Astrology of Today’s News

The UK has long been a thorn in the EU’s flesh, deemed a reluctant participant in the drive for more political integration. So however much upheaval Brexit causes short and long-term there will be a sigh of relief in certain quarters. Yet in the EU group dynamic, Britain’s presence did provide an element of balance for the Franco-German dyad as well as contributing a substantial chunk of money for the kitty. If and when the deed is ever done, it may throw more of a spanner in the works than is obvious at the moment. Germany is politely declining tighter banking and economic ties, knowing full well it would have to foot the bill of poorer countries’ debts; though there are no more safeguards available against another economic recession and the likelihood in that event is the euro itself would collapse.

Where the strain between the two big beasts of the EU really comes to a head is in 2022/23. At that point tr Pluto is square the France/Germany composite Mars; and in 2023 tr Uranus is opposing the composite Sun. The composite Mars is a peculiarly sensitive spot on this relationship chart having been under severe challenges in the run up to World War 11 with tr Pluto in Cancer also square the Mars; and undermined for the start of World War 1 when tr Neptune was square the Mars. Not that a war is likely but it’s when relations will be at their most fraught and loyalties stretched to the limit. Tr Uranus was also opposition the composite France/Germany Sun for the start of WW11.

French relations with the EU will be in a state of turmoil from 2022 for several years with tr Uranus square the composite France/EU Uranus, opposition the composite Sun, square Saturn, opposition Pluto and then Mars right through till 2026. During this time the France chart itself has its Fixed T Square of Pluto opposition Uranus square Mars Midheaven under assault in 2023/24 from tr Uranus hard aspects and will be in a state of complete upheaval from that.

Germany’s angst about the EU looks marginally less acute than France’s though some strain has already come last and this year, continuing into next, with confusion stretching through till the mid 2020s. The Germany chart itself does have the total turnaround tr Pluto opposition the 10^th house Uranus in 2021/22 with continuing financial hitches and glitches through till 2027 with a peak of economic instability 2022/23.

Getting rid of perfidious Albion isn’t going to sort out the internal problems of the EU. If anything it may open up major cracks and fissures.

The indomitable, ever cheerful Julie Andrews is still firing on all cylinders at 84 appearing in a Netflix Regency costume drama and just publishing the second volume of her autobiography, Home Work, co-written with her daughter, with the third in preparation. She was a child star on stage and then hit the big time in movies with Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music and hasn’t stopped for seven decades.

What’s all the more extraordinary is what else she packed into her life from a difficult childhood onwards. She came from a split family, helped her vaudeville mother cope with her stepfather’s alcoholism, travelled miles alone for her own theatrical engagements, looked after her younger half-brothers when her mother started drinking heavily and became the main breadwinner by her mid-teens. In adult life she continued to support her extended family. And in her second marriage to Blake Edwards she had to cope with his moody depression and prescription pill addiction, cope with his unstable ex-wife and his children as well as raise two adopted children and her daughter. All in the midst of a punishingly busy career. A throat operation in the late 1990s went tragically wrong and thereafter she couldn’t sing so now confines herself to speaking roles.

Born 1 October 1935 6am Walton-on-Thames, England, she has a bouncy first house Libra Sun giving her that cool, crisp and forceful persona, backed up by a lively Mars in Sagittarius in the 3^rd. Her intense but never-letting-on-she’s-hurt Scorpio Moon is conjunct a lucky Jupiter, with Jupiter in a confident trine Pluto. And what gives her discipline and reflects the harsh conditions of her childhood is Saturn in Pisces opposition Venus in Virgo in the 12^th (conjunct Neptune) and square Mars. She would feel unloved and lose herself in her creativity and helping others as well as staying exceptionally busy. A focal point Mutable Mars can be disorganised and scattered but a constantly changing career would soak up much of that.

Her Mercury in Scorpio opposes Uranus and squares onto Pluto – so there’s an intensity to the way in which she communicates and to a certain extent a fair amount of mental stress.

She’s not in her easiest times at the moment with a panicky Solar Arc Neptune conjunct her Mars and an accident-prone Solar Arc Mars conjunct her Saturn. But tr Pluto sextile her Jupiter for another year will help to keep her enthusiasm high.

Petite, mischievous and renowned for her eccentric fashion style when off set, actress Helena Bonham Carter, has been grabbing audiences and awards for an astonishing three decades. Born 28 May 1966 in London, her latest jaunt is playing Princess Margaret in Netflix’s The Crown, seasons 3 and 4.

She comes from an illustrious family with high-level British politicians on her father’s side including former PM Asquith; and Spanish and Jewish diplomats and bankers on the other. Her father was a merchant banker and her mother is a psychotherapist. She was involved with actor Kenneth Branagh at one point and then moved into a long relationship with director Tim Burton with whom she had two children. She’s now moved onto a ‘bit of magic’ with a writer 21 years younger than she is.

She has a Sun Mercury in Gemini so will have communication abilities; with a determined and showbizzy Mars in Taurus opposition Neptune square an entertaining Leo Moon. She definitely needs an audience with a focal point Moon. She also has the chaotic, unpredictable Uranus Pluto in Virgo and Saturn in Pisces. So quite a mix of fun loving and sombre, fixed and scattered.

Princess Margaret whom she evidently plays exceptionally well, 21 August 1930 9.22pm Glamis, Scotland, had her own complicated and mischievous mix. She was a Sun Leo conjunct Neptune with an attention-demanding Moon Pluto in Cancer in the performing 5^th house; and a revolving-crises Cardinal Grand Cross of Saturn opposition Jupiter square Venus opposition Uranus. Their charts aren’t alike apart from the Leo emphasis and Jupiter in Cancer – but the overall pattern of constant change and stubbornness is relatively similar.

Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire former three-times mayor of New York City, is contemplating a possible 2020 presidential campaign, reversing his decision earlier in the year, though he hasn’t firmly decided yet. His concern is that the current crop of Democratic presidential candidates are not up to defeating Trump. Bloomberg is a divisive figure not least because of his conspicuous wealth and he would be a disruptive influence on the already overcrowded field, being a centrist and former Republican. His concern is almost certainly that Joe Biden’s candidacy has been damaged by the financial connections of his son Hunter. Although no corruption has been proved, the optics are bad.

Mike Bloomberg, 14 February 1942 3.40 pm Brighton, Massachusetts, is a stubborn, stalwart and enduring 8^th house Sun and Moon in Aquarius square Mars Saturn Uranus in Taurus; with Mercury and Venus also in Aquarius and Venus opposition Pluto in Leo which makes eight planets in Fixed signs so not much flexibility but endless stamina.

He does have tr Uranus square his Pluto now suggesting a turnaround or upheaval and that repeats into early 2020. But what will almost certainly put paid to his chances is the tr Pluto Saturn conjunction opposition his Mars/Neptune midpoint which will bring a sense of plans dissolving and that runs on and off through the year, especially February, July/August and late November/December. It’s never a winner that aspect at elections.

Shakespeare’s Prince Hal rose to the challenge of transitioning into a stalwart King Henry. Which was the faint hope in Thailand two years back when Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn moved closer to replacing his revered, steady-hand-on-the-tiller father who had reigned for seven decades. Maha, 28 July 1952 5.45pm Bangkok, Thailand, was a playboy prince, with a rackety reputation, three failed marriages and an explosive temper who made his pet poodle an Air Chief Marshal in the Thai air force and gave him a four-day Buddhist funeral when he died.

Since being crowned on 4 May this year he has done nothing to dispel doubts about his suitability for the role – firing aide after aide as well as his much publicized consort for scheming against his fourth wife; as well as putting himself in charge of the multi-billion pound Crown Property Bureau, and assigning military troops to his Royal corps. All the hallmarks of an absolutist monarchy.

His chart is certainly grossly indulgent, acquisitive and control-freaky with Jupiter in Taurus opposition an ambitious and vengeful 10^th house Mars in Scorpio squaring onto Pluto Venus in Leo; with the Sun and Mercury also in Leo. Plus a can-be-fanatical and autocratic Uranus square Neptune Moon Saturn in Libra. After his third divorce, he had his ex-wife’s parents thrown in jail for criticising him. Lese-majeste is a crime in Thailand, which pushes public discontent underground.

His Coronation chart timed at 10.09 am has the repressive, restrictive Saturn Pluto in the 7^th inconjunct Mars and square Venus Mercury, so was never going to be a light-hearted affair. With an opportunistic Mars opposition Jupiter in an evasive square to Neptune.

By the end of 2021 the Saturn Pluto conjunction will have moved by Solar Arc to exact and Pluto will be squaring the Mercury at the same time, followed by Solar Arc Saturn – so the sombre mood will intensify over the next few years. There’ll be panicky failure at the top from 2021 to 2023 with tr Neptune square the Mars and Jupiter which could indicate financial problems as well.

His own chart is on a jolting, jangling, explosive few years as tr Uranus squares his Sun this year and next, and then proceeds to square his focal point Venus Pluto 2021 to 2023/4 which will turn his life upside down. Tr Pluto square his midheaven in 2023/24 can bring a ruined reputation or a fall from high position so he won’t get away with his bad behaviour unscathed.

Are Trump and Putin about to fall out of the bro-romance? It’s an intriguing notion floated by Haaretz which points to Trump’s reversal of the bring-troops-home-from-Syria order to leave some USA soldiers to guard the oil fields. Russia regards the oil as war booty and was furious, accusing the U.S. of illegal activity – stealing $30-40 million a month, money that rightfully belongs to the Syrian regime. Trump says he’s considering signing a deal with ExxonMobil to run the oilfields with one practical outcome being it could finance continued aid to the Kurds, without affecting U.S. coffers. According to Syrian websites, Russia had been awarded most of the franchises for producing oil by Assad with Iran getting little of substance.

Trump double-crossing and stealing from his best buddy. Who’d have thought?

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Pluto conjunction which suggests a controlling connection that is significant for both. But once the purpose of the coming together has been fulfilled the parting of the ways with Plutonic relationships is usually long drawn out and bitter. And the synastry is very challenging with Putin’s super-control-freak Pluto conjunct Trump’s Mars and Ascendant; and Putin’s Mars in Sagittarius conjunct Trump’s Moon opposition Sun.

There will be a disappointing dip in the mood between them mid this November to mid December; with this December Capricorn Solar Eclipse opposing the composite Uranus – and next June’s Cancer Solar Eclipse conjunct the Uranus – so there will be a major turnaround in relations. There’s also muddles and mayhem at the moment till mid November – and aggravation from late January 2020 onwards. With other Neptunian swamps lying in wait through 2020.

It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that it could pull apart to the extent that there’s payback from the Russian side. And wouldn’t that be interesting?

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The legendary TV and radio presenter Gay Byrne has died, described as Ireland’s ‘conscience and confessor, sounding board and steering hand.’ Despite an unassuming personality and a life devoid of showbiz pzazz he had an extraordinary impact on his native country for the nearly four decades where the content of his shows was the main talking point. He defied the Catholic church’s rulings on birth control, shone a light on women’s rights, lesbian nuns, alcoholism, domestic violence and HIV/Aids; and mixed light entertainment with steely interrogation of political figures.

Born 5 August 1934, no time sadly, he was an entertaining Sun Leo sextile Jupiter in fair-minded Libra with a Gemini Moon. His Jupiter was also square a passionately enthusiastic and emotional Venus Mars in Cancer.

His Sun falls in the Ireland 3^rd house of communication; with his Jupiter conjunct the Ireland Saturn so he’d help to loosen up the downbeat and repressive streak in the country. His Venus Mars were conjunct the Ireland Moon Pluto so from another angle he’d challenge old Ireland’s iron grip on women’s lives. And his Saturn was conjunct the Ireland Midheaven and Mars so while he wouldn’t always make himself popular with his controversial items he would hold the country to a standard of decency.

Anthony Hopkins looks set for another triumph with Netflix’s The Two Popes receiving rave reviews. He plays Pope Benedict, wracked with doubt on the edge of retirement with Jonathan Pryce as the other lead playing his greatest critic and future successor Pope Francis. It launches later this month and is based on a play by New Zealander Anthony McCarten who wrote the screenplays for Bohemian Rhapsody and Darkest Hour. Rotten Tomatoes have given it 90%.

Anthony Hopkins, 31 December 1937 9.15 am Port Talbot, Wales, has had an astonishingly long and illustrious career, starting on the stage and thence onto film and television with highly praised performances in Silence of the Lambs, Remains of the Day, more recently Thor and Westworld.

He has a hidden and creative collection of Sun, Mercury, Venus in Capricorn in his 12^th trine an innovative Uranus in the 3^rd and sextile Mars in Pisces. Plus a superstar Neptune in the 8^th in an artistic opposition to Saturn squaring onto a Sagittarius Moon. Plus an intense Pluto in the 7^th trine Saturn.

He had a tough childhood and was deemed stupid at school and has recently been diagnosed as a high functioning Aspergers. He’s been married three times with a daughter from whom he is estranged. Emotionally he doesn’t have an easy temperament with a focal point Moon onto Saturn and Neptune and an overly controlling Pluto in the 7^th. His daughter whom he abandoned as a toddler with her mother was born in 1968 so has the Uranus Pluto conjunction in Virgo colliding with his Neptune, Moon and Saturn; and her Saturn in Aries squares his Pluto. A difficult crossover.

He’s now 82 and with tr Saturn aiming to move across his Ascendant from January 2020 he will want to start winding down his workload. He does have an enthusiastic and lucky tr Uranus square his Jupiter over the New Year and through January, so despite the tr Saturn conjunct Pluto on his Ascendant he’ll be feeling good for a while anyway.

Jonathan Pryce 1 June 1947, is a Sun Gemini trine Neptune sextile Saturn Pluto in Leo so an interesting mix of complications – flexible and dreamy as well as tough-minded and ambitious. He’s also got a charming Moon Jupiter in Scorpio opposition Venus Mars in Taurus, which will anchor him down. He’s got an upbeat tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter as of now; and his Progressed Sun is square his Jupiter either now or next year, so in a buoyant phase.

There are yowls of protest as Boris Johnson has blocked the publication of a report on alleged illicit Russian activities in Britain before the election. The inquiry by the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee is believed to have looked at claims of Moscow’s attempts to influence the Brexit campaign and Russian money going into UK institutions including sizeable donations made to the Conservative Party. Dominic Grieve, the committee’s chairman said the decision to delay publication was “jaw-dropping”. His outrage has been echoed by other high-level former public officials.

Grieve, 24 May 1956, is a barrister, former Attorney General, fervent Remainer and now an independent having been de-whipped in the recent political massacre by Johnson. He’s a Sun Gemini opposition Saturn in late Scorpio which in turn is in a formidably stubborn T Square of Jupiter Pluto in Leo opposition Mars. He’s no fan of Boris’s with his Gemini Sun conjunct BJ’s Mars and square BJ’s Saturn and Uranus Pluto and his Saturn square BJ’s Mars.

Boris is known to have been cosy with at least one wealthy Russian oligarch, ditto Cameron and Osborne – and questions have been raised about Dominic Cummings who spent three years in Russia in the 1990s.

Relocating Boris’s chart to Moscow does put his sociable Sun Venus on the Descendant, with a comfortable Jupiter in the 4^th opposition an evasive Neptune in the 10^th, and a party-going Mars in the 5^th. Nothing definitive but Russia will hold some charms for him.

Boris has as much decency and respect for rules and protocols as Trump.