Astrology of Today’s News

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.

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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

Another ruthless Mars Pluto father who left a conflicted family behind was Charles Harrelson, a professional contract killer. His three sons were abandoned when young and while two are clear about who he was, the third, actor Woody Harrelson, has always held out the hope that his father, who died in prison, was falsely convicted for killing a federal judge.

A new true crime investigation — a ten-part Spotify podcast, Son Of A Hitman – examines Charles Harrelson’s claims, including ones he had CIA links and was involved in the assassination of JFK.

He was born 23 July 1938, when there was a close conjunction of a formidably unpleasant Sun, Mars, Pluto. (3 days after the tragic Nathalie Wood.) His Saturn in Aries was on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Neptune sextile North Node. Not a man to cross, for sure. There was more planetary activity on his chart when JFK was assassinated than when the judge was gunned down – not that makes for proof, but intriguing.

Woody Harrelson, 23 July 1961, known initially as Woody the barman in Cheers. evolving to serious roles in Indecent Proposal, Natural Born Killers and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, shares his father’s birthday. Woody’s zero degree Sun Leo is opposition an overly optimistic Jupiter in Aquarius square Neptune – giving him an idealistic but not always realistic outlook. His Sun also opposes his Saturn in Capricorn so he would feel rejected by his father’s departure when he was seven.  Jupiter in a chart often makes it difficult to see that parent (Sun Jupiter for father, Moon Jupiter for mother) without rose-coloured glasses. Much is forgiven or glossed over.

Their relationship chart had an affectionate composite Sun Venus Mercury conjunction; and a composite Jupiter opposition Pluto and Mars – which clearly operated to put a shine on the relationship with Jupiter’s super-optimistic tendencies obscuring the darker side.

Woody once said: ‘My father is one of the most articulate, well-read, charming people I’ve ever known . . . I look at him as someone who could be a friend more than someone who was a father.’

His two brothers are in no doubt that their father was who he was reputed to be  – a man who beat up women, smuggled and used drugs, cheated at high-stakes poker and would ‘kill anyone for $500’.

Brett Harrelson, also an actor, 4 June 1963, is a Sun Gemini inconjunct Neptune and sextile Jupiter with the powder-keg Mars, Uranus Pluto in Virgo. So he carries his father’s dark streak though is able to see clearly who he was so is more likely to get hold of the more positive end of it.  His relationship chart with his father had little Jupiter to smooth round rough edges – with a differing agendas composite Sun Uranus and a scary, dominating composite Mars Pluto.

Brett’s relationship chart with his brother Woody although expansive with a Sun trine Jupiter, also has a power-struggling Jupiter opposition Mars Pluto.

The sins of the father do get visited down the generations, not in the same form necessarily, but those who can’t face the past honestly run the risk of carrying on the ancestral damage rather than breaking the chain.

The mastermind of the recent Twitter hack designed to extort bitcoin ransoms from victims including high-profile celebrities as well as ordinary people, has been named as a 17 year old from Florida.  Graham Ivan Clark, born 9 January 2003 according to the charge sheet, is being charged as an adult for what was described as “a sophisticated and extensive fraud.” He netted more than $100,000 in a few hours.

He is an ambitious Sun and Mercury in Capricorn; with an ultra-determined, volatile and vengeful Mars in Scorpio square Uranus which would give him a self-willed streak, brooking no interference with his plans. He’s also got a Yod of Mars sextile Mercury inconjunct Saturn, which would make him an outsider who never felt he fitted in – but clearly he used that to carve out his own path. His Jupiter in flashy Leo is in a confident trine to Pluto which in turn is in an unyielding opposition to Saturn. His Saturn is also in an innovative trine to Uranus.

In different circumstances if someone had put him on the right track he could have done exceptionally well in life. Although a Yod focal point Saturn does require maturity and self-control to work well.

As it is tr Neptune is squaring his Saturn Pluto and his Saturn through 2020/21/22 for a downward slide.

The Greek drama that is the Murdoch Family has encountered another plot twist with the resignation of James Murdoch, younger son of Rupert Murdoch, from the board of News Corporation, citing “disagreements over editorial content”. He has previously criticised News Corp outlets for climate change coverage, especially over the Australian wildfires which the Murdoch media blamed on arson. It is also thought James has contributed to Joe Biden’s campaign in contrast to his father’s Trump support. His departure would appear to grant more influence to his brother Lachlan who shares his father’s conservative views.

James, born 13 December 1972, was always the better fit with his father since the ageing patriarch is a Pisces Sun with Sagittarius Moon while James is a Sagittarius Sun and Pisces Moon. But surviving in the shark pond of a dynastic family where divide and rule was always Pa’s modus operandi would never be easy.

The James/Rupert relationship chart has a complementary (=more whole when together) composite New Moon but that has been upended by tr Uranus squares recently – so it was presumably time for a parting of the ways.

James does have tr Pluto square his Uranus aiming for a final aspect this fall which is a staging post influence indicating a time to revision life ahead. Not quite a teenage rebellion or a mid life crisis but certainly a time to reconsider ambitions and goals.  He presumably won’t be short of money but he does look a touch lacklustre in 2021 with tr Neptune square his Sun.

Rupert, now heading for 90, gives no sign of handing over the reins and heading for an armchair but he’ll have to relinquish his grip at some point. His Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto and an 8^th house Mars gives him an iron grip but even he will have to come to terms with mortality at some point. His Solar Arc Saturn is in a blocked square to his Pluto, exact in six months’ time; and tr Pluto is opposition his Mars/Pluto exactly now and again late this November to late December which is equally stuck, frustrated and aggravated. Plus a setback from tr Saturn opposition his Mars through the second half of this November. So maybe just maybe the USA election result won’t please him.

What is salutary looking at the three principal players amongst the Murdoch children as far as the business goes is how much at odds they are with each other. The relationship charts between:

Lachlan and James – a palpable dislike and power struggling Mars square Pluto.

James and Elisabeth – Mars Pluto conjunction for the same as above and a suspicious Neptune opposition Saturn.

Lachlan and Elisabeth – an aggravated Mars Saturn conjunction.

Their relationships with each other are almost more fraught than with their father – which was presumably the point.

Rupert Murdoch isn’t dodgy in the same way as Robert Maxwell but they do share some astro-similarities – Maxwell was a Gemini to Murdoch’s Pisces, and he had a Mars Pluto in Cancer square Saturn and trine Uranus so the same ruthless drive for domination of his children as well as his business empire.