Astrology of Today’s News

 

Operation Overlord, the successful World War 11 invasion of German-occupied Europe, by allied forces started with landings in Normandy, France on 6^th June 1944. It was an extraordinary logistical exercise with 1,200-planes bombing in advance of 160,000 troops being landed having crossed the English Channel in an amphibious assault involving more than 5,000 vessels. By late August more than two million Allied troops were in France with German forces in retreat. General Dwight Eisenhower was in overall charge with General Montgomery overseeing land forces – there were possibly around half a million casualties in all.

The chart for the initial landing was stark, with a brutal, do-or-die determined Mars Pluto in Leo on the focal point of a Neptune trine Uranus Venus – so no doubting its magnitude or intent. It had been keyed up by the previous January 1944 Solar Eclipse which had a heavily-loaded Air Grand Trine of New Moon in Aquarius trine an explosive Mars Uranus trine Neptune, with the New Moon opposition Pluto. Tr Jupiter in Leo was then exactly conjunct the France Uranus in Leo with freedom in sight.

The Solar Eclipse of July 1944 which occurred during the two-month campaign fell at 27 degrees Cancer, exactly opposition the USA Pluto and conjunct the Germany 10^th house Uranus. That was in a Saros Cycle which repeated in September 2016 just before Trump’s election; in August 1998 as the Lewinsky scandal broke leading to Clinton’s impeachment; in August 1980 preceding Reagan’s election; and more significantly in July 1962 which in the aftermath saw the Cuban Missile Crisis erupt (and the death of Marilyn Monroe.) Clearly that Solar Eclipse is in a cycle of major importance for the USA but it won’t repeat in that cycle again until 2034.

What does repeat this year is the Capricorn Lunar Eclipse which in July 1944 fell at exactly the degree of this July’s Lunar Eclipse.

There were Lunar Eclipses at this degree in Capricorn in July 2007 when what was described as the most prominent funeral of all time occurred for Michael Jackson who died in the June.

The preceding one in July 2001 fell just before 9/11 and the Afghanistan War – and Enron bankruptcy.

Before that a same degree Lunar Eclipse in July 1982 oversaw the Falklands War and the Lebanon War.

Another in July 1963 preceded the Martin Luther King ‘I Have a Dream’ speech a few weeks later to a crowd of 250,000, then the largest protest ever seen in Washington, DC.

That it should have a significant and dramatic effect on USA is not surprising given that it is conjunct the US Cancer Sun. The massive Black Lives Matter protests will be part of it.

All marginally complicated but intriguing – eclipses are generally thought to have an effect over several months following.

 

The enduring and ever-green Tom Jones is 80 this weekend with a documentary to mark his extraordinary life from coal-miner’s son who was a regular singer in Welsh working men’s clubs and after his first hit single in his 20s ‘It’s Not Unusual’ became a sex symbol status. That led him to the US with a long Las Vegas residency in between constant touring and an enduring friendship with Elvis Presley. His popularity declined in the 1990s but he resurrected his profile in The Voice UK TV series to establish himself as an elder statesman. Health concerns interfered with a recent ambitious US tour.

Born 7 June 1940 12.10am Pontypridd, he has a Sun Gemini (favourite sign of pop singers) in his performing 5^th house; with a Gemini Moon also there squaring onto an iconic 8^th house musical Neptune. His passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Cancer are in his hard-working 6^th house. He has an indulgent and money-magnet Jupiter Saturn in Taurus in his 3^rd along with maverick Uranus; with his Jupiter Saturn in an obstinate and persistent square to Pluto. His Pluto sits on his Descendant, so he’d have intense interactions with his public as well as with his long-suffering wife, whom he married at 16. She stood by him through numerous affairs (250 groupies a year he once said) and she sadly died in 2016 which hit him hard.

Relocating his chart to Los Angeles where he lives now puts influential Pluto on the midheaven which can be tricky to handle but has clearly worked for him.

His creative 5^th and 7^th harmonics are both well aspected, especially his musical 7H – and his making-his-mark 17H.

Pic: Raph_PH

 

 

 

Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, has effectively dismissed the recent German court ruling about bond purchases being against Treaty law and announced a 600 billion euro top up. The previous recovery fund announced by the Commission in May is still not agreed with the frugal states northern dragging their heels. This further top up which may never get through is still deemed not enough to support the pandemic economic damage especially in Greece and Italy where public finances have become unsustainable. The ECB decision was described by one commentator as a “declaration of war” against the German court.

Her ECB start chart of 1 November 2019 12am is in a rebellious mood with tr Uranus opposition the Scorpio Sun exactly now and repeating on and off into early 2021.

Her personal chart, which is formidably enduring and obstinate with a Capricorn Sun, and Mars Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto Moon (Jupiter) is upbeat and pushily confident till early July but then it runs into a failed-plans slump through July. This is when the EU’s own chart starts to show considerable economic strain with tr Uranus conjunct the 8^th house Taurus Moon and square the Uranus.

Her relationship chart with Jens Weidmann, head of the German Bundesbank, is on red-alert exactly now and continuing to be in a tension-erupting phase till mid 2021. If she or the Commission can’t persuade Germany to agree then none of it will work.

The December Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius will hit her ECB CEO chart’s Moon and Jupiter for an over confident push along with an emotional upset in the months following.

Her relationship with the Germany country chart looks at daggers drawn for two and a half years ahead. Germany’s relations with the EU are being tested with this July’s Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn putting serious pressure on the ties-that-bind. There will also be a deepening froideur from this December onwards as the Sagittarius Eclipse is conjunct the composite Saturn.

Too many eclipses in one year and too much going on all over the place. The EU is set to rock n’ roll and not in a good way.

  

The tragic story of Madeleine McCann who disappeared from a Portugal holiday villa aged three years old in 2007 has reappeared in the headlines. At the time and for years after conspiracy theories swirled about her parents being responsible. A botched Portuguese police inquiry failed to follow up other leads and eventually fizzled out with a disgraced lead investigator being fired. Now German police say they have a convicted sex offender in prison for drug offences who was in the area at the time and confessed to a friend that he knew what had happened to her. The German authorities are treating it as a suspected murder inquiry.

Madeleine McCann was born 12 May 2003 at 6.14pm (astrotheme) Leicester, England, and is/was a Sun Taurus conjunct a Taurus North Node; with the bleak Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto of the time in place. The Solar Arc Uranus is moving to square the Pluto on her chart, so perhaps stirring up secrets; with a free-ing tr Uranus square the Jupiter in place come early July. The Solar Arc Mercury is conjunct the North Node exactly now which may be a pointer to why the case has returned to public prominence.

The alleged suspect Christian Bruckner, 7 December 1976, if the birth date is accurate, is an excitable and evasive Sun, Neptune, Mars in Sagittarius trine Saturn in wannabe-important Leo, and sextile Pluto; with an indulgent Jupiter in Taurus trine Venus in Capricorn. Nothing is established as yet except that he was in the location at the time.

Both the parents – Gerry McCann, 5 June 1968 7.45am Glasgow, Scotland, and Kate McCann, 5 March 1968 Liverpool – have been through hell. Neither look cheerful over the next two years. Gerry McCann’s Mars in Gemini square Pluto is being undermined by tr Neptune hard aspects for two years. Kate McCann looks no more cheerful. Though if it is established she died at the hands of a sex offender that will be very hard on them.

A Twitter follower kindly pointed out a similar case which was eventually solved after 27 years. Jacob Wetterling, 17 February 1978, Minnesota, was kidnapped and killed as an 11 year old and his remains only discovered in September 2016 when the perpetrator confessed.

He was a Sun Aquarius opposition Saturn in Leo with a difficult Mars in Cancer square Pluto; and an optimistic Jupiter opposition Neptune.

When his remains were discovered tr Uranus was square his Mars; and his Solar Arc Saturn opposition Sun had moved to sit exactly on top of his North Node.

If there were to be similar aspects on Madeleine’s chart of tr Uranus square Mars, then that would point to spring of 2021, though from this July would also trigger the effect as tr Uranus starts to square her Jupiter which is natally in opposition to her Mars Neptune. On aspects to her North Node – her Solar Arc Neptune and Mars are square now and into 2021 as well.

It may seem odd looking at influences to a chart of someone (perhaps) deceased but for whatever reason the chart lives on and posthumous events do show up.

Boris Johnson is discovering to his obvious irritation that he has an opposition in place capable of nailing him down with awkward questions. The most recent Prime Ministers Question time with the newly installed Keir Starmer evoked a flustered and aggrieved response as the former barrister’s inquisition of where his policies had failed in the pandemic crisis hit the mark. In return Boris accused the Opposition Leader of lack of co-operation and a deliberate attempt to distract the public to which he received the measured reply: “the Prime Minister is confusing scrutiny with attacks.”

Starmer, 2 September 1962, has a Sun, Pluto, Uranus in Virgo in a confident opposition to Jupiter, all of which sits on top of Boris’s Uranus Pluto, Saturn, Mars mutable T Square; with Starmer’s Uranus exactly square his focal point Mars in Gemini for an incendiary chemistry.

Their relationship chart has a cool, suspicious composite Mercury opposition Saturn square Neptune which will lead to confusion and evasiveness. And a wide power-struggling Pluto square Mars with Mars trine Saturn – so an angry interface which won’t improve as tr Neptune undermines the composite Mars till next spring.

The key question is – will Boris stay the course? Will he push a battered Britain across the Brexit finishing line in December and then bale for a lifestyle better suited to his blustering bonhomie temperament, having discovered the job he’s spent his life aiming for isn’t quite the prize he expected? Or will his health post-Covid dictate another course?

Tr Saturn will square his Moon from June 17^th to July 2. It was around previously in late March/early April when he contracted the virus, ended up in hospital and nearly died. So it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that the lingering after-affects, from all accounts long-lasting, make themselves felt. His Scorpio Moon is also being seriously jangled by the approaching Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Moon, exact in 7 months, though in effect earlier. Given that his Uranus is tied into his T Square it does bring together the full weight of his scattergun, aggravated, high-tension temperament to bear on his Moon, not just this year but for several years to come. Which is a considerable pressure for the Moon to withstand. It could also involve challenges to his home and domestic life.

In addition, if his 2pm birth time is sound, then he has his Solar Arc Midheaven conjunct his Uranus within two months which suggests a radical change of direction – though if he was born a few minutes before or after, the timing could be out.

He will get a minor lift from tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint from early this July to mid August and again late year – but that isn’t overly strong an influence. This week’s Lunar Eclipse will rattle his Pluto Uranus; the June Cancer Solar Eclipse will be conjunct his North Node; and the July Lunar Eclipse will catch his Midheaven – so it’ll be a fraught time ahead. Though the major turning point will come with the December Sagittarius Eclipse which will oppose his Sun Venus in Gemini – and that does tend to lead to a full-blown crisis thereafter or at least a major turning point in life.

 

Japan has come out of the pandemic better than most with under 17,000 infections and 894 deaths mainly due to a special contact-tracing strategy, early awareness and the timely declaration of a state of emergency, though without a compulsory lockdown.

The concern now is whether PM Abe can kickstart the economy which has been burdened with massive public debt for more than a generation.

The Japan 11 February 1889 chart has variable start times. There’s nothing too dramatic showing up instantly. Though there’ll be a financial dip or disappointment come 2021 with the Solar Arc Neptune opposing the Japan Venus.

The Nikkei, 7 September 1950, indicates a dampening of confidence through this year with tr Neptune opposition the Saturn; also flags up 2021 as an uncertain, panicky phase.

The Bank of Japan, 10 October 1882, is nerve-stretched this year not surprisingly with tr Neptune opposition its Uranus and jangled with tr Uranus opposition its Mercury.

All three charts have a heavy concentration of Fixed planets after mid degree – so the tr Uranus hard aspects from 2022 onwards till 2025 will be the years of greatest stress.

The Japan chart catches tr Uranus in a high-tension square to its Saturn in Leo in 2022, shaking its sense of national pride; and tr Uranus then moves on to square the Aquarius Sun in 2024 for more jolts and changes of direction and following that tr Uranus is conjunct the Japan Neptune in Taurus and finally Pluto in early Gemini – so it’ll be a stormy patch. 2022 also sees the panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct its Mars.

The Nikkei chart is getting much the same pounding during that 21022 to 2025 period with tr Uranus opposition the Mars, square Pluto and finally square Venus – so several years of financial disruption.

The Bank of Japan has a discouraging Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Sun in 2022; with forced-change from an uphill-slog tr Pluto trine Saturn in 2021/22, followed by trine Pluto. With tr Uranus conjunct Neptune and then Saturn, Pluto in Taurus between 2022 and 2025.

 

Mark Zuckerberg is under attack from his own Facebook employees as well as civil right leaders for his stance over Trump’s posts advocating violence which he is refusing to take down. Twitter hid a similar post under a label saying “glorifying violence”.

Zuckerberg said: “I know many people are upset that we’ve left the President’s posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies. I disagree strongly with how the President spoke about this, but I believe people should be able to see this for themselves, because ultimately accountability for those in positions of power can only happen when their speech is scrutinised out in the open.”

What’s interesting astrologically is that Zuckerburg’s Taurus Sun is exactly conjunct Trump’s Midheaven. And if an unverified birth time of 2.39pm is sound for Zuckerburg, then Trump’s Gemini Sun falls on his Midheaven. So a good combination for business. ‘You rub my back, and I’ll rub yours.’ It’s not a seamless bro-romance since Z’s Taurus Sun in a do-or-die-determined opposition to Mars in Scorpio squares onto Trump’s Mars. And Z’s Saturn in obsessive Scorpio squares Trump’s Pluto – so it will grate.

Their relationship chart has a dynamic composite Sun trine Mars and an expansive Sun opposition Jupiter. Though there’s a changeable and emotionally-at-odds composite Pluto, Saturn, Uranus conjunction square Venus – and the composite Sun is also in a differing-agendas square to Uranus. So it’s a relationship that will go through several seismic upheavals in its lifetime.

This week’s Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse will rattle their relationship chart as well as Z’s Uranus and Trump’s. So quite a seminal moment for both, with the potential for being pushed off track. Zuckerburg is exceptionally obstinate but tech firms have in the past shifted ground and revised policies after pressure from their notoriously outspoken staff.

Zuckerburg will be having an exceedingly uncomfortable month with the calamitous tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Pluto from June 10^th to early July (repeating October and April 2021) with tr Saturn in a blocked square to his Pluto from mid this month to early July as well.

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In the heat of chaos and anger it’s difficult to get perspective. All the previous race riots in the USA have led to multiple deaths, mass injuries and property damage. This one is being described as the most widespread disorder triggered by racism since the 1960s when the disruptive and rebellious transiting Uranus Pluto in Virgo had been stirring up aggravation over civil rights and the Vietnam War. For statistics see https://www.voanews.com/usa/timeline-us-race-riots-1965

This is a reprise of earlier comments and a ramble but it might pull together useful strands.

The Saros Eclipse cycle this year in the same as 1966, but there was more extensive rioting in 1965, the year before, and 1967 and 1968, two years after, than in the year itself. What’s missing at the moment is the transiting Uranus Pluto. The 1960s saw the USA and indeed France’s moments of insurrection from a disgruntled section of the population. What will have focused the heat on the USA in the 1960s was the tr Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition the USA Neptune and more significantly square the Mars which lit a fuse under simmering resentments – ditto it being opposition the France Virgo Sun. The recent Uranus Pluto effect running from 2011 to 2015 produced the Arab Spring and other uprisings.

The difference now is a triple lock of this year’s repressive Saturn Pluto conjunction running parallel with the pushily-confident Jupiter Pluto all bearing down on the USA Mercury opposition Pluto. With an added spur from the June/July Lunar and Solar Eclipses jangling the USA Venus, Jupiter, Sun in Cancer as well as the USA Uranus and Mars in Gemini. So multiple mini and major crises rolling through to the year end. The November Lunar Eclipse at 8 degrees Gemini will rattle the USA Uranus. With the combative, argumentative December 2020 Sagittarius Solar Eclipse lighting another fuse in opposition to the USA Mars, which points to that explosive 2021 Inauguration chart. Whatever the result, it’ll lead to outbursts of anger.

Just as an aside I’ve always thought the USA Uranus and Mars in Gemini had a good deal to answer for in promoting the ludicrously extreme freedom of speech attitudes, which allows for ‘racial slurs’ amongst other insults in the name of libertarianism. It’s also short-fused and argumentative which added onto the dogmatic, impervious-to-rational-argument Mercury opposition Pluto does allow bizarre beliefs to fester, and be defended with vehemence – and guns. At the moment the Progressed USA Sun is exactly square the explosive Mars/Uranus midpoint.

A previous triple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto (in Pisces) did bring about a financial collapse in the USA and after two or three years a resurgence in a new direction with a better economic model. (See post April 2 2020)

Trump is flailing around like a banana republic despot but there is an argument that a section of the voters taken in by his ‘hang, draw and quarter them’ rhetoric, would prefer a strongman president in place in times of unrest. So it’s by no means certain that he’ll lose. Though his relationship chart with the USA does suggest a growing tension between himself and the populace from early July to mid-August with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars; and there’s also anxiety on the Republican Party relationship charts with him throughout this year and on.

One possibility, of course, is he keels over and is replaced in November by another GOP candidate.

From 5^th July he picks up the catastrophic tr Uranus square his Mars/Saturn midpoint, to which Ebertin ascribes accidents, illness or tests of nervous strength. At the same time he has the disruptive tr Uranus square his Pluto. Both keep running till late September. July 6 to August 18 he has the discouraging tr Pluto opposition his Saturn, returning late November till late December. He will get some uplift mid August to late November from tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint though that’s minor and it won’t outweigh the fraught tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus running at the same time and the other influences. For more detail on Trump timeline see post May 12 2020.

All of which rolls the USA closer to its first ever Pluto Return since inception in 1776. Although not picking up exactly until 2022, the effect is around from this year onwards with tr Pluto opposing the USA Mercury.

Pluto Returns only happen every 250 years approximately and the overall sense from the country charts available for checking is that dictators and over-centralised government give way to more democratic systems. See examples below.

“There has been a long-term change in power at each Pluto Return on the England chart, 11 May 973 JC: (1217-18, from the king to the barons; 1460s, broadly towards Parliament as we know it now, with a Commons; 1709-10, the executive power starts moving towards the Prime Minister).

Other examples: Spain – 19 January 1479 JC. The most recent Pluto Return around 1972 saw the dictator Franco gradually relinquishing power, nominating a monarch as successor to his regency in 1969; and handing over the Prime Ministership by 1973. He died in 1975.

Russia 28 March 1462 JC – the most recent Pluto Return was exact when Stalin died in early 1953. Previous Pluto Return was 1706.

France 19 August 843 JC – most recent Pluto Return in 1821 saw the death of Napoleon on the exact aspect. Previous Pluto Returns: 1577, 1332, 1088

Switzerland 26 May 1231 JC – most recent Pluto Return joined the Council of Europe. Before that 1726.

Austria 18 October 1221 JC – was angling to join the EEC on the most recent Pluto Return, managed it 6 years later. Before that 1714, 1468.

There are two – maybe – cheering thoughts looking ahead. Not so much in terms of race relations but on Pluto Returns promoting more democratic government and the potential for a revival in a new direction after the Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto triple conjunction, even if it is a couple of years in coming. Though the shift over into Aquarius does hold out the promise of a more tolerant, egalitarian and humanitarian outlook which would suggest at least the possibility that race relations becomes less of an issue.

Sometimes – and this is my Pollyanna hat – it takes egregiously bad behaviour to swing the pendulum over so far that it provokes a backlash that sends it back in the right direction. Trump is the wrecking ball knocking the pegs out from a disintegrating system. He may bring it down on his head before he’s finished.

 

The indomitable, everlasting Clint Eastwood is 90 today and still making movies. In a career stretching seven decades he has rarely stopped since the TV cowboy series Rawhide, through Italian spaghetti westerns onto hard-cop Dirty Harry. Along the way he started to direct – Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River etc  – which earned him multiple awards. His latest The Ballad of Richard Jewell was released late in 2019. His relationships, marriages and children have been a moveable and expansive feast.

Born 31 May 1930 5.35pm San Francisco, he has a 7^th house Gemini Sun square a filmic Neptune on his Virgo Midheaven. He’a also got the signature Great Depression Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto square Uranus giving him a tough and inventive streak. Stubborn, used to hardship and freedom-loving. A pro-active Mars in Aries in his 6^th will give him workaholic tendencies and an irritable, perfectionist streak – as well as a good deal of luck with Jupiter in his 8^th.

His emotional life isn’t as constant with a Venus in Cancer in the 8^th opposition Saturn and square Uranus and widely conjunct Pluto. Venus Saturn hard aspects can lead to a compulsive need to find new partners; as does Venus Uranus; and Gemini is a wanderer as well. His 9^th house Moon in Leo squares Mars which would make for anger issues around women.

His superstar 22^nd harmonic is strong; as is his actor’s 15H.