Astrology of Today’s News

Lenny Henry, the Brit comedian and Shakespearean actor, has brought out a memoir covering his childhood and early career after he won New Faces, but stops before his marriage to Dawn French. He was born 29 August 1958 at 3 am (from memory) in Sedgley, England to Jamaican immigrant parents, though he only discovered his biological father was different from his mother’s husband when he was ten years old. His mother appeared to have been violent towards him but he remarkably bears no ill will for his childhood, saying in an interview that working-class kids just accepted the way life was and he was very fond of her.

He’s had an amazingly versatile career starting young, founding Comic Relief and doing stand-up as well as comedy on the box, serious drama on television and classical theatre. He campaigns for diversity in the arts, is a prominent spokesman against racism and was knighted in 2015.

He’s a controlled Sun Pluto in hard-working Virgo opposition an 8^th house Pisces Moon – so a very private individual who won’t much like talking about his personal life. He has an ambitious Mars in Taurus in his 10^th house of career in an excitable square to Venus Uranus in entertaining Leo, and inconjunct Saturn. The last does give some indication of the unfairness of his childhood but he’s also got an upbeat Jupiter Neptune in his 4^th trine his Moon which would smooth over rough edges and leave him looking on the bright side.

There’s a good deal ahead for him on the career front with tr Saturn moving through his Second Quadrant and will reach his peak in another decade or so. He’s not looking that contented over the next eighteen months with an irritable Progressed Moon conjunct his Mars, a confusing Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his 4^th house Neptune; and tr Neptune square his Saturn in 2020. But he’ll bounce with more enthusiasm from 2022 onwards.

“I haven’t been happy one minute of my entire fucking life,” says Arthur in Todd Phillips’ movie ‘Joker’. He’s a mentally ill, impoverished, failed stand-up comedian who suffers from pathological laughter and turns to crime in despair. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and critics rave about Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the killer-clown. Whether audiences will flock to it is less certain. Described as “a hypnotically perverse, ghoulishly grippingly urban-nightmare comic fantasia – Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), the loser-freak who will, down the line, become Batman’s nemesis, stands before us not as a grand villain but as a pathetic specimen of raw human damage.” Not a laugh a minute by the sound of it, nor anything remotely comforting in these troubled times.

Joaquin Phoenix, 28 October 1974 San Juan, Puerto Rico, maybe 2.55 am (astrotheme), is an intense and charming Sun Venus in Scorpio conjunct Mars, Uranus, Mercury in late Libra – so no stranger to living on the edge himself with such a high-octane, explosive mix. His Sun Venus trine Jupiter which will help him on the luck and enthusiasm front.

He did have an appalling childhood being brought up in the Children of God sect, which undoubtedly contributed to his brother River’s addiction problems and drug-related death in 1993 when Joaquin was present. River was four years older and had a marginally more challenging chart with Saturn in Taurus opposition Neptune square a Virgo Sun and Mars; with Saturn trine Pluto Mercury – abused, addiction and depression-prone, massive anger issues.

This year and into early 2020 Joaquin has tr Uranus opposing his Venus and Sun for a fairly roller coaster several months. But he will be into an upbeat and go-ahead lucky streak from March 2020 till late 2021 with tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter/Node.  2022/23 and further on look much less straightforward with tr Pluto square his Mercury, Uranus and then Mars for a truly challenging and frustrating few years. Though his Solar Arc Jupiter will sail to the rescue in the latter stages as it starts to oppose his bunched together five planets over several years thereafter.

Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, has been drawn into the Ukraine impeachment imbroglio with three House committees subpoena-ing him to produce relevant documents within a week. It won’t please him at all. He has stuck himself to Trump for survival reasons but has ambitions beyond him of perhaps a presidential run in future.

It might explain the fairly violent disruption between the pair up and coming from late this December and escalating through 2020. That’s when tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Venus, moving on through hard aspects to the Venus, Saturn, Mars midpoints and then the composite Saturn and then Mars throughout all of 2020. May, June and across the election look exceptionally fraught between them.

Pompeo’s own chart, 30 December 1963 1.32 pm Orange, California, is facing catastrophe mid this October to mid November with tr Uranus square the Mars/Saturn, repeating in March 2020; and career losses from tr Neptune conjunct his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint mid November to mid December. His Capricorn Sun is also in the line of fire this year and early next from the July Cancer Eclipse and the December Capricorn one.

His Term chart as Secy of State, 26 April 2018 2pm Washington, DC, will be road-blocked and bad tempered across this New Year with setbacks from tr Saturn conjunct the Mars Pluto; and before then from mid November to mid December with tr Pluto returning to its natal position conjunct Mars.

That could also indicate repercussions from events in the outside world, not just Trump mayhem.

Pompeo is an evangelical Christian, an adherent to the notion that God promised the land of Israel to the Jews, and that their gathering is foretold in the prophecy of the rapture — the ascent of true believers into the kingdom of God. The rest of us – Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, atheists etc – get tossed in the trash can. Pompeo says that the Bible “informs everything I do.” Presumably including Middle East policy.

Kurt Volker, 27 December 1964, a well-respected career diplomat and Ukraine envoy since 2017, has resigned over the furore though he’s still expected to give testimony. He’s a Sun Capricorn which was jangled by the July Cancer Eclipse and the upcoming December one in Capricorn. He also has Mars in Virgo which squares Trump’s Sun and Moon and his Pluto Uranus squares Trump’s 10^th house Uranus – so a combative and ratchety interface.

Volker is confused and uncertain now till mid-November with challenges and setbacks into 2020, with greater panics from late February onwards.

ADD ON: The precipitating factor in ensnaring the State Department appears, at least in large part, to be Rudy Giuliani’s doing. Trump’s personal lawyer, a wild card with a motormouth went on television and publicly named State Department officials who were involved which led to Volker’s resignation. Pompeo is reportedly furious with Giuliani but it’s unclear whether he’s had it out with him given his protected status as Trump’s right-hand man.

Pompeo’s relationship chart with Giuliani is a volcanic cauldron of dislike with a composite Saturn opposition Neptune Mars square Uranus which tr Pluto will be hammering at from late January 2020 for two years. Even before then mid this November there’ll be a decided dip between them for four weeks with tr Neptune squares the composite Jupiter. That’s the same phase when Trump’s relationship chart with Giuliani is also moving through swampy times with tr Neptune square the composite Sun.

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Dina Asher Smith, the young British runner, has been called one of the most exciting athletes in the world and she’s aiming for a hat trick of three at the Doha Championships on now till October 6^th. Not only is she gutsy and dedicated to her training, she’s also got a sideline in modelling and TV punditry to fall back on.

She was born 4 December 1995 in London which puts her Sun, Pluto, Mercury and Jupiter spread out through sporty Sagittarius. Her Sun sits on her Jupiter/Pluto midpoint which Ebertin describes as ‘the successful use of extraordinary physical and mental powers, the creation of magical effects.’

Her Sun and Jupiter both square Saturn in Pisces so she’ll dislike failure. A passionately enthusiastic Mars Venus sit at one end of earthy Capricorn and the highly-strung and quite fanatical Uranus Neptune sits at the other. Her Moon is in earthy Taurus. So a Fire Earth chart making her a steamroller of energy who keeps going long after others have collapsed by the roadside.

She’s on her Jupiter return this year with an upbeat tr Jupiter conjunct her Sun/Jupiter within a few days. But sporting predictions are tricky since what shows in the chart tends to be extreme strain and doesn’t necessarily reflect as a triumphant high.

Keeping a calm head in the midst of chaos and cutting through the cacophony of noise when all sides are screaming that they are right and are winning ain’t easy. Trump’s impeachment may seem a slamdunk to the chattering classes but out in the boondocks where they don’t watch the news (or think) nothing has changed; and the Republicans who control the Senate are too scared of losing their control to dump their interloper leader. Plus the smear campaign is in full swing which always muddies the waters.

Trump’s Term chart is however showing more than the usual degree of strain. The destabilising tr Pluto square the Uranus is around till mid-November (and around all 2020 in the Solar Arc position); with tr Saturn in a blocked conjunction to the 9^th house (legal) Pluto in late this November and in an enthusiasm-dampening square to Jupiter in early January.

Though the wild card in the chart is the Jupiter in the Cardinal T Square since it could hand him luck he doesn’t deserve to get him out of a tight scrape – and tr Pluto will square the Jupiter/Uranus midpoint from mid November for four weeks and then square the Jupiter late December to early February which could provide helpful distractions. Be interesting to see what happens in Jauuary when the exact tr Saturn Pluto hits that Jupiter.

Tr Saturn then moves on to conjunct the Midheaven which could bring a reality check in February, August and across the election. In February as well tr Uranus squares the Solar Arc Sun as it does in this November, for a jolt or two. Plus tr Neptune returns to conjunct the Venus for either unpopularity (a poll dip) or a financial disappointment or both. And there’ll be a massive jangle come June as tr Uranus opposes the Scorpio Moon – that latter might just set the public’s teeth on edge.

The House of Commons descended into screeching and unappealing rage yesterday with the warm up being provided by Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General, whose legal advice on prorogation had been so firmly squashed by 11 Supreme Court judges. Blithely ignoring their ruling he declared with a full Shakespearean flourish: “This Parliament is a dead Parliament!” “It has no moral right to sit on these green benches!” And of his Remainer-opposition he declared there would come a time “when even these turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas!”

Born 30 April 1960 in Wroughton, England, he studied law, became a barrister and then an MP in 2005. At one point he was the highest earning MP from his outside law practice which earned him £820,000 in 2014; during which time he submitted expense claims for a 49p bottle of milk, £2 worth of tea bags and £4.99 for “weed killer for space in front of the constituency office” – all of which were rejected; and in 2016 apologised to the Commons authorities after forgetting to declare about £400,000 in outside earnings from 2015. As is standard practice he gave up his law practice on becoming AG in 2018.

He’s an indulgent and stubborn Sun Taurus in a good-for-business Earth Grand Trine to Pluto in Virgo in a confident and lucky trine to Jupiter in money-magnet Capricorn; formed into a Kite by Sun opposition an idealistic or slippery Neptune in an uncompromising square to Uranus. He’s also – like Dominic Cummings – got Mars in Pisces, in his case sextile Saturn.

Mars is always written up as if it is a wuss, but clearly not. Taurus can be placid but has a ferocious temper when provoked.

He has mixed fortunes ahead with several discouraging Saturn hard aspects to midpoints in early and late October to late November; and an uncertain tr Neptune conjunct his Solar Arc Saturn mid November to mid December – though over that latter few weeks he also has tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter/Pluto, trine his Jupiter and his Pluto which could bring lucky breaks – which isn’t remotely what’s showing for Boris or Cummings. Over the New Year looks fraught. And from May 2020 onwards tr Uranus will oppose his Neptune and then move on to conjunct his Sun after mid year which will catapult him onto a totally different trajectory.

Pic Chris McAndrew

Born with a silver spoon she definitely wasn’t. The story from former Hollywood megastar Demi Moore – Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal- in her memoir Inside Out is of a tormented childhood. She and her brother survived her parents’ chaotic and destructive lifestyle of drugs, alcohol and mental illness. From age 12 she continually rescued her mother from suicide attempts, learnt her mother’s partner was not her biological father, and at 15 was raped by a man who gave her mother money for drugs. She married at 17 which lasted four years, then married Bruce Willis with whom she had three children. That lasted a decade and she then married Ashton Kutcher which also collapsed. Her career went from high to low and she descended into drugs from which she extricated herself a few years back.

She was born 11 November 1962 2.16pm Roswell, New Mexico which puts her Scorpio Sun, Neptune, Venus and Mercury all in the intensely emotional, deeply buried 8^th house square Mars in showy Leo. Her maternal grandfather had an alcohol problem as well and died drunk in a car crash – 8^th house will point to the grandparental psychological ‘legacy’ which in her case was a heavy burden to bear. She also has a super-confident Jupiter in Pisces in her 12^th opposition Uranus Pluto, which would be one of her saving graces – the ability to be happy in her own company with Jupiter in the 12^th  and the optimism from Jupiter Pluto and Uranus when life got on top of her. Her Taurus Moon opposes her Sun, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and squares onto Mars – describing a very complicated relationship with her mother, affection mixed in with anger, confusion and ambivalence.

What a life story and still here at 56 with clearly a good deal of bounce in her.

What’s to say that hasn’t been said before? The Boris Government chart is riven with argument – picking up September 22nd till late October with tr Uranus square the heated Mercury/Mars midpoint; and is having a minor nervous breakdown with tr Neptune square the Mercury/Uranus midpoint now till mid November when it gets a great deal worse. At that point tr Neptune squares the Jupiter for four weeks of dashed hopes; but much worse is the catastrophic tr Uranus opposition the Mars/Pluto midpoint which picks up mid November till mid December,returning in February, if his government is still standing.

From post August 28 2019: Boris’s own chart is panicking at the prospect of failure from September 22^nd to late January 2020 with a run of tr Neptune hard aspects to various Mars midpoints. September 22^nd to October 19 will be leadership upsets, martyrdom, suffering and being forced to adjust to new circumstances. November 11 to December 18 looks high-risk, blocked and powerless.

The two leading proponents of the push towards the Supreme Court appeal – Joanna Cherry and Gina Miller – despite their stunning ‘victory’ don’t look that sanguine ahead. Joanna Cherry QC, an SNP MP, 18 March 1966, is looking very enthusiastic mid October to mid November and again in March, but that apart is edgy, insecure and disheartened. She’s a Sun Pisces with the signature 1960s Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Saturn square Jupiter in Gemini.

Gina Miller, 19 April 1965, is a Guyanese-British businesswoman, who has been initiating legal action to prevent Brexit without parliamentary approval. She’s a last degree Aries Sun with Saturn opposition Pluto Uranus Mars in Virgo square Node in Gemini – quite a fighter. She will have her upbeat phases but will also be facing some losses before this year is out.

The UK 1801 chart is struggling through indecision and confusion with tr Neptune square the 3^rd house Mercury in Sagittarius and the Solar Arc Mars over the next few months until late February 2020. With the January 10^th 2020 Lunar Eclipse in Cancer which opposes the tr Saturn Pluto in Capricorn sitting almost exactly on top of the UK 10^th house Moon – which certainly suggests a crisis in direction and rulership.

Where the financial pain begins to hit is in 2021 and 2022 as first tr Uranus is conjunct the 8^th house Mars; and the following year the Solar Eclipse in Taurus is conjunct the UK Mars – the 8^th house rules joint and business finances, but also deep-rooted transformations which are often accompanied by major calamitous accidents and/or natural disasters.

Nancy Pelosi finally caved and announced Congress would move towards an impeachment inquiry on Trump’s dealings with Ukraine where he allegedly threatened to withhold aid unless it dug dirt on his electoral rival Joe Biden. The chart for 5pm on 24 September does have a successful or at least enthusiastic Jupiter in the 10^th but it’s also in an over-hopeful square to Neptune which is never a great sign. Jupiter Neptune is known as the aspect of false happiness and over-optimism. There’s a dirty-dealings-behind-the-scenes Pluto trine an even more deeply buried Mars in Virgo which could either lead to an exceptionally toxic struggle or stalemate. Mercury is also inconjunct Neptune suggesting mis-speaks, evasions and lies. Late December and January 2020 is when the Saturn moves to conjunct the Pluto and trine the Mars, which will be high-risk, irritable and could see a setback or two – which in any event need a two-thirds majority in the GOP-controlled senate which suggests it is a stretch.

Previous impeachment proceedings – in the case of Clinton were launched in October and went to Senate trial the following February where he was acquitted. In Nixon’s case it was a longer drawn-out process starting October 1973 and ending without trial when he resigned the following August.

The White House reckons it can fend off this “outrage du jour,” as one senior administration official called it. Having skated through Mueller; the Charlottesville uproar; Stormy Daniels; the “Access Hollywood“ tape; and dozens of other threats to his presidency, they see no reason why this one shouldn’t be swatted aside.

The key danger point for him is undoubtedly late February next year till early July with tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Mars midpoint; winding up beforehand as well with tr Pluto opposition his Saturn. That’s just after the exact tr Saturn Pluto conjunction of January which could throw up a major distraction of a different order to push all this into a corner.

Late February 2020 is when tr Pluto starts the two-year opposition to the USA Mercury bringing hostile debate of an exceptionally virulent and intense variety. Lies and fraudulent misrepresentation will run rife. The previous time there was anything similar astrologically was 1933/34 with tr Pluto in Cancer conjunct the USA Mercury; and prior to that in 1844/45 with tr Pluto in Aries square.