Astrology of Today’s News

CBS is heading for its 90^th birthday next year in the face of a slew of allegations of sexual misconduct aimed primarily at CEO Les Moonves – detailed by Ronan Farrow in the New Yorker. Thirty other former and current CBS employees also allege harassment and company-wide protection for those accused of misconduct, some alleging their careers were later derailed as a result of filing harassment complaints. All of this in the middle of a pitched legal battle with majority shareholder Shari Redstone over a proposed merger with Viacom.

Moonves, 6 October 1949, is a Sun Neptune in Libra square Jupiter in ambitious, money-minded Capricorn and opposition an Aries Moon squaring onto an innovative and rebellious Uranus in Cancer.  He has an ultra-determined, never-say-die Mars Pluto conjunction – somewhat similar to Weinstein’s Mars square Pluto – which in businesses requiring a ruthless streak isn’t too surprising. Though in Moonves’ case his Mars Pluto squares onto his seductive, sexualised Venus in Scorpio. He’ll be a man of strong passions.

Tr Neptune is within days of reversing in opposition to his Sun/Mars and Sun/Pluto midpoints, which will bring a sense of panicky failure and undermine his position; and those repeat off and on through 2019, being joined by another couple of Neptune confidence sinkers in 2019/ 2020. He’ll have some lucky breaks in 2019 and fairly resounding success from tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter in 2019/2020 so he won’t be down and out but it won’t all be going his way.

CBS has a late Capricorn Sun square Jupiter at one degree Taurus – both of these will be shaken up by tr Uranus through the rest of this year into early 2019 – with luck and some relief as well as jolting changes.

Moonves’ relationship chart with CBS is being detonated into sudden change with tr Uranus square the composite Pluto now and into early 2019; with high frustration, anger and more disruption from tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars and trine Uranus. He’s pretty anchored in and isn’t a man to give in without a fight.

Two Eclipses down, one to go, a partial Solar Eclipse on 11^th August at 18 degrees Leo. In a Saros Series Bernadette Brady ascribes to transformation and rebuilding, though it can start with a collapse of old plans.

What’s most notable is that the New Moon is on the apex of a Yod to Pluto sextile Neptune and exactly in opposition to the Neptune/Pluto midpoint. This will give a supernatural tinge to events and feelings, with clairvoyant or mystical visions; and/or bring confusion, fantasies, falsehoods and strange obsessions. Neptune Pluto can be scandal-prone, induces megalomania in some, especially with an apex Sun. Venus square Saturn is also in minor aspect to Neptune/Pluto. Be interesting to see what all of this throws up.

The Eclipsed New Moon is also square Jupiter – expansive, promises more than can deliver, over-confident.

The explosive and disruptive Mars, North Node, Uranus T square is still in place though not in aspect to the Eclipse itself.

Uranus in on the MC located to DC and USA East Coast; and the New Moon is exactly conjunct the MC in Israel.

The unhappy saga of Bishop Peter Ball has dragged Prince Charles into an unwelcome spotlight. Ball was cautioned in 1993 for indecent assault (which means he gave a clear admission of guilt) on much reduced charges after considerable establishment pressure; and finally pled guilty in 2015 to the abuse of 18 young men for which he was imprisoned.  Charles gave him money and organised a house for him between the two cases and provided, wittingly or otherwise, substantial camouflage in royal approval for his rehabilitation. His original accuser, written off by Ball’s influential friends as a ‘mischief-maker’, committed suicide when the second investigation opened.

Ball was born 14 February 1932 and with his twin brother set up a monastic order that practised an austere form of worship involving naked prayer and flagellation, which he falsely claimed were in the tradition of St Francis of Assisi. He professed to live in near poverty. In reality he loved the high life. Household bills on food and alcohol during his time as Bishop of Gloucester were astronomical and the house was expensively decorated and furnished.

He’s a Sun Mars in Aquarius opposition Jupiter in Leo probably squaring onto an indulgent Taurus Moon.  A Fixed T square especially involving the Moon suggests fixed desires, intense and wilful emotional reactions, obsessive attachment to what is valued and a determined resistance to change. Mars in Aquarius doubles up on the wilfulness and headstrong refusal to stick to the rules. Jupiter in Leo would attract him to a flamboyant lifestyle, mixing with the best people. He boasted frequently of his Royal connections. Mars opposition Jupiter can be opportunistic, a chancer.

His Neptune is unaspected which would prevent him from bringing spiritual insight to his actions.

Ball’s Sun Mars in Aquarius is in conflict with Charles’ Scorpio Sun. But Ball’s Pluto is in C’s 12th and trine his Sun and his Jupiter is conjunct C’s Pluto – Ball controlled Charles partly by boosting his morale and playing to his vanity. Ball’s Uranus is also conjunct Charles’ MC so has the capacity to alter the trajectory of C’s career.

Their relationship chart has a friendly, affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction; with an Earth Grand Trine of Uranus, Mars, Neptune – Mars being under severe pressure at the moment from tr Pluto conjunct.

What chokes me off about these cases is the self-serving gullibility of ‘nice’ people, who drench complainants with hostile disbelief just because the accused gives the appearance of being a pillar of the community. “The most gentle, upright and saintly man”; “a man of immense kindness, charity and humour dedicated to serving God in the community” wrote two of his elevated supporters. Give me a good going bastard any day rather than a hypocrite.

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Wilmer Valderrama was at Demi Lovato’s side in hospital after her overdose (see previous post) before she moved home to her family away from LA. They were an item for six years before splitting in 2016 and she evidently regards him as a solid friend. He’s an actor, producer, singer and television personality, recently as a regular on NCIS.

Born 30 January 1980, Miami, Florida, he was brought up partly in Venezuela and started getting stage and TV roles when still at school. He’s a Sun, Mercury in Aquarius with a Cancer Moon, a trio of planets in Virgo and a musical Venus in Pisces opposition Mars in Virgo square Neptune. Definitely designed for showbusiness.

His Venus in Pisces and Jupiter Mars in Virgo connect well with Demi’s Venus Jupiter in Virgo. Though his Sun is conjunct her Saturn and his Mercury is squared by her Pluto, so it wouldn’t all be picnic and roses. She’s a Sun Leo with a Taurus Moon while he’s an Aquarius with a Cancer Moon – so Fire Earth with Air Water – very different personalities.

Their relationship chart has a Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and maybe Moon T square for social fun; though with heavier undertones from Mars square Pluto and a see-saw Jupiter square Saturn, so up and down.  He does look concerned through this year; and exactly now with the Lunar Eclipse opposing his Sun. He’ll get a major step up and success in 2020 and an even bigger and better one in 2021.

Director Ingmar Bergman, ‘one of the greatest artists of the 20^th century’, was born 100 years ago this month. His films dealt with existential, psychological questions of mortality, loneliness, betrayal, bleakness, insanity, religious faith and sexual desire and were laden with symbolism. He made low-budget movies with a repertory cast of the same actors and his work had a significant effect on later film-makers like Scorsese.

He was born 14 July 1918 12.15 am Upsala, Sweden, with a strict Lutheran pastor father. During his compulsory hours in church he studied the mediaeval interior – ‘There was everything that one’s imagination could desire—angels, saints, dragons, prophets, devils, humans.’  After university he started writing his own screenplays, inspired by Ibsen, Strindberg and Chekhov.

He had a Cancer Sun in the communicative 3^rd, with a confident Jupiter Pluto also in Cancer square Mars in his performing 4^th house. His Mars was in an enthusiastic trine to Venus, sextiling onto Saturn Mercury. Where his tendency to gloom came from was a cold Saturn, Mercury, Neptune in his 4^th, suggesting a bleak and confusing childhood and relationship with his father, not improved by having a frustrated, trapped, scary Mars square Pluto.

He had a wide Yod of Sun sextile a 5^th house Virgo Moon inconjunct Uranus in his 10^th, marking him out for an original career as a ground-breaker.  His creative 5^th harmonic was well aspected, as was his even more creative 7H.

In 1976 he was arrested for tax evasion though the charges were subsequently dropped as unsubstantiated. As a result he had a breakdown and left Sweden for a decade. That occurred when tr Pluto was conjunct his Solar Arc Saturn with both conjunct his 5^th house Mars which was a considerably whammy.

He was married five times with eight children. His North Node in Sagittarius in his 7^th would make long term commitment tricky as would his Moon inconjunct Uranus – and the after effects of his severe childhood.

Scandale at the Elysee Palace for light relief from political angst and torment elsewhere. President Emmanuel Macron took the extraordinary step of denying that his disgraced security chief and bodyguard Alexandre Benalla was his lover or had access to nuclear codes as a jokey riposte to internet rumours. Benalla was sacked after a video of him wearing a police helmet and beating May Day protesters emerged. The incident remained buried for two months giving rise to accusations of a cover up and reinforcing the belief that Macron’s entourage think they are above the law.

Macron came in vowing probity, morality and transparency which doesn’t help. His poll ratings are down to 32%, which doesn’t mean he won’t finish his five-year term but it may well derail his key constitutional reform, including changes giving greater power to the president. And stories about vast hairdressing bills as well as half million euro dinner sets haven’t improved his popularity either.

His term chart, 14 May 2017 11.25 am Paris, does have the panicky-failure tr Neptune square Mars this year till late 2019; with aggravated arguments and outbursts in December and January 2019; plus a road-blocked Solar Arc MC square the 6^th house (employment) Pluto. But he may gain some traction from tr Pluto trine the Term Taurus Sun from April onwards till early 2020.

His personal chart is heading downhill from early 2020 onwards with a cataclysmic 2021 as his volatile Moon, Uranus, Mars T squares moves by Solar Arc to collide with his Sun.

He’d certainly have a close, friendly relationship with Benalla, 8 September 1991, with Benalla’s New Moon in Virgo falling in his 8^th and Benalla’s Venus, Mercury, Jupiter in his 7^th house of relationships. Their relationship chart has a controlling, transformational composite Sun Pluto conjunction square Jupiter – so there always was a likelihood they’d push each other into unwise and overly-confident actions. And Benalla’s Pluto is conjunct Macron’s Uranus which fits with pushy behaviour upsetting the political applecart.

Brigitte Macron does look under stress now till 2020 with tr Pluto square her Moon, Venus, Sun in Aries and her Sun/Moon midpoint this year and next. So she’ll be feeling the strain of life in the goldfish bowl.

Ellie Soutter, one of the UK’s best up and coming snowboarders, a medal winner last year and just selected for the Junior Championships in New Zealand has tragically committed suicide on her 18^th birthday.

Born 25 July 2000, she was a Sun Leo opposition Neptune, with two other oppositions in her chart of a confident Jupiter opposition Pluto and Venus in Leo opposition Uranus perhaps square a Taurus Moon. She would find it difficult to balance the opposing tendencies in her chart and would be emotionally sensitive with a focal point Moon.

She would be go-ahead and quite volatile with her Sun conjunct Mars in last decan Cancer but there’s nothing too obvious showing (without a birth time) about why she was so stressed. The Lunar eclipse this week was in aspect to her Neptune opposition Sun, last month’s Cancer Solar Eclipse to her Mars and the August Solar Eclipse to her Uranus – but nothing in that is strong enough to suggest such a senseless tragedy.

Only 18 – such a waste of a young life. There seems to be an epidemic at the moment.

Imran Khan is claiming victory in the Pakistan elections amidst violence and accusations of vote rigging, as well as questions about his closeness to the military who have form on ballot-stuffing. His PTI party is expected to fall short of an overall majority and seek coalition partners.

When he stopped being an international cricketer and celebrity playboy two decades ago, he went into politics promising to undo corruption.  But he has no administrative experience and appears recently to have bent towards the Islamists and Taliban to gain power as well as the army.

If his birth data is accurate, 5 October 1952, unknown birth time, then he was born two days before Vladimir Putin with the same stellium in Libra of Sun, Saturn, Mercury and Neptune – visionary, slippery, paranoid. With his Pluto in a ruthless and ultra-determined trine to Mars in Sagittarius and a pushily-confident square to Jupiter.

He’s upbeat this year with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter but that runs out mid this December. 2019/2020 look high-risk, acutely frustrating, trapped and confused; with a major setback, perhaps an accident/assassination attempt in 2020 with his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars.

The Pakistan chart, 14 August 1947 9.30am Karachi, is on high alert with both the Lunar Eclipse this week and the August Solar Eclipse opposition their Mercury and conjunct their Sun respectively. Along with a high-emotional-intensity tr Pluto opposition Moon in September/October this year; and blocked, angry, repressive influences in 2019.

Khan’s relationship chart with Pakistan does have an empowering Jupiter Pluto conjunction which is conjunct the Pakistan’s Sun, so he could boost national pride. But it’s not an easy country to rule to put it mildly and the next two years look riddled with disappointment between them.  His Pluto is conjunct the Pakistan Sun so he will try to dominate and his Mars opposes the Pakistan Uranus and MC so it’ll be a divisive and inflammatory combination.

His ‘obsessive dream’ 11^th Harmonic is heavily aspected – can be idealistic with an inspired imagination. Though the negative traits are fanaticism, unreasonableness, dishonesty and greed and it can attract disloyalty and betrayal.

Singer and actress Demi Lovato is in hospital after a suspected drug overdose.  She has openly spoken of her struggles with depression, bulimia, self-harm, drug abuse and alcoholism.

Born 20 August 1992 at 6 am (unverified) Albuquerque, New Mexico, her parents split when she was two and her musician father appeared to have mental problems. She was bullied at school so opted for home schooling and started down the drama/music route when she was ten.

She’s a Sun Leo square Pluto opposition a Taurus Moon, so will always have felt trapped. Her Saturn in Aquarius also squares both her Moon and Pluto and opposes her Mercury, so she’s got a bleak bleak chart emotionally; with her Moon trine the highly-strung Uranus Neptune conjunction in Capricorn trine Jupiter Venus in Virgo. The grounded Earth Grand Trine will help but she’s not had her problems to seek. What will also wind her up is a Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune Uranus inconjunct Mars in Gemini – similar to Lily James, see previous Mamma Mia post. An apex Mars will make her overly impulsive, scattered, with a tendency to rush ahead without thinking of the consequences and will give her anger issues.

Tr Neptune this year picked up the debilitating square to her Mars, pulling at her yod and is also opposition her Venus. And her Solar Arc Pluto is also approaching the opposition to her Mars soon, so not got a good time for her.

As much as she’s been given in talent, she’s also been handed a tough hand of cards to play as far as her chart goes.