settlements. Passage between Gaza and the West Bank will apparently be unfettered, but entry and exit out of Palestine will be subject to Israeli security. Palestine won’t have its own port or airport. It will get “earmarked” facilities run by Palestinians in Israeli ports – but subject to Israeli security.’

‘It is impossible to deny that the situation of the Palestinians is one of the worst they have known in their history.’ ‘Mostly it is a matter of dehumanization. In the eyes of many – the Palestinians are nothing more than invisible mice. The humiliating tone of this plan, which was concocted between American Jews and Israeli Jews – which reflects more than anything the celebration of the surrender of the weak and the trampling of their dignity. The deal – which wasn’t negotiated with Palestinian leaders, and was announced without a single Palestinian present – greenlights Israeli annexation of around a third of the West Bank, leaving the Palestinians with a set of isolated islands in a sea of Israeli territory.’

Both the Palestine Independence Declaration chart of 14 November 1988 and the Gaza 9 November 1917 indicate the real disruptions won’t come until 2021 and on to mid decade. Both charts are Scorpio with other Fixed planets which are being upended by tr Uranus hard aspects from next year onwards with rumblings this. The same goes for Israel with its 10^th house Leo Moon Saturn Pluto and finally Mars all in the line of fire from tr Uranus till 2025. It’ll be a bumpy ride in the region. The relationship charts between both Palestinian charts and Israel also point to the same rough timeline. The Palestine 1988 /Israel chart is under discouraging influences this year and starting to rock n’ roll in 2021/22. The Gaza/Israel chart also on edge and more so in 2022/23.

Jared Kushner, 10 January 1981, whose ‘vision’ it was, has his Mercury in Capricorn square Pluto in Libra under pressure from tr Pluto hard aspects for the next three years suggesting bitter, hostile and hard-fought debates with no quarter given on any side with consequent mental strain from that. Shades of the USA 1776 chart with its Mercury opposition Pluto being walloped over the next three years as well.

David Friedman, the US Israel Ambassador, another Orthodox Jew like Kushner, who assisted with the ‘Peace’ plan, 8 August 1958, is a Sun Uranus in Leo square Mars; with Mercury Pluto in Virgo and Mercury trine Mars in Taurus so no slouch when it comes to slamming his views on the table and not budging. He was born only a few days away from Fred Goodwin, the disgraced dictatorial former RBS bank chief and Madonna.

Pamela Anderson’s hitch-up with movie producer and Streisand ex Jon Paters, even by Hollywood standards was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, with their marriage lasting 12 days before they parted for a period of contemplation. ‘Life is a journey and love a process,’ she intoned in a statement.

Born 1 July 1967 4.08 am, Ladysmith, Canada, she is best known for Playboy and Baywatch, has had a complicated romantic life (extremely), recently been associated with Julian Assange and is a committed animal rights activist.

She’s a Sun Cancer square Saturn in forced-to-be-self-reliant Aries, with a volatile Aries Moon opposition Mars, and the unsettled, disruptive Uranus Pluto in her 4^th house. She has said she was multiply abused as a child.

Jon Peters, 2 June 1945 7.30am Los Angeles, was a hair dresser, hooked up with Barbra Streisand, became a producer, ran Sony Pictures for a decade, has had a checkered career since with a sexual harassment suit virtually ending it according to wiki, and been married and divorced four times. He and Anderson had a fling decades back and only recently got together again.

He’s a wayward Sun Uranus in Gemini in an expansive, risk-taking square to Jupiter, with an impulsive Venus Mars in Aries. Their synastry is not good – with his critical and/or emotionally damaged Saturn conjunct her self-protective Sun; his rebellious Sun Uranus square her Pluto, and his Mars Venus conjunct her Moon and opposition her Mars. That latter would provide an initial spark but all too soon it would turn into arguments.

Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun, Venus, Mercury conjunction but it squares the composite Moon and trines Neptune – for a mismatch in moods and expectations. Plus a power-struggling Jupiter Pluto square Saturn and a mutually unsupportive composite Mars square Neptune which would lead to ego clashes.

They married on the exact Saturn Pluto conjunction with a needs-space Sun square Uranus and a Moon Mars square Neptune Venus for glitz and illusion/delusion. Not an auspicious day.

Sinn Fein have topped the polls for the Irish election on February 8^th alongside the opposition Fianna Fail Party, led by Michael Martin. Leo Varadkar’s party Fine Gael, in government at present, is lagging behind. Though neither FF nor FG say they will form a coalition with Sinn Fein.

Varadkar, the country’s youngest leader has been a success on the international stage but despite a vibrant internal economy appears to have fallen out of favour.

Born 18 January 1979 he is a Sun Mars in Capricorn square Pluto, which is catching the discouraging tr Saturn conjunct his Sun Mars later this month. He will get an uplift from tr Uranus square his Jupiter in March followed by confidence-denting downbeat Saturn transits to two Jupiter midpoints April to mid June.

Micheal Martin 1 August 1960, is a fiery Leo Sun square Neptune with Venus, Uranus also in Leo trine Jupiter in Sagittarius, plus a stalwartly determined Mars in Taurus and a Scorpio Moon. His chart doesn’t show much (without a birth time) around the election itself but he’s certainly in a year of significant change with tr Uranus opposing his Neptune and square his Sun late April onwards. With a stroke of luck in April.

Mary Lou MacDonald, the Sinn Fein leader, a sturdy Sun Saturn in Taurus with a super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Virgo is on an upswing with tr Pluto trine her Jupiter/Pluto midpoint from late February onwards with major changes ahead as tr Uranus is conjunct her Sun from July onwards. Before then she’ll walk a winding path – catastrophes in March, good luck mid April till early May and high-tension in late May/June – but she’ll battle along in good spirits with that Jupiter/Pluto midpoint keeping her afloat.

The beautiful couple came together briefly at the recent SAG awards which sent the celebrity magazines into a frenzy. Will Jennifer and Brad get back together? One of the most adored couples in Hollywood left fans bereft when they split in 2005 as Brad sailed off into the sunset with Angelina Jolie, from whom he has now de-coupled.

All froth and glitter but a curiously persistent fan-dream.

They should have been the perfect match with his Sagittarius Sun conjunct her Moon and his Moon Venus in Capricorn trine her Pluto. And his Jupiter in Aries conjunct her Venus. There are a few less helpful crossovers with her Yod focal point Saturn in Aries squaring his Moon Venus and blocking his emotional needs, perhaps with too many work commitments. His Saturn in Aquarius is conjunct her Sun and square her Mars (Neptune) in Scorpio which also suggests defensive barriers and obstacles to emotional warmth from heavy workloads. Her Pluto on his Midheaven would tempt her to be overly controlling. And his Mars is in a volatile, disruptive square to her Uranus Jupiter and Venus which would bring pluses and minuses – adventure and fun though it’d be erratic and unstable as well.

What wouldn’t help was that both their Sun/Moon midpoints, the significator for close partnerships, aren’t wonderfully aspected. His is square a competitive and argumentative Mars; and hers is in a downbeat square Saturn. It goes back to the old rule of thumb about astro-relationships. No matter how positive certain planetary connections are if the individuals are not designed or minded to relate then it won’t work.

Their synastry, all things considered, is reasonably positive. But their composite chart is in the never-in-a-month-of-Sundays-will-this-last category. On the upside there’s a mild but amiable composite Jupiter opposition Moon trine Venus – and an impossible, volcanic and unfixable composite Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn square Mars. When they split in early 2005 tr Pluto has been grinding its way in hard aspect to Uranus, Pluto, Saturn and Mars, really since early on in the marriage.

Tr Neptune is now dissolving its way round Mars at the moment and then Pluto, Saturn later this year and Uranus in 2021. It could soften the deep-seated anger issues but more likely will bring disappointment. So I fear a rapprochement won’t happen any time soon or ever.

A schmaltzy feel-good movie starring Tom Hanks has been an unlikely critical and box office success. ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ about American children’s TV presenter of yesteryear Fred Rogers has been described as “a really entertaining and touching film” with “a powerfully affecting message about acceptance and understanding.” It pits a hard-bitten reporter from a dysfunctional family against Rogers, who was a national treasure in the US, admired for the way he encouraged children and adults to talk and think about their feelings using puppets. All attempts to dig dirt on Rogers fails with his antagonist finally admitting “he’s just about the nicest person I’ve ever met.” Rogers’ show ran from 1968 to 2001.

Born 20 March 1928 8.20am Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with a businessman father and a charitably-oriented mother, Fred Rogers was a shy, introverted, overweight and bullied child who isolated himself and played with puppets. He emerged to take a degree in musical composition and was ordained as a minister. He went into television since he thought he could use the medium to help nurture young children. His show emphasized young children’s social and emotional needs, unlike Sesame Street, which focused on cognitive learning and it continued unchanged for over thirty years.

He had his Sun in final degree Pisces conjunct Uranus in Aries with Moon, Venus, Mercury also in Pisces and all in the 11^th house of friends and the wider society. He was clearly innovative with Uranus there, but in a softly Piscean way – and musical. His Jupiter in the 12^th would give him an inner peace that others would envy. He also had a fated Yod of an ambitious and uncompromising Mars in Aquarius in the 10^th sextile a reserved 8^th house Saturn inconjunct Pluto in the communication 3^rd. A focal point Pluto would give him an intensity and depth awareness of others but also an ability to withdraw into himself. Handled well such a Pluto can help bring in a new order of things, though its downside is a tendency to manipulate. His Pluto was also in a pushily confident square to Jupiter and trine his Moon. His Saturn in the 8^th squared his Moon and widely his Sun, making him emotionally reserved and a workaholic. Saturn in the 8^th also points to a grandfather prominent in his childhood. His ‘niceness’ was backed by a powerful personality.

Tom Hanks, born 9 July 1956 5.17 pm Concord, California, would have some empathy for Rogers since he was also a shy and unpopular child at school with religious leanings. He is also Watery, with a Cancer Sun and Mercury, Mars in Pisces and Saturn in Scorpio – and Hanks also has Jupiter in his 12th. Not precisely the same but reasonably similar.