Astrology of Today’s News

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Neptune, god of the oceans and tempests, a channel for spiritual enlightenment, creativity and compassion or entrenched delusion and dishonesty. A shape-shifter, it feigns weakness and timidity when in reality it has a ferocious streak which oversees wars, epidemics, disasters and lies of significant magnitude.

One example is the recent upsurge in anti-vaxxers which was triggered in 1998 exactly at the time when Neptune moved into Aquarius. Aquarius the sign of science plus Neptune the sign of duplicity is not a good combination. It started from the now-disgraced medic UK Andrew Wakefield’s Lancet article in 1998 suggesting a link between the measles vaccine and autism. That was later characterised as “the most damaging medical hoax of the 20th Century.” And also called ‘a disinformation bomb.’ It has led to a sharp drop in vaccination rates and the resurgence of measles in several countries. Wakefield, himself (no birth date sadly) was born in 1957 when Neptune was again on a cuspal year moving into Scorpio.

The majority of prominent anti-vaxxer’s charts have strong/afflicted Neptunes. Robert F Kennedy Jnr has Sun Mercury opposition Uranus square Neptune; Jamel Holley has Saturn Sun Mercury square Neptune; William Tebb, an early anti-vaxxer had Sun Mercury square Neptune. Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey have strong Mercury Neptune hard aspects.

Religious groups (Neptunian) as well as populist rabble rousers have been prominent in many anti-vaccination campaigns leading to a surge in polio cases in Pakistan, Nigeria, Italy and the Philippines with HPV-vaccine resistance in Japan.

Another example of a Neptune Ingress would be the phenomenon of yellow journalism = exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism = popularised by William Randolph Hearst in the 1890s who made his first foray into the newspaper business a few years earlier as Neptune moved into Gemini, which is an apt description for a truth-twisting business, especially as it was then amplified by corrupt Pluto.

Not quite in the same category but interesting, the birth of the psychoanalytic movement came as Neptune moved into Cancer in 1902 and Sigmund Freud started to hold weekly professional meeting with other interested doctors. It burgeoned into one of the most influential movements of the 20^th Century, extending out into the arts as well as healing. The first barbiturate was also produced. Neptune spreads ideas for good or ill; and in this case arguably undermined the family (Cancer) by focussing on individualism.

It got me pondering about the years of Neptune’s shiftover into a new sign, as will happen in 2025 into Aries. Every time Neptune has moved into a new sign over the past 150 years there were events of considerable magnitude,  in the early stages. in addition to the above.

1861 Neptune into Aries coincided with the American Civil War.

1914 into Leo for World War 1. Plus Charlie Chaplin’s first film; and another narcotic analgesic developed.

1929 into Virgo for the end of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. First colour television demos and first BBC TV transmission.

1942/42 into Libra during World War 11 when the Holocaust got under way.

1957 into Scorpio when Sputnik 1 became the first satellite to orbit the earth. H2N2 flu killed 1 million globally (Saturn was square Pluto then as well).

1970 into Sagittarius when the first Earth Day was celebrated for environmental protection.

1984 into Capricorn when the Ethiopian famine killed 1 million, triggering BandAid/Bob Geldof and a global charitable effort.

1998 into Aquarius for the Kosovo War start, and the 2^nd Congo War which killed 5.4 million, the bloodiest conflict since WW11. The Good Friday Agreement brought peace to Northern Ireland. European Central Bank switch over to euro currency.

2011 into Pisces for the Arab Spring, Bin Laden killed, Kim Jong Il dies. Stock Exchange slide with European Sovereign Debt and USA financial crisis. Occupy Wall Street protests.

Not quite what you might expect from Neptune but there are common themes in the changeover years.

When Neptune was first discovered on 23 September 1846 there was an exact and extraordinarily powerful and brutal Yod of Pluto in Aries sextile Neptune Saturn in Aquarius inconjunct Mars, giving a hint of its attributes.

See previous post August 27 2019 for Neptune in Aries.

Do pitch in with any additional thoughts and I’ll add to the text as it goes.

 

 

Carrie Symonds gave birth early this morning to a baby boy with fiancée Boris Johnson present. No time as yet so I’ll redo when that appears. But he is a lively, rebellious and enduring Sun, Uranus, Mercury in Taurus in a hard-working and autocratic square to Saturn; with a stubbornly contrary Mars in Aquarius. Plus the supercharged Jupiter Pluto in Capricorn, so not short on confidence. A social butterfly Venus in Gemini trines Mars for passionate enthusiasm. A Cancer Moon may oppose Pluto Jupiter if the birth was later than 2am, which fits with Carrie’s Sun Moon in Pisces though it will collide with her Neptune Mars in Capricorn. And her Pluto in Scorpio will oppose Boris Jnr’s Sun and Uranus which could make for some ‘terrible twos’ and teenage rebellion.

Will do more when time emerges.

 

Boris Johnson is back at work only two weeks after leaving hospital having been in intensive care to announce the lockdown must continue to prevent a second wave. Other virus sufferers say the recovery takes weeks, perhaps even months, so it’s almost certainly too soon for him to be back to fighting fitness.

Saturn was square his Scorpio Moon and Neptune conjunct his Chiron when he took ill and both of these influences will return later in the year – Saturn on his Moon from mid-June to early July and Neptune on his Chiron in October to late January 2021. His Progressed Moon is still conjunct his Neptune for another few weeks. His Solar Arc Uranus will also move to conjunct his Moon – on the same degree within a few weeks and exact in 8 months. Tr Neptune is also moving through his 6^th for years to come so looking after his health and fitness will be crucial. And following that by mid-2022 his Solar Arc Saturn will oppose his Moon. The Moon rules childhood, mother, past, and adult home life as well as the body. And his is under a great deal of pressure.

This year is also critical for him in terms of Eclipses with several bouncing off various of his planets including his over excitable Martian Mutable T Square. The mid-June Solar Eclipse in Cancer is conjunct his North Node. The Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius in early June opposes his Mercury and squares his Pluto. The July Capricorn Lunar Eclipse will oppose his Midheaven. And the December Sagittarius Solar Eclipse will oppose his Sun and Venus which will be a definite crossroads moment of questioning where he got it wrong. So it’ll be one crisis after another for months on end into 2021, putting immense pressure on his stamina. Assuming his 2pm birth time is accurate or thereabouts then he also has a sudden-change Solar Arc MC conjunct his Uranus, exact within two months.

His Solar Return from birthday 2020 isn’t as tough as his SR from June 2019 for the year thereafter which had a catastrophic Saturn Pluto opposition Mars and a 6^th house Sun. But depending on whether it is located to his birthplace of New York or London, it still looks exceptionally challenging. His Lunar Return for the month after this coming June 2 has similar placings to the 8^th April one which saw him hospitalised. It needn’t necessarily repeat in exactly the same way but will be high stress.

His Government chart, 13 December 2019 11 am London, isn’t quite as aimless and indecisive as Theresa May’s but not far behind. The Theresa May Term chart had a Sun and Moon square Neptune, his only has a Sun square Neptune. But, as we’ve seen, it has been shambolic and not exactly on top of the practicalities of the crisis. It’ll be rattled by the June Solar Eclipse conjunct its happy-go-lucky, over-optimistic Jupiter opposition Moon; and more so by the December Sagittarius Eclipse conjunct its Sun.

The Government chart will be nerve-stretched by events in June – maybe a Brexit moment of reckoning (yet another!!) – and on a more disastrous slide from October till late January 2021, which is a repeat of this year’s March influence when the virus crisis started to escalate alarmingly. 2021 looks a lacklustre year for the government with tr Neptune square the Sun; with the June 2021 Gemini Solar Eclipse opposition the Government Sun for another series of calamities. I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t see out 2021 since by that time the Solar Arc Saturn will have closed the conjunction to the Venus and Pluto.

 

Anna Wintour, goddess of high fashion and editor-in-chief of Vogue, has more than the economic downturn and a troubled magazine business to worry about. A scathing memoir from André Leon Talley, a colleague for many years who until 2013 was editor-at-large at Vogue, is hurtling down the tracks. He claims, like others before him, that she is ice-cold – ‘nuclear wintour’ – and cuts off old friends who are no longer of use or sufficiently A-list. She was portrayed as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada so she’s used enough to being caricatured but this may hurt.

She was born 3 November 1949 and is an intense Sun Scorpio in a controlling square to Pluto; with her Sun also in an innovative trine to Uranus and sextile both Mars and Saturn in workaholic Virgo. Her Moon is in Aries which is a tricky mix with a Scorpio Sun; and her Venus in colourful Sagittarius is widely squares Saturn.

She’s undoubtedly talented in her field and her 22^nd Harmonic, usually strong with world-class talent, has an emphasised Venus Jupiter which is the fashion signature, as well as a ruthlessly determined Mars. Her creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics are strong as is her obsessive and enduring 11H.

Tr Uranus will oppose her Sun from this July onwards, so she will be moving into a year of upheaval and change; with more in 2021/22 from her Uranus/Pluto midpoint being triggered. The tr Uranus square tr Saturn will be bouncing off her Sun in 2021 which won’t be easy. Though 2021/22 will also see tr Pluto conjunct her Jupiter for more success and riches.

Andre Talley, 16 October 1949, is close to her in age, though he has a Libra Sun and his Mars in showy Leo is in a frustrated and angry conjunction to Pluto.

Their relationship chart has tr Saturn square the composite Sun exactly now as early reports and excerpts from the book have emerged. So the frost will get deeper.

Vogue, 17 December 1892, has struggled in recent years in the midst of a changing industry; and will be facing more forced change with tr Uranus opposing the Uranus from this June onwards; with an undermining and disappointing tr Neptune conjunct the Mars in 2021 and moving onto square the Sagittarius Sun by 2022. Followed by a financially sticky 2023/24.

The publisher Conde Nast chart, 24 June 1909, has similar with the Solar Eclipse this June conjunct the Cancer Sun for a crisis thereafter; and 2022 looking financially blocked.

Michael O’Leary, the mouthy Irish CEO of Ryanair, has let fly about Richard Branson’s claim for taxpayer aid for Virgin airlines. He said “Now you have Virgin Atlantic owned by Delta and a Caribbean island-based, non-resident billionaire. Frankly if he’s worried about Virgin he should write the cheque himself. It’s not like he’s short of money.”

He said he said he expected his airline to be flying around 40% of its services by late June or early July. But a second wave of infections could cut winter traffic by up to 30% and staff would have to be laid off. He also refused to cut out middle seats to maintain distancing.

Born 20 March 1961, he’s a final degree Pisces or Aries with his Mercury in Pisces in an argumentative trine to Mars in Cancer and a dogmatic opposition to Pluto, as well as an evasive trine to Neptune.

He’s not a good match with Branson since O’Leary’s combustible Mars is conjunct Branson’s Uranus; O’Leary’s Saturn opposes Branson’s Cancer Sun; and O’Leary’s Pluto is in a power-struggling opposition to Branson’s Jupiter.

Their relationship chart is beyond horrible with a composite Sun Venus opposition Saturn square a bitterly-hostile Mars Pluto in a tussle-for-the-last-word opposition to Jupiter. Ouch.

O’Leary’s personal chart looks frustrated, blocked and highly impatient this year with Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Pluto; as well as an enthusiasm and bank-account denting tr Saturn square his Jupiter on and off in March/April and returning in June. Plus a disastrous tr Uranus square his Mars/Pluto midpoint through this May, again late year and a final hit in February 2021.

The Ryanair chart, 5 July 1985, is in a panicky undermining year with tr Neptune opposition the Mars/Saturn midpoint, on and off till late February 2021; as well as a blocked tr Saturn square Pluto this year. And 2021 doesn’t look a sparkling year for revenue either though is less catastrophic.

See previous post on Richard Branson 22 April 2020

Lynn Faulds Wood, the fearless defender of consumer rights on UK television, has died of a stroke aged 72. She started on Nationwide, became the face of Watchdog and exposed crooks, conmen and rogue businesses. She was once attacked with an axe and almost killed by the owner of a fleet of illegal lorries, and was advised by police to wear a stab vest. After exposing dangerous design flaws in household appliances, she moved on to focus attention on cancer symptoms and failures in medical care. She herself overcame bowel cancer in the 1990s and a later episode of skin cancer. Many of her campaigns led to changes in the law, business and medical practices.

She was born 25 March 1948 6.10pm Glasgow, Scotland, moved to London and met her husband John Stapleton, another TV reporter, in the early 1970s and married him.

She had a pro-active Aries Sun in her sociable 7^th house opposing Moon Neptune in Libra in her 1^st; with a formidably strong Pluto Saturn Mars in Leo square her Venus in steady Taurus. She wouldn’t be short of courage or endurance. She had an insightful and maverick Uranus in her career 10^th conjunct her Midheaven opposition a happy-at-home Jupiter in the 4^th. Her Jupiter was also in an expansive square to her Sun.

Her Mercury in helpful Pisces in the 6^th house of work and health is curiously unaspected. This can provide problems but can also lend a single-minded approach to interests with less of a tendency to become distracted or scattered.

At the moment her Moon Neptune had moved by Solar Arc to oppose her Uranus which can be nerve-stretched. Uranus Neptune is associated by Ebertin with ‘apoplexy of the brain’ which is a stroke.

Her husband John Stapleton, 24 February 1946 11 pm, Oldham England, is a charming Sun Venus in Pisces with a Sagittarius Moon.

 

There’s difficult to work with and there’s Val Kilmer according to several Hollywood insiders who tried. After the disastrous Island of Dr Moreau director John Frankenheimer said “Even if I was directing a film called The Life of Val Kilmer, I wouldn’t have **** [him] in it.” “Childish and impossible” came from director Joel Schumacher after Batman Forever in 1995.

Kilmer has just written a ‘candid’ autobiography I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir, which according to reviewers doesn’t indicate much self-awareness about why his antics have met with such sour responses or why his career stuttered and parts dried up in the nineties.

He was born 31 December 1959 7.58 am Los Angeles, with his parents divorcing when he was young and a younger brother dying at 15 in a drowning accident. He attended school with Kevin Spacey, went to Julliard, started his career in theatre and went on to become a pin-up A-lister after Top Secret, Top Gun and The Doors.

He has a 12^th house Sun Saturn in Capricorn trine an 8^th house Pluto in Virgo, sextiling onto Neptune which is conjunct his Scorpio Midheaven. Key planets in hidden houses can offer depth insight and subtle influence or drown him in the unconscious without much understanding of why others have such a strong reaction to his behaviour. He has in the past inhabited his characters during filming to the point where he became them – and was known as psycho Kilmer. His Neptune will help for a movie career and Pluto for creating an aura. His Moon in mischievous Aquarius squares Neptune and is inconjunct Pluto, so emotionally confused. He also has an excitable, enthusiastic  and adventurous Jupiter, Mars, Mercury in Sagittarius trine Uranus; and a charming Venus in Scorpio in an emotionally erratic square to his Uranus. A complicated mix.

At the moment he has his Progressed Mars conjunct his Moon which doesn’t sound easy – emotionally explosive. And he has the tr Saturn Pluto moving across his Ascendant down into his 1^st house which will give him a sombre image. Tr Neptune is also squaring his Mars Jupiter in 2020/21 which will be enthusiasm-denting. None of which suggests great success immediately and he will be less visible in years to come.

         

“Everything will be OK. We are all in this together” trills fashion designer Stella McCartney’s website promoting high-end (very expensive) fashion. She’s all for sustainability, supporting eco-green and animal causes except when it comes to nurturing the furloughed staff of her company with its £500 million a year turnover. She will claim up to 80 per cent of their wages to a maximum of £2500 a month from the government (taxpayers) and doesn’t plan to top up their wages. She’s worth around £60 million.

Born 13 September 1971 in London, she’s an intense, workaholic Sun, Venus, Pluto in Virgo; with a wobbly, up-and-down and very scattered Mutable T Square of Saturn opposition Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius square Mercury in Virgo. And she has a hard-edged, emotionally cool Air Grand Trine of Mars in obstinate Aquarius trine Uranus trine Saturn; with the head-in the-clouds, super-optimistic Jupiter Neptune being the driving planets of the Trine from the opposition to Saturn.

She’s facing a disappointing run of Neptune transits in opposition first to her Sun from exactly now, on and off into 2021, followed by oppositions to her Venus and then Pluto up to mid decade. At the moment she has a frustratingly trapped, dead-halt Solar Arc Mars opposition her Pluto, and a highly-strung Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her Neptune. Into 2021 tr Uranus will rattle her Grand Trine as it squares her Mars for more nerve-wracking events. Since it elbows her Grand Trine it will shift her life onto a different track, and presumably not one of her choosing. She’s not used to being slated, having built up a Mary Poppins and super-successful reputation.

The incorporation of her company on 28^th February 2001 also indicates a financially blocked and sticky three years ahead.

Even Switzerland is not immune from the economic landslide with the Swiss National Bank suffering its worst quarterly loss since its 1907 foundation.

The SNB, 20 June 1907, is showing stress this year with the financial Solar Arc Venus in a blocked square to the Pluto. And there’s no indication of a let up from challenges for several years ahead. 2021/22 has the car-crash Solar Arc Saturn and Sun both impacting on the SNB Mars; as well as an undermining tr Neptune starting a three year dip squaring the Pluto, then the Sun and conjunct Saturn. It’ll be early 2025 before the downturn lifts.

The Switzerland, 12 September 1848 12.55 pm Bern chart, is similarly moving into confused, disappointing and swampy territory with tr Neptune opposition the Virgo Sun this year and conjunct the Saturn in Pisces in 2021/22; with a disruptive Solar Arc Pluto opposition Uranus in late 2021 and forced change with great difficulty with tr Pluto moving to square the Pluto. There’ll be some good news in 2021 but it’ll be a long haul which fits the other indicators – that the economic downturn will, not surprisingly, run on until almost mid decade.

Liechtenstein, which is interwined financially with Switzerland, is also showing panic on its Central Bank chart, 5 December 1861, which shows tr Uranus conjunct Pluto and opposition Mars picking up late May into June, and repeating till early 2021, which will be fairly disastrous and insecure; with uncertainty stretching on for three years with tr Neptune opposition the Saturn Jupiter in Virgo.