Astrology of Today’s News

The great love affair between Leonard Cohen and Norwegian Marianne Ihlen, which marked both their lives, though they weren’t physically together for long or faithful to one another, has been immortalised in a new cinema-release documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, directed by English film-maker Nick Broomfield. She was the inspiration behind many of his songs – So Long, Marianne; Hey; That’s No Way to Say Goodbye; Bird on the Wire – his muse and lifetime love, yet their relationship was chaotic and painful and ultimately short-lived.

They met in the early 1960s when Cohen was writing poetry on the Greek island of Hydra which was home to an émigré community of bohemians, artists and lotus eaters, with everyone having affairs with everyone else. Cohen then moved to New York to start a musical career which took off. She ultimately went back to Norway and married into a settled bourgeois life, though the Cohen connection was always there. They died within three months of each other in 2016.

Cohen was born 21 September 1934 6.45am Montreal, Canada and she 18 May 1935 in Norway. Her Taurus Sun was a good earthy fit with his Virgo Sun; and her Scorpio Moon was probably trine his Pluto for a possessive crossover. But there is less of a connection than I would have expected to find.

Their relationship chart did have a composite transformational Sun Pluto conjunction which makes for an intense connection and one that changes both of them, though it needn’t necessarily last for ever. There was also composite Sun and widely Venus opposition a North Node square Jupiter which would bring luck and good feelings.

Pic: Gorupdebesanez

Petty spite drives so many of Trump’s decisions and none more so than when setting out to destroy Obama’s legacy – what Kim Darroch, the former UK Ambassador, described as ‘diplomatic vandalism’ in the case of the Iran deal.

Whether Trump is motivated in this instance, by naked racism or by envious resentment or bitter enmity – or a mix of all three – it’s a character flaw that dominates his life and actions.

There’s no doubt that Obama presses all his hot spots especially his can-be-malign 12^th house Pluto on which Obama’s Leo Sun sits. Obama’s reforming Uranus is also conjunct Trump’s bombastic Mars in Leo and square his Midheaven; and Obama’s intense 8^th house Mars squares Trump’s Sun Uranus and Moon – so it is a volcanic, inflammatory interface.

There can be positive aspects to having a 12^th house Pluto but in an unenlightened personality it is a dark energy, obsessive and driven by primitive emotional responses.

Their relationship chart has a high-tension, disruptive, differing-agendas composite Sun Mercury Uranus square Saturn opposition Neptune – which will bring out knee-jerk and fanatical responses. Obama must have the self-control of a saint not to respond. There’s also a chained-together by circumstance Saturn trine Pluto; and an emotionally ratchety Moon opposition Mars square an exaggerating Jupiter.

There’s no indication that the sour feelings will die down anytime soon. If anything they will gear up in 2020/21 as Trump attempts to emulate Obama’s two terms.

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Heidi Klum, former model and businesswoman, was married secretly this February to Tom Kaulitz, rock guitarist with the German band Tokio Hotel. She’s sixteen years his senior with a chequered emotional past including two marriages and four children, the last three with Seal.

Born1 June 1973 11am Cologne (astrotheme) she is a New Moon in Gemini with Saturn Venus Mercury also in Gemini – with all her Gemini planets in a high-energy square to Mars in Pisces, on this birth time on the 7^th house of relationships, and trine an independent-minded Uranus and trine Jupiter in Aquarius. She’s very Airy, emotionally detached, adventurous and scattered with 7 Mutable planets.

Her new husband born 1 September 1989 6.20am Leipzig, Germany (astrotheme) is almost the complete opposite with a New Moon and Mars in Virgo and the triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn. He’s very earthy, rooted in the real and material world as well as being rebellious, volatile. He has the Jupiter in Cancer opposition to his Capricorn planets, trine Pluto and sextile his Sun, so he’s talented, lucky and quite a whirlwind himself.

He does have Venus and Mercury in Libra which will connect with her Gemini planets, though her Uranus is conjunct his Venus so she’ll tend to jump backwards at times; and his Mars is square her Saturn and Moon which could get scratchy.

Their relationship chart, birth times being sound, has a composite New Moon which is good, making them feel more whole when together. With a Water Grand Trine of Sun Saturn Uranus which could produce a healing-bubble for them both; and an attention-demanding, entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine. With a power couple Jupiter opposition Pluto square Sun, though that could turn into a power struggle at some point, fighting for the upper hand. Plus passionate Venus sextile Pluto and sparkling trine to Uranus. And a showbizzy though perhaps ego-clashing Mars Neptune conjunction.

The strength of the Saturn will help to give longevity and two grand Trines have to be positive but it’ll require a fair amount of adjustment to make it work. The wedding chart of 22 February this year wasn’t too great with Saturn Venus Pluto opposition Node square Uranus. That looks subject to rolling changes and crises; with an explosive Mars Uranus and a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter square Neptune.

Meghan Rapinoe, the US women’s football superstar appears to be fireball, regarded as the Muhammad Ali of her sport and a ‘walking protest’ on everything from equal pay to gay rights and protests against racial injustice. Thousands of women across the US are evidently now adopting her tough-pixie, pink, butch hairstyle. She’s managed to get up Piers Morgan’s nose and Donald Trump’s so she’s not doing badly.

Born 5 July 1985 in California, she’s a combative Sun Mars in Cancer in a tough-minded trine to Saturn in Scorpio. Her Saturn is in a cool opposition to Venus in Taurus. Her Mercury is in an intense square to Pluto and an outspoken trine to Uranus. And she has that odd top-notch athletes’ mid Aquarius Jupiter. A force to be reckoned with.

She has a very marked global-star 22^nd Harmonic.

Prince Andrew, erstwhile good friend to Jeffrey Epstein, has relied on respect for his mother, the Queen, to get him out of manifold allegations of consorting with the corrupt, financial and otherwise, in the past. But he may not manage to avoid fallout from Epstein’s trial on sexual offences with minors since he was so obviously part of the social circle.

What is striking about Andrew’s chart at the moment is not only tr Neptune conjunct his 8^th house Mercury this year – sliding secrets out in the open – with one more exact hit mid August till late September this year. But more significantly tr Pluto is moving to square his Midheaven from early 2020 for two years. This brings a critical turning point in career or direction in life, will tend to lead to dented status and reputation as Pluto tears down old structures and to provoke hostility and resistance from others. It can also have health implications and given that both tr Saturn and tr Pluto are now moving through his 6^th he will be under pressure on the fitness front.

His relationships with both daughters and his ex- and still-living-in wife Sarah indicate a raft of panicky moments from late this September right through till February 2020 as tr Neptune in his hard aspect to the composite Jupiter on Sarah and Beatrice’s relationship chart and the composite Sun on Eugenie’s.

Prince Charles is known not to get on with Andrew, which brotherly rivalry apart, is supposedly because of concern about Andrew’s questionable associations damaging the monarchy. Their competitive composite Sun Mars conjunction in the relationship chart is being severely rattled by this months Solar Eclipse and their composite Uranus by the upcoming Lunar Eclipse. And it moves into even more disruptive times from early 2020 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus – so there will be even more fallout next year.

The same is indicated on Andrew’s relationship chart with the Queen, though given her age, it should be treated with some care. Tr Neptune is square the composite Saturn from late March 2020 with major ructions and ruptures from late May onwards as tr Uranus rattles the central Mars Midheaven opposition Pluto.

It’s mystifying – astrologically speaking – as to why he’s regarded as the Queen’s favourite since their charts aren’t wonderfully compatible. With the exception of his Pisces Sun matching her Venus in Pisces, everything else is at cross purposes. Her Saturn is conjunct his Moon, his Saturn is opposition her Pluto, his Mars Venus square her Sun, his Uranus is conjunct her Moon and Neptune opposition her Mars and square her Saturn MC. If anything he’s a disruptive force in her life though his Pluto does fall in her 8^th suggesting she feels trapped in some way by him.

Their relationship chart has a volatile, argumentative, needs-space Grand Trine of Mars trine Uranus trine Moon (Neptune), formed into two Kites by Mars opposition Pluto and Moon Neptune opposition Sun. It suggests a relationship that is power-based, very tied together though not by affection, but by who holds the reins and is also built to a degree on an illusion with such a strong Neptune. It was severely shaken by the previous kerfuffle that saw Andrew lose his trade envoy official role. And what’s coming up will have an even greater fallout.

Add On; Further thought on Andrew’s chart. He does have a Yod onto an apex planet Uranus in the 1^st inconjunct Mercury sextile Saturn. Such a Yod tends to produce a personality that is wilful, rebellious and can be lawless, since convention will be kicked aside. It can be a trailblazer in a more evolved individual, but its intolerance and disruptive behaviour tends to cause rifts in their environment. This year the two legs of the Yod are being pressured by transits – his Saturn Return and tr Neptune conjunct Mercury. Usually fated changes of life’s direction occurs when a Yod is under pressure.

There is another sort-of Yod of North Node sextile a Scorpio Moon inconjunct his midheaven, which will be challenged by tr Pluto square his MC in 2020/2021.

Cori Gauff became the standout story at Wimbledon when the 15 year old beat Venus Williams in straight sets and went on to win another two rounds before being knocked out.

She was born 13 March 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, with two sporting parents and took up tennis at 6. They moved to Florida to find better opportunities for her to train when she was 7 and she was home schooled with both parents giving up their job to focus on her tennis career. No pressure then. She won her first national tournament aged eight; and in 2014, aged 10 years and three months old, she became the youngest champion in history.

She’s a Sun Pisces square Pluto and Moon in Sagittarius – so two fairly controlling parents. Her Jupiter in hard-working Virgo is in an adventurous opposition to Uranus; in a sociable trine to Venus in Taurus balanced by a sextile to Saturn. Her Mars in Taurus which is unaspected by other panets is conjunct the Fixed star Algol making her uncompromising and leading to high energy and non-stop activity. Robert de Niro and Nancy Pelosi both have Mars conjunct Algol, as did Liberace.

She went into Wimbledon with tr Neptune square her Sun/Jupiter midpoint which tends to start with high hopes and then rather fizzles out which makes sense. There’s no birth time so no way of knowing the ups and downs of her career. Mid November to mid December look deflating, perhaps accident prone or with health issues as tr Neptune squares her Mars/Saturn midpoint. But she’ll then bounce up with more luck from mid December to early February. There’s nothing showing up as great success for some years – indeed 2020/21 may be frustrating with tr Pluto square her Sun/Mars midpoint; with an undermining 2022/23 as tr Neptune is square her Pluto and conjunct her Sun.

But she’s young enough to keep going. And she has already been signed up by racquet makers and a clothing brand as sponsors and is set to earn more than $1million (£791,000) in 2019.

Disgusted-of-Tunbridge-Wells doesn’t seem to be disgusted enough if the polls are correct as Boris Johnson sails unscathed by personal scandals and political chicanery towards No 10, even if only for a brief interlude. Not that his competition is up to much, but still. He has that slippery Geminian ability to shin up the greasy pole with no dent in his chances despite a heap of dirt on his CV.

Our very own, shameless, amoral, duplicitous, lying clown on the throne – all of which might be forgiveable if he was half ways competent which he isn’t.

Mulling over tricksters and their necessary function in creating the chaos out of which an ultimate benefit comes – he does have his Midheaven and Ascendant close to the UK’s MC and Asc with his Solar Arc Jupiter moving to conjunct the UK’s MC within a year. So he is key to something. And heaven knows, there’s enough chaos wrapped up in his chart with Saturn in Pisces opposition Uranus Pluto square Mars in Gemini suggesting a vibrant, overly scattered, disorganized and self-interested personality who lives on the edge of nervous irritability and finds it difficult to focus or concentrate.

July 11^th to August 22^nd he picks up tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint, repeating mid November to mid December. Ebertin describes this as proceeding in a brutal manner or the misfortune of having to suffer violent assaults. From September 22^nd till late January 2020 he has a run of undermining Neptune transits bringing uncertainty, paralysis, failure.

His relationship chart with the UK 1801, (birth times being sound), has an 8^th house Mars opposition Neptune with Mars trine a 12^th house Mercury Uranus. That looks capable of detonating a deep-seated anger, causing financial havoc, is certainly divisive, and will give rise to the sense that the UK’s interests and his are not the same. One wins the other loses is what Mars Neptune indicates. Tr Pluto will trine the deeply buried Mars during his tricky July/August and November/December patches; with tr Neptune casting smokescreens around at the moment and on and off in 2020 (if he lasts that long) with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mercury Uranus.

His relationship chart with the Conservative Party 1912 is friendly enough in essence; though with a non-mutually supportive Mars Neptune; and resentful Saturn trine Pluto. There’ll be significant disturbance in late October early November this year when Brexit is allegedly due.

His relationship with Donald Trump is super-ambitious as a twosome with a good deal of enthusiasm; though it’ll hiccup its way from late August, suffer a major setback in late September/October and be less than secure in 2020.

Who’d have thought repressive, authoritarian Saturn Pluto would throw up  archetypal Fools?

Actor Rip Torn, best known recently for playing Chief Zed in Men in Black and The Larry Sanders Show in the 1990s, has died. He also had an illustrious stage career, best known for his dominating performances in many Tennessee William’s plays. He had multiple nominations for both stage and screen but relatively few awards and was known for his troublemaker persona almost as much as for his towering talent.

Born 6 February 1931 2.35am Temple, Texas, he was a Sun Aquarius with the generational Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto in Cancer square an innovative and rebellious Uranus which produced quite a few other notable prominent personalities. His Pluto in the 8^th was conjunct a lucky Jupiter with Pluto opposition Mercury – so he’d be exceptionally intense and with a focal point Cardinal Uranus also defiant, overly assertive, impatient, a mould-breaker and status-quo upsetter. His Mars in flamboyant Leo was sextile a Libra Moon and widely trine his Uranus. Not a quiet personality despite his Libra Moon.

There were various on set conflicts throughout his career but he said he got less angry the older he got. He still managed to collect several arrests for DUI and one for breaking into a bank with a loaded gun when drunk.

Tem Tarriktar has sadly died who started and ran The Mountain Astrologer (TMA) magazine for thirty years. It moved from being an 8 pager to the most highly respected astrology publication in the world with an international outreach which was no mean feat.

Born 7 August 1956 6.40 am Cleveland, Ohio, he had a Leo Sun sitting just above his Ascendant in the 12^th with Moon Pluto in Leo in his 1^st as well. He’d be an enigmatic as well as entertaining personality. And his Sun was exactly conjunct his Uranus/Pluto midpoint for a revolutionary spirit. A confident-communicator Mercury Jupiter in Virgo in his 1^st was trine his Taurus Midheaven, so he was well-designed to get the word out. His Uranus is hidden in the 12^th and square his MC as well as square Neptune. A focal point Fixed Uranus would make him a trail blazer and quite self-willed, so he’d walk his own path.

He obviously had a tough start in life with a cold/deprived Saturn in Scorpio in his 4^th square Moon Pluto and his Saturn also trine Mars in Pisces in his 8^th house.

His Mars was on the focal point of a Yod to Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct which wouldn’t be easy to live with in early adult life, tending to bring impulse decisions, anger issues and scattered energy though also focussing his attention on what lies buried deep beneath and beyond reality. Such a Yod usually brings a crisis point which forces a change of direction. Yods need to click into gear with a fated set of circumstances which puts the individual onto their destined track. Bil Tierney remarks of a Mars apex Yod: This new period compels the individual ‘ to undertake dynamic, pioneering new starts involving courage and daring.’ According to Astrodienst he went bankrupt in 1983. At that point there was enormous astro-pressure on his Mars from Solar Arc Pluto in opposition and Solar Arc Saturn square Mars. Four years later he started TMA.

The Mountain Astrologer had its first issue on 24 May 1987 when there was a fiery collection of Uranus Saturn Venus in Sagittarius trine Jupiter in Aries with a Sagittarius Sun as well. Saturn Uranus is innovative; Sagittarius is knowledgeable and well-travelled; Jupiter is lucky and bold in Aries. The North Node was also in Aries, usually a placing that demands the ability to stand alone and be a leader. There was a penetrating Mercury Pluto in Scorpio with Mars also in ultra-determined Scorpio.

Tem’s Harmonics are interesting and descriptive with a strong get-it-together 5H; a creative 7H; a break-through/genius 13H; and leaving-a-legacy 17H. He’ll be missed.