Astrology of Today’s News

The 2019 Capricorn Solar Eclipses in January and December and the Cancer one in July will have a direct and critical effect on both the UK and USA country charts with their respective Capricorn and Cancer Suns.

The 5^th January 2019 Solar Eclipse at 15 degrees Capricorn conjunct Saturn on one side and Pluto on the other will be heavy going in general with Pluto still in the unsettled square to Uranus. There’s nothing much on the angles except Venus IC for Washington, which isn’t always a placing of peace. The Saturn will be conjunct the UK Sun and IC and opposition the USA Sun – for a reality check.

A Solar Eclipse conjunct an individual or country Sun suggests reaching a fork in the road, and having to take responsibility for decisions about which road to take since there’ll be no turning back. An Eclipse in opposition to the Sun means facing up to the fact that you’re not always right and having to take a different perspective. There’s usually a crisis which precipitates some soul searching either at the time or in the months after.

The 2 July 2019 Total Solar Eclipse at 10 degrees Cancer is more fearsome for the UK with the Eclipse opposing the Sun for a good going crisis; and an argumentative, disruptive and maybe violent Mars Mercury is conjunct the MC square Uranus conjunct the Descendant. It will have some effect on the USA Cancer Sun but seems less event-filled over there. The theme is obsessive thinking.

The 25 December 2019 Solar Eclipse at 4 degrees Capricorn conjunct Jupiter is within 7 degrees of the IC for London so could be highlighting a major happening. Jupiter isn’t always lucky in Eclipse charts since it amplifies bad as well as good – and there is a harsh Saturn Pluto sextile Mars. This Eclipse is even closer to the IC for Washington with the Node conjunct the MC so could be more critical there.   The theme is sudden endings.

Lunar Eclipses can have just as strong if not stronger an effect.

Total Lunar Eclipse 21 January 2019 at zero degrees Leo/Aquarius will conjunct the UK Jupiter and has Uranus on the IC located to London for an upheaval. An Eclipse on Jupiter can be expansive but can also point to over optimism. It’s very keyed up for Washington with the Eclipse Moon conjunct the MC opposition Sun on the IC square Uranus on the Descendant – that looks very divisive.

The 16 July 2019 Lunar Eclipse at 24 Capricorn/Cancer has the Moon conjunct Pluto and Saturn. This will be critical for the USA since it hits the USA Mercury in Cancer exactly (in a fanatical opposition to Pluto) so will exacerbate nervous strain and increase dogmatic opinions. Jupiter sits on the Ascendant located to Washington; and Neptune on the Ascendant for London.

The January 2020 Lunar Eclipse has the Moon at 19 Cancer opposition Sun Saturn Pluto, which hits the UK 10^th House Moon exactly, so a crisis and emotional shock affecting the rulership of the country, including monarch.

These latter two Lunar Eclipses will also be critical for Saudi Arabia since it shakes up their Sun Jupiter Saturn in Capricorn.

Two feisty Mars Jupiter Libran women are in the news today. First is Carole Cadwalldr, the Observer/Guardian journalist, who has won the Foreign Press Association media award for her reporting on the links between Cambridge Analytica, the UK’s pro-Brexit campaigners and Donald Trump presidential election team. This on top of several previous awards, including the Orwell journalism prize.

Born 10 October 1969 in Wales, she has an exact Sun Jupiter in Libra – confident, communicative – and square Mars in Capricorn, adding high-octane fuel to her pronouncements. Her Uranus and probably Mercury and Moon are in Libra; with her Mercury in a forcefully persuasive conjunction with Pluto, which is excellent for deep research.

All that go-getting impulsiveness can have its uses since it has the energy and initiative to start new projects and take the risks needed to achieve success. Though it can over step the mark at times with too much enthusiasm and too little forethought.

The other – sadly – is Baroness Trumpington, a grande dame of the House of Lords who has died at 96. Born 23 October 1922, she had a similar last degree Sun Jupiter conjunction square Mars in Capricorn; with her Mercury Saturn in Libra square Pluto, so not one to hold back when making her opinions known.

The Telegraph obituary says: ‘Built to last, forthright and formidable, Jean Trumpington made up for any lack of intellectual brilliance with a capacity for hard work combined with down-to-earth common sense and an engaging habit of telling jokes against herself.’

She grew up in an upper-class family, worked in Bletchley Park during WW11, married a schoolmaster and worked in local politics. She was a stately six foot tall with a deep voice matured by cigarettes which she smoked from aged 10 to 79.

Stories about her are legion and funny if you read her obits in the Guardian and Telegraph.

Maggie Thatcher also has a Mars in Libra square Jupiter tied into Pluto – so it clearly gets you places.

Others with Mars Jupiter squares are/were: Henry VIII Of England, Helmut Kohl, Julia Gillard, Indira Gandhi, Marie Curie, Edwin Hubble, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Burt Reynolds, Mae West, Johnny Carson, Robbie Williams, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, Madeleine’ McCann’s Abduction. The last of these highlights Mars Jupiter’s opportunistic side and was tied into Uranus for a sudden shock as well.

Three of Ukraine’s naval vessels were seized by Russia for sailing in Crimea waters in the first

Ukraine’s parliament is to decide whether to bring in martial law, after Sunday’s capture of three of its naval vessels and 23 crew members by Russia while sailing in Crimea waters. This is the first display of overt aggression by the Kremlin since Putin annexed Crimea in early 2014 and is likely to result in more western sanctions which Russia’s struggling economy could well do without. The rouble slumped sharply today.

But Kremlin critics have been warning recently that Putin could be seeking a new military adventure to distract attention from economic woes at home as his popularity sinks. It probably won’t harm Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, either since he hasn’t lived up to expectation with Government critics and opposition journalists being attacked and killed with impunity and little economic benefits coming to the people.

The Ukraine 24 August 1991 2.31pm Kiev chart isn’t as stressed as it was in 2014 when Russia swooped in. That was when the tr Uranus square tr Pluto was pushing tensions up to high-do as it hit the Ukraine Neptune Uranus conjunction; and Solar Arc Saturn was opposition the Moon for an unhappy populace. At the moment Solar Arc Saturn is opposing the Ukraine Venus for discouragement and gloom; with some jolts ahead from tr Uranus trine the Virgo Sun and square the Saturn in Aquarius late March into April 2019.

Poroshenko’s Presidency chart, 7 June 2014 10.20am Kiev, was always going to be crises-ridden with Uranus opposition Mars square Pluto with a wide opposition to Jupiter. This year and next tr Neptune is in an undermining square to the Gemini Sun, exact again in March 2019 when the next elections should be held, if martial law doesn’t get in the way. He’s expected to lose if it’s a free and fair vote.

Putin’s 4^th Term chart, 7 May 2018 11.05 am Moscow, looks equally volatile with Uranus Mercury square a ruthless and brutal Mars Pluto; and the Taurus Sun trine Pluto and Saturn, opposition Jupiter.  Tr Neptune will square the Venus again through 2019 which could suggest further economic decline and also unpopularity.

Putin’s own personal chart, 7 October 1952, is still labouring mightily with high uncertainty as tr Pluto squares the Saturn/Neptune midpoint exactly now, moving on to square the gloomy Mercury/Saturn until after New Year; and 2019 has a clutch of unhelpful, devastating, confusing and frustrating transits to midpoints as well as tr Pluto square his Neptune and Mercury, worsening in 2020/2021.

Bernardo Bertolucci, the acclaimed Italian film director and screenwriter, has died. His stunning The Last Emperor won all nine Oscars in which it was nominated; The Sheltering Sky was also rapturously received. Less so his earlier controversial erotic Last Tango in Paris with Brando, though after the initial furore it became a classic – with questionmarks because of his treatment of Maria Schneider who later had a breakdown.

He was born 16 March 1941 7.25 pm Parma, Italy, with an artistic and film critic father. Initially he wanted to be a poet and writer but was taken on by film director Pier Paulo Pasolini as an assistant and continued on from there.

He has an exceptionally talented chart with an Earth Grand Trine of Neptune on his Virgo Ascendant in an innovative trine to Uranus in a dynamic trine to Mars in Capricorn, formed into a Kite with Neptune opposition Sun Venus in Pisces – custom designed for the movie business – and poetry.

His Scorpio Moon opposed Jupiter Saturn in Taurus and squared Pluto – very enduring and very earthy.

His Mercury in Pisces is unaspected apart from a quincunx to Pluto, suggesting a single-track mind, capable of brilliance, but not always good at considering alternatives.

His Harmonics are prolific – with strongly aspected creative 5^th, 7^th and the writers’ 21^st Harmonics. His ‘obsessive dream’ 11H is marked; as is his ‘genius/breakthrough’ 13H and leaving-a-legacy 17H. And his global ‘super-star’ 22H.

An exceptional talent.

Another great director also died this week. Nicolas Roeg whose Don’t Look Now and Performance have gone down in the annals of best of British movie-making, shared similar interests to Bertolucci. Ryan Gilbey in the Guardian writes: ‘Their reputations were forged at the forefront of a new kind of transgressive cinema in the 1960s and 70s, in which explicit depictions of sex and desire were a driving dramatic force, rather than X-rated window dressing. Sex in these films isn’t gratuitous titillation but a way of expressing character, motivation and meaning.’

Born 15 August 1928 in London, Roeg started as a teaboy and worked as a cinematographer under David Lean, John Schlesinger and Truffaut before starting to direct.

Like Bertolucci he had a strongly Neptunian chart with his Leo Sun, Mercury, maybe Moon in Leo conjunct Neptune. Both also shared Mars Saturn Venus aspects. Roeg had Mars Node in Gemini opposition Saturn square Venus in Virgo; while Bertolucci had a milder Mars trine Saturn Jupiter, sextile Venus. These three planets together do indicate a hard-edged approach to sexuality and desire, which landed both in trouble with the censors and would not have gone down well in today’s different culture.

The Brexit ‘deal’ was agreed by the EU this morning around 10.30 am – for what it’s worth since no one seems to think it can get through Parliament, given the outraged howls in the UK about Gibraltar, fishing rights, Irish border backstop, never mind the whole customs union fadaddle, EU laws etc.

Brexit Fatigue was skewered this week in the Times by Deborah Ross. ‘Also known as “sick to death of Brexit”, “Brexit is doing my head in” and “I can’t take any more of this shit show, seriously”. “Until it does get itself sorted, there is no way I could listen to another single word.”

“Full-blown BF, characterised by not wanting to know about this conjecture or that speculation because it’ll only add up to diddly-squat anyhow.” “Oh please, God, make it all go away.”

The only thing of note in this chart is Sun Jupiter square Mars – apologies to anyone who has Mars square Jupiter in their charts since I’m sure it has a positive side – but it does hint at biting off more than can be chewed, rushing blindly ahead, over confidence. Sakoian & Acker are fairly damning about its propensity for using collective power for self-aggrandisement. (See John Chau post below).

The Westminster vote will be on December 11^th after five days of debate. Tr Saturn will be square Theresa May’s Libra Sun and square her Solar Arc Uranus from, December 2^nd to the 11^th with Saturn always hanging around for a hangover few days after the exact aspect. Tr Saturn is conjunct the UK Sun for a week from December 20^th and the EU/UK Sun – so gloom and discouragement all round.

The vote chart, no time, isn’t too inspiring with Sun square a Mars Neptune conjunction which Ebertin describes as ‘paralysed activity’; ‘failure through lack of plans and energy.’ With Jupiter also square Neptune associated with a ‘poor speculation’ and ‘a scandal through instability.’  Mercury in late Scorpio is inconjunct Uranus in late Aries which is nervy, with excitement and upsets and bitter words.

Harry and Meghan are moving house to Windsor in preparation for the baby with hints of grandma Doria moving in. The media rumour mill is atwitter, pointing to a rift between Harry and William, followed up by – no – it’s between Kate and Meghan.

The two brothers were always close, more so after the death of their mother. Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction in an adventurous trine to Jupiter Uranus and a competitive square to Mars.  But it has been sagging since May 2017 when Harry’s relationship became more serious as tr Neptune squared the composite Moon.  At the same time tr Uranus was starting to oppose their composite Pluto turning their relationship upside down and is now opposing the composite Saturn into early 2019 for high tensions. One might surmise William didn’t approve of Harry’s choice of bride. No doubt they’ll come back round in time but it may be a few years before it settles.

Meghan and Kate aren’t an easy match since Meghan’s Moon Saturn Jupiter is conjunct Kate’s Mars and Meghan’s Mars is conjunct Kate’s Cancer Moon and opposition her Sun which will make it scratchy and competitive. Their relationship chart reflects the synastry with an irritable Moon Mars in an undermining trine to Neptune sextile Pluto; a controlling Sun Pluto; and a one-upmanship Jupiter Pluto.

Prince Charles almost certainly finds Meghan easier company than Kate with a composite Sun Mars Venus in their relationship chart. But Harry and Meghan are further from the throne and less likely to trigger his sensitivities about being upstaged, which bedevils his relationship with Will and Kate.

The surprise appointment of Sir Nick Clegg, former Deputy PM in Cameron’s Coalition Government, as Facebook’s head of global affairs and communications makes sense seen as part of Zuckerburg’s defensive manoeuvres to stave off imposed regulations especially by the EU. Clegg worked as a European Commission bureaucrat, was an MEP and an MP and is well-connected at least on the EU side. A commentator said: “He’s probably respected everywhere across the EU except his own country.” Though he’ll have his work cut out both within and outside the company. He’ll work directly to Sheryl Sandberg.

Born 7 January 1967 in Chalfont St Giles, England, he’s a Sun Capricorn square Mars in Libra, and trine Pluto Uranus and widely sextile Saturn and sextile Neptune in a talented Half Grand Sextile. So tougher and more ambitious than he appears. He does have a syrupy sweet Venus in Aquarius opposition Jupiter in Leo which will be useful for PR though it tends to undercut his gravitas.

His Solar Arc Neptune is conjunct his Sun around now and moving to square his Mars in 2019 which isn’t too decisive or successful. But he’ll push on confidently through 2019 (no doubt with a considerable salary) though running into problems by 2020/2021. FB insiders give him 1-2 years on the job.

He’s not a great mix with Zuckerburg despite having his Sun conjunct MZ’s Jupiter and trine MZ’s Venus Sun, since Clegg’s Neptune is conjunct MZ’s Mars and opposition MZ’s Sun, which will have a suspicious and evasive effect and make MK feel he’s been stalled. Their relationship chart has a friendly composite Sun Venus in a sensible sextile to Saturn; but it also has a volatile, explosive composite Mars Uranus which will be triggered from May 2019 onwards, as their ideas clash. And by 2020 tr Neptune will be undermining their composite Sun in a conjunction.

Clegg’s relationship with Sheryl Sandberg is also combative with a composite Sun Mars; with Mars inconjunct Saturn. That’ll be a scratchy interface though she may not stay around for ever.

His relationship with the Facebook chart looks fairly nailed down and controlling with a composite Sun square Pluto and Pluto widely opposition Saturn. Tensions will rise from April 2019 onwards with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars and there’ll be tussles right through into 2020.

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Actress Olivia Coleman, who is playing a middle-aged Queen Elizabeth 11 in The Crown Season 3 & 4, has built up a sterling career. She started in comedy and moved on to prestigious and highly acclaimed TV series like crime drama Broadchurch and Le Carre’s The Night Manager with nominations and awards raining down on her. More recently she played Queen Anne in The Favourite and is in the upcoming Les Miserables. With the next The Crown due in 2019.

Born 30 January 1974 in Norwich, England, she is a Sun Aquarius trine Pluto and sextile Neptune to mark her out as special; with a substantially Air chart with a Grand Trine of a confident Jupiter Mercury in Aquarius trine Saturn in Gemini trine Uranus in Libra. Certainly communicative, innovative, adventurous and with gravitas from Saturn. Her Mars in earthy and determined Taurus makes an upfront and energetic square to her Sun and Jupiter; and her Moon is Aries or Taurus. She also has Venus in Capricorn (well-suited to playing monarchs) which is square her Uranus. She is married with three children so a varied career will keep her Venus Uranus happy.

Being largely Air and Earth she’ll be cool rather than emotional – a practical thinker.

Her actor’s 15^th Harmonic is heavily aspected; as is her 13H, often found with comedians; and her creative 5H as well.

Oh hallelujah. John Chau who was killed by tribal people on a remote protected Andaman Island in the Bay of Bengal, was described as a Christian martyr on the Covenant Journey website to which he belonged. He was described as a missionary who wanted to bring Jesus to the islanders, who have a reputation for violence. He wrote in a diary of his last days “Lord, is this island Satan’s last stronghold where none have heard or even had the chance to hear your name?”

He knew it was forbidden by Indian law to visit and was shot at on his first visit when a teenager’s arrow pierced his waterproof bible. He decided to return and try again, spurred on by the feeling that he was God’s instrument. Critics say his violation was selfish and put the fragile tribe at risk – potentially exposing them to modern diseases against which they have no immunity.

Born 18 December 1991 he was a late Sun Sagittarius with Mars Mercury also in Sagittarius in an overly expansive square to Jupiter in Virgo. Sagittarius can be a great crusader for causes and especially Mars square Jupiter ramps up the self-righteousness. He also had the can-be-fanatical Uranus Neptune in Capricorn trine Jupiter, sextile an obsessive Venus Pluto in Scorpio. Plus a Taurus Moon. Nothing much would budge him from his vision when he got going.

As is often the case with sudden death he had various Solar Arcs approaching though not exact which suggested great danger.

His ‘seeking soul’ 7^th Harmonic was strong and stressed, which can also be mentally on the edge.

Years back I filmed on St Kilda, a remote island off the north west of Scotland. People had lived there since the 10^th century and had a perfectly decent, probably fairly pagan, set of beliefs for getting them through an extraordinarily tough life out in the Atlantic. Then the missionaries came in the late 19^th Century, built a church, banned singing and dancing, and within fifty years the island was abandoned.

God-botherers and proselytizers drive me nuts.