Astrology of Today’s News

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A horrific trailer for a new horror movie has been grabbing the headlines though it’s likely to meet a backlash when it launches in November. Italian director Luca Guadagnino has done a remake of Dario Argento’s bloody thriller”Suspiria”. And the first cameo aired showed a dancer who was ripped apart, descending into a mess of broken bones and blood, with worms feasting on a woman’s face. It stars Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton.

Dakota Johnson, the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, and granddaughter of Tippi Hedren hit the high spots with her lead in Fifty Shades of Grey, the trilogy. She was born 4 October 1989 2,49 pm Austin, Texas and has quite a chart.

Her Libra Sun and Mars are on the focal point of a T Square to the triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn opposition Jupiter in Cancer; with her Jupiter trine a 10^th house Pluto. She also has Venus in Scorpio and a Sagittarius Moon. She’s lucky, highly-strung, changeable, controlling and will be influential the older she gets, emotionally intense, ego-centric, pro-active.

She’s in a Saturnine year with her First Saturn Return; and tr Saturn is in a setback and discouraging square to her Mars, Sun and opposition her Jupiter in the aftermath of the launch which is guaranteed not to go down well with the women against violence campaigners. Tr Saturn is also getting ready to dip below her Ascendant from 2019 for a few years. So she may gradually step back for a while but will re-emerge in later years to become quite an influencer.

Joe Biden is being talked up as a possible Democratic candidate to take on Trump in 2020. Although there is pressure for a fresh face, Biden’s eight years as VP gives him gravitas and experience, as do his decades as a Senator. And he’s seen as a politician able to appeal to the blue-collar workers in Rust Belt states who voted Trump in. He’ll decide before the year end.

Born 20 November 1942 8.32 am (from memory) Scranton, PA, he has a charming though utterly determined Sun, Venus, Mercury conjunct in Scorpio in his 12^th, along with Mars also in Scorpio square Pluto – not short on stamina or endurance. His Sun, Venus, Mercury trine an 8^th house Jupiter in Cancer; his idealistic 10^th house Neptune trines Saturn Uranus in Gemini; and he has a Taurus Moon in the 5^th.

He’s not had an easy life with his first wife and a daughter killed in a car crash, a brain aneurysm in his mid-forties, and a son dying of brain cancer in 2015.

He may not run or be chosen as candidate and doesn’t look too upbeat over the 2020 election with tr Neptune undermining his enthusiastic Mars/Jupiter midpoint; tr Saturn in a blocked square to his Solar Arc Pluto; and the tr Jupiter Pluto square his Mars/Neptune. Tr Saturn in any event is still moving through his 1^st quadrant so he’ll not be on his old form.

“The President Is Missing” is the title of Bill Clinton’s first thriller now on the book tour, which he co-authored with James Patterson. Clinton says he’s a great fan of Patterson who is a one man publishing industry, having ‘written’ 147 novels since 1976, though he’s been criticized for being more of a money-making brand than a writer. He has sold 300 million copies globally, has had 114 NY Times bestsellers, and his novels sell more copies than Stephen King, John Grisham, and Dan Brown combined.

He’s a passionate campaigner to make books and reading a national priority, supports universities, teachers, colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries, and college students, donating millions of dollars in grants and scholarships.

Born 22 March 1947 in New York, Patterson is a Sun, maybe New Moon, in Aries opposition Neptune and trine Saturn Pluto in Leo and Jupiter in late Scorpio. So a mixed Fire/Water Grand Trine focused onto Neptune – he had the vision, the self-belief, and the endurance to make his ideas stick. Aries is fearless; Fire is entrepreneurial; Sun Neptune Pluto gives grandiose ambitions; Saturn Pluto determination; and Jupiter attracts money in Scorpio. His Uranus is in a risk-taking square to Mars Mercury in Pisces and trine Venus in Aquarius.

I would have to confess I tried one of his Alex Cross novels and didn’t quite get the simplistic writing style – five word sentences, page and a half chapters.

His central driving Sun (Moon) opposition Neptune falls across Clinton’s Descendant/Ascendant, so not a bad mix; both are Saturn Pluto in Leo types; and Patterson’s Venus falls in Clinton’s 5^th – so it would be a fun partnership for a while.

Clinton isn’t looking too upbeat over the launch though the Lewinsky #metoo backlash keeps getting in the way of puff interviews which is bothering him. He looks undermined by Neptune and Saturn this year. But is powering into a more confident, successful phase in 2019/2020.

Kate Spade, a hugely successful handbag and fashion designer, has apparently committed suicide, leaving behind a husband and teenage daughter. Her sister said she probably suffered from bi-polar disorder which went untreated since she feared it would damage her happy-face brand. Her marriage appeared to have been in difficulties but she had evidently always had a tendency to depression and mood swings, exacerbated by her astonishing success.

Born 24 December 1962 in Kansas City, she was a Sun Capricorn trine Uranus (Pluto) in Virgo and sextile Jupiter in Pisces. Her Sagittarius Moon almost certainly sat on the focal point of a Mutable T Square to Jupiter opposition Uranus Pluto.

A Capricorn Sun is ambitious, financially and in terms of social status, keen to keep up appearances. Uranus is innovative and Uranus Pluto especially has a talent for pushing back boundaries and being on the leading edge. A focal point Moon is well designed to sense public taste. But such a Moon is also super-sensitive, emotionally highly-charged and tends to avoid confronting difficulties where feelings are concerned.

Her Mars in Leo squared onto Venus (Neptune) in Scorpio, so her emotional reactions would be intense. Along with passionate enthusiasm would go a difficulty in understanding the needs and responses of those in relationships with her.

Her chart had been labouring under heavy pressures in recent years with jolting, discouraging and mentally pressured Solar Arcs – around the time Robin Williams died, which had evidently obsessed her. Tr Uranus was opposition her Sun/Mars midpoint this year, so she would be more volatile than usual. On top of all that her Secondary Progressed Mars was opposing her Saturn which would exacerbate her unhappiness. So it has been building for some time.

What a tragedy for her daughter; and for her in not feeling able to seek professional help.

The Van Breda murder case has polarized opinion in South Africa since the son Henri surrendered himself to police and was tried and convicted of murdering his wealthy parents and one brother and injuring his sister in an axe attack. He claimed an intruder was responsible, though he only suffered minor lacerations himself, delayed phoning the police for several hours, tampered with evidence and there was no forced entry. His sister recovered but suffers from retrograde amnesia and refused to testify against him.

It occurred on 27 January 2015 at a golf estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa when the Uranus Pluto square was nearly exact, with a waning Mars square Saturn.

Henri, born 1 November 1994, ‘celebrated’ his 23^rd birthday when he was on the witness stand last year.

Like Oscar Pistorius, he has four planets in Scorpio – in Henri’s case Sun, Venus in Scorpio square Mars in Leo; and Jupiter Pluto in Scorpio sextile a highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn which in turn squares Mercury in Libra.  His Moon is also in Libra.  Pistorius has Sun Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius.

When the Van Breda murders occurred tr Neptune was within a degree conjunct his Saturn in Pisces with his Solar Arc Mars opposition his Saturn – though those could be as easily explained by the horror of being present as his family was killed. He certainly looks both stubborn and volatile and evidently had a drug problem and suffers from epilepsy. His 7^th Harmonic, which can be addictive and none too stable has a Mars Pluto conjunction semi-sextile Saturn, which might point to drugs releasing a brutal side of his temperament.

Pic: SkyPixels

Excitement mounts, ominous violins quiver towards crescendo, the tortuous path of Brexit is nearing a decisive turn in the road with key votes next week at Westminster. Or so they tell us. Except the great silent majority is so beyond bored by the whole botch up, they aren’t listening anymore.

The latest poll says 55% would now vote to remain, which has probably gone up since the leak of the doomsday no-deal scenario with the UK running out of food and medicine within two weeks. And a French lawyer has managed to get an EU court date on July 5 agreed to argue the EU referendum was illegal because it excluded ex-pats living in the EU – with the hope of annulling the negotiation and forcing a new referendum enfranchising the excluded Britons. It sounds a stretch and almost certainly is, but it would solve several problems, Ireland and Scotland amongst them if he succeeds. And the ‘moonshine’ brigade wouldn’t be able to tell the same lies on a rerun. Not that the EU are exactly covering themselves in glory or being too sympatico, but it is hugely more complicated than anyone ever suggested.  David Cameron should be locked in the Tower for not having put a sensible threshold of 55 or 60% for a decision this important.

The Theresa May government chart is lamentably short on astro-info for the make-or-break votes next week. Way down in the midpoints there is a lucky tr Pluto opposition Jupiter/Uranus as well as a convulsively-nervous Uranus conjunct the Sun/Neptune, which leads to weakness, illness or an emotional crisis.

Both the government chart and Theresa May’s own are drifting along in an elusive, slippery, impractical Neptunian haze into next year. Mind you the EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, looks in no better a state with tr Pluto square his Neptune and conjunct his Capricorn Sun till late 2018; with tr Neptune conjunct his midheaven from April 2019 into 2020.

September/October this year could be more fraught since Theresa May looks more bamboozled than ever at that point; and is in some turmoil with Olly Robbins, the UK civil servant, who is doing the heavy lifting in Brussels.

Michael Gove, now topping Tory popularity polls for reasons unknown as a replacement if she topples, isn’t making much headway over the next eighteen months.

The UK chart looks remarkably upbeat this month with tr Uranus square the 10^th house Jupiter, returning in September and early 2019. Though the Cancer Solar Eclipse in July opposition Pluto will rattle the UK’s 10^th house Moon, signifying the ruling classes. And the other Leo Solar and Aquarius Lunar will also be colliding with various Fixed planets on the UK chart, so there will be challenges around.

Jordan has seen the largest public demonstrations in decades against price and tax rises, with the prime minister resigning today. Jordan’s economy has deteriorated in the last few years, partly due to government mismanagement and also to the intake of over a million Syrian refugees. The IMF which had loaned money is demanding the national debt is reduced; while the public are complaining about extensive bureaucratic corruption and the huge gaps between the elites close to the royal court and those struggling to make ends meet.

The Jordan 25 May 1946 12 am chart is on a nerve-edge at the moment with tr Neptune square the 4^th house Uranus, running till late 2019; with a tough-slog tr Pluto opposition Saturn.  The upcoming Eclipses will catch the Jordan Saturn and the bitterly frustrated Mars Pluto conjunction in Leo, so problems will run on. Indeed could get even more explosive in 2020 and beyond with tr Uranus square the Pluto and then Mars.

King Abdullah’s Swearing in chart, 7 February 1999 3.30 pm Amman, is at a critical juncture with tr Uranus opposition the 10^th house Saturn this year, into early 2019, which will see the forces of revolution/reform pitted against the rigidity of his rule. Solar Arc Mercury squares Pluto for intense and bitter debate now; with more nerve-wracked moments in July to September from tr Uranus square Neptune, repeating in 2019. And there’s a major setback from Solar Arc Saturn square Sun, exact in 8 months’ time.  It won’t get easier in 2019//2020 since tr Uranus will oppose the 4^th house Mars and then Moon, which looks like a major eruption of domestic aggravation with accompanying insecurity and perhaps rash over reactions.

King Abdullah, 30 January 1962 has a very Fixed and enduring though stubborn chart with an Aquarius stellium of five planets: Sun conjunct Saturn on one side and Venus Jupiter on the other with Mercury also in Aquarius squaring onto Neptune and Moon in Scorpio with Uranus in Leo – so he doesn’t budge easily. Tr Uranus is in a highly insecure and over-reactive square to his Mars in Capricorn this year, into early 2019; moving on to a jolting square to his Saturn in 2019; thence in square to his Sun and Venus in the years following as well as opposing Neptune – so he’s in for a bumpy ride.

Guatemala’s most violent volcanic eruption in more than a century has killed at least at least 40 people with many injured and whole villages still remaining unaccounted for. Fuego, about 40km (25 miles) south-west of the capital Guatemala City, spewed rock, gas and ash into the sky.

The January Lunar Eclipse set for Guatemala did have Mars in Sagittarius on the MC; with the Solar Arc Mars and MC on the Guatemala 15 September 1821 8.06am chart being triggered exactly by the same Lunar Eclipse.

The country chart has tr Uranus trine Neptune and trine the Uranus/Neptune midpoint, which combination is often associated with quakes or volcanoes. It’s in a fraught and highly changeable few years with tr Uranus opposing the Jupiter in Aries and trine Uranus through this year into early 2019 as well: and tr Pluto moving to square the MC from 2019 onwards.

The volcano chart does have the explosive Mars square Uranus in a T Square to the North Node. Though the previous 1902 Guatemala Santa Maria volcano didn’t have anything similar. It occurred on Pluto in Gemini opposition Uranus in Sagittarius.

Looking back to the most destructive volcanoes of past centuries: three happened during Uranus in Sagittarius, one Uranus in Virgo and two Uranus in Aries. One had a Neptune square Pluto which brings devastation and is often associated with natural disasters: one a Uranus Neptune; another Uranus Pluto; Uranus Pluto tied into Saturn Neptune.

Uranus in Taurus didn’t oversee any of the major eruptions in historical record. Vesuvius/Pompeii was on a Uranus in Pisces – so Mutability is a generally though not always a factor.

Fox News Channel has now beaten every other network in cable for 23 months straight, based on total day ratings; with CNN’s viewership down 25 percent in primetime and 20 percent down in day time compared 2017.

Fox launched 7 October 1996 6pm New York which puts Jupiter in Capricorn in the 10^th square a 7^th house Libra Sun; with a flamboyant Moon Mars in Leo in the entertaining 5^th. Solar Arc Neptune will oppose its Mars, except in 6 months’ time, which may take the shine off; with a discouraging tr Saturn conjunct the Jupiter till late year and then square the Sun in 2019. Though tr Saturn through the 10^th can be consolidating. Where it looks fairly devastated is by 2020 when tr Pluto will conjunct the Neptune.

CNN, 1 June 1980 5pm New York, is labouring through sticky times with tr Pluto square Pluto and trine Saturn till late 2019; with a blocked Solar Arc Sun square Pluto in fifteen months’ time; and a catastrophic Solar Arc Mars conjunct Pluto by 2021. So its decline doesn’t look like being reversed.  The CNN Saturn does square his Gemini Sun and Sagittarius Moon, so no surprises they point out his flaws and he retaliates with ‘fake news.’

The other ‘fake news’ target is The Washington Post, which has been relentlessly anti-Trump, causing him to attack the owner, Amazon Jeff Bezos.  It launched on 6 December 1877 and is a Sun, Mercury in Sagittarius in a serious square to Saturn in Pisces. The WP Mars in Pisces squares Trump’s Sun and Moon and the WP Pluto is exactly on Trump’s midheaven – so a mighty and angry battle for control.

This year has Solar Arc conjunct Neptune which isn’t great for a business; with tr Neptune square the Sun till late year, ditto. But there will be a moment of jubilation and relief as their Solar Arc Jupiter squares Uranus at some point this year.  Tr Pluto will trine the WP Pluto in 2020/2021 will see them exerting their influence.

MSNBC has been putting on viewers and now stands just below Fox in ratings. Launched 15 July 1996 at 7.15am New York, it has a 12^th house New Moon Mercury in Cancer and a Fire/Water Grand Trine of Saturn in Aries trine Pluto trine Mercury; with Mercury opposition Neptune Uranus. The Cancer fits the American chart and spirit, the Saturn Pluto gives endurance; Uranus Neptune fits new technology.

They’re on a lucky roll this year with Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct Uranus; and their New Moon just across the Ascendant into their 1^st house for more visibility. September/October this year look muddled with plans not working out; 2019/2020 will ramp up the pressure on them with tr Pluto opposing the Sun as well as Moon; and an enthusiasm-dampening tr Saturn conjunct Jupiter just before this December; but they’ve also got more luck and success from tr Pluto conjunct Jupiter/Uranus in 2019/2020. 2020/2021 looks muddled with some chaos, maybe scandals getting in the way.