Astrology of Today’s News

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Life in the Royal goldfish bowl comes with wealth and privilege at the cost of lack of privacy with rumours constantly swirling, some true some not, about the state of Royal marriages.

 King Felipe and Queen Letizia are latest in line with lurid tales of her alleged affair continuing after her marriage with a man who subsequently married Felipe’s sister. All hotly denied.  Letizia was a well-known television news journalist before she married, a divorce and shock-horror a commoner, but deemed by many as boosting the monarchy after Juan Carlos’s many missteps. But she was not well received by snobs, some of whom referred to her as “the maid”.

  The wedding on 22 May 2004 11.49am Madrid, had an upbeat, adventurous Jupiter opposition Uranus square Sun and a passionate Venus opposition Pluto. But there was also a teeth-gritting, aggravated Moon, Mars, Saturn trine Uranus hinting at the criticism and the strain ahead in the marriage.

  She is quite a scratchy personality, 16 September 1972 6.24pm Oviedo, Spain, with a difficult T quare of Sagittarius Moon opposition Saturn square Sun Mars in Virgo with her Uranus in the 8^th and her Pluto on the cusp.

  Felipe, 30 January 1968 12.45 pm Madrid, has Neptune in his 7^th house of relationships square his Aquarius Moon and an erratic Uranus Pluto in his romantic 5^th along with Jupiter. Letizia’s Sun Mars is conjunct his Uranus Pluto so it always was a highly volatile mix.

 Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Neptune bringing high hopes and unrealism to the match with a power-struggling composite Pluto square Mars, which often occurs with Royal relationships because of the power imbalance. Tr Saturn is putting a damper on their togetherness as it squares the composite Sun this year. There may be more upsets when tr Uranus opposes the composite Neptune Sun in 2025 but neither of their Sun/Moon midpoints looks wrenched apart until later in the decade.

Married the same year were Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark, on 14 May 2004, so the wedding chart had the same grin-and-bear-it but irritable Mars Saturn trine Uranus; with a passionate Venus opposition Pluto and Pluto inconjunct Sun.    Recently there were rumours of his  alleged affair with a Mexican socialite.  Princess Mary retaliated by sharing a  clip of her, Prince Frederik and their four children decorating the Christmas tree.

  Frederik, 26 May 1968 11.40pm Copenhagen, is a New Moon in Gemini with an erratic, troubled Pluto Uranus conjunction in his 8^th. Mary, 5 February 1972 Hobart, Australia, no birth time, has her Aquarius Sun in his 1^st which is positive though her Mars in Aries is conjunct his Saturn which will produce rough edges, her Saturn is conjunct his Venus and IC and her Pluto, Uranus and Moon are in his 8^th – quite a pressure cooker set of aspects.

  Their relationship chart has an aggravated, one-sided composite Mars Saturn conjunction maybe square Moon; with a yod of Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Venus. He’s feeling a chill at home with tr Saturn conjunct his New Moon in Gemini in the 4^th this year and next. With upheavals and disruptions on their relationship chart as tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Mars 10^th of this month to mid March. More shocks to come.

  Crown Princess Victoria married her trainer Daniel Westling on 19 June 2010 at 3.30pm in Stockholm.  When there was a powerful, exuberant and tricky Grand Cross of Sun opposition Pluto square a lively Jupiter Uranus opposition Saturn. Equal quantities of fun, adventure, duty and over-control.  They have been shutting down recent speculation that their marriage is on the rocks.

  Their relationship chart has an affectionate Sun Venus conjunction in a fiery square to Mars; with a power-couple Jupiter opposition Pluto; and a high-tension Saturn square Uranus. It is going through an upheaval this year and next with tr Pluto conjunct the composite Uranus.

  The flagrantly unfaithful Juan Carlos of Spain married Princess Sophia  on 14 May 1962 10 am Athens, Greece with a super-confident Jupiter opposition Pluto square Mercury Venus in place; with a dynamic Mars in Aries on the midheaven and a cool Saturn in the 7^th.  But it is not nearly as fraught as some of the above charts.  She had a Scorpio Sun opposition Uranus in her chart so would be used to independent-minded men. Juan Carlos’s Sun Venus fell in her 7^th and his Jupiter in her 8^th, with his Moon conjunct her Jupiter. And the relationship chart, though strained was not too horrific. Maybe in some odd way it suited her.

Wedding charts can be surprisingly informative about the course and nature of the marriage that follows.

  Charles and Diana’s wedding, 29 July 1981, bizarrely six days before Meghan Markle was born, had the same flamboyant Leo Sun conjunct the North Node but also the emotionally volatile Mars in Cancer conjunct Moon square Saturn Jupiter in Libra. Storms and tempests were likely to follow. Mercury square Pluto and trine Uranus amplified the argumentative, stubborn streak as well. The divorce, 28 August 1996, came as tr Saturn in Aries hard aspected the Mars and Jupiter Saturn – though the split had been widening in the years before.

 Queen Elizbeth 11’s wedding to Prince Philip, 20 November 1947 11am-ish was an eye-opener with a Scorpio Sun opposition Taurus North Node square Mars Saturn (and Pluto) in Leo opposition an Aquarius Moon.  Certainly designed for the long haul with incredible endurance but not exactly sweetness and light. Grimly determined and one sided with Philip having to swallow his pride and take on a less masculine role causing resentment.

 Charles’ second wedding to Camilla with a Sun, Venus, Moon in Aries trine Pluto and opposition Jupiter was a happier affair though a Saturn square to the Sun Venus put duty squarely centre-frame.

  Prince William’s wedding, 29 April 2011 11.30am had a Sun trine Pluto sextile Neptune, hinting at the ambitions that lay behind the match. There was an exuberant Mars Jupiter in Aries; as well as a downbeat, dutiful Saturn opposition Venus square Pluto in the entertaining 5^th house. Duty and performance in the public eye went hand in hand. A hidden 8^th house Pisces Moon would keep emotions well out of sight.

Prince Harry’s wedding, 19 May 2018 12.39 pm, like William’s had a 10^th house Taurus Sun trine a 5^th house Pluto, sextile a 7^th house Neptune – ambition reigned supreme. But two things mark it out. One is an explosive, volatile Mars square Uranus which is being triggered this year and through 2024/25 by tr Pluto. The other is the super-amplified Pluto which is the driving planet of a Kite in opposition to a Cancer Moon trine Neptune trine Jupiter – power, betrayal, an over whelming desire to grab attention. A negative 5^th house Pluto can suggest domination by one or other partner and over control of children.

  But the Razzie for the worst ever Royal wedding has to go to Prince Albert and the oh-so-sad Charlene, 1 July 2011 which took place with the Sun and Moon opposition Pluto square Saturn opposition Uranus so it was always going to be a roller coaster of repeating crises.

  Not that his father’s marriage to Grace Kelly was exactly seamless harmony. The wedding on 18 April 1956 had an ethereal Sun opposition Neptune trine/sextile a flashy power-couple Jupiter Pluto in Leo. But the unrealistic Sun opposition Neptune squared Mars and opposed Uranus for a bumpy path ahead.

The bizarre and tragic tale of Dave Hollis, who quit his job as a high-flying Disney executive to join a self-help empire with his influencer wife Rachel, ended when he spiralled into depression as she collected more fans. He struggled with her over-sharing about their inadequate sex life and her role as breadwinner. His social media obsession took over his life leading to a divorce and a drink and drug binge which killed him.

  He had half a million followers and Rachel 1.5 million Instagrammers. Their output portrayed a seemingly happy marriage though out of sight of their fans they were struggling to make it work.

  According to the DM before they married he was already downing a bottle of vodka a day and she came from a religious background.

 Two things stand out from the astrology. One is that Dave, 14 February 1975, was from the beginning a troubled man. He had a truly difficult Mars in Capricorn opposition Saturn square Pluto (maybe opposition an Aries Moon). He came from a highly pressured family/father background which would give him an obsessive  drive to succeed but would leave scars of underlying deep fears and black depression.

 His wife Rachel, 9 January 1983, hooked into this T square with her Capricorn Sun conjunct his Mars, so she would trigger his worst nightmares. Her Mars in Aquarius was in addition conjunct his Sun for a competitive and argumentative rivalry. And her unyielding Pluto Saturn conjunction was conjunct his Uranus.  The Chiron of each were square the others’ Sun – opening up each other’s deepest wounds.

  The warning flags must have been waving in a hurricane when they got married.

   The relationship chart has a competitive argumentative composite Sun, Mercury, Mars (Moon) in an unkind/cruel inconjunct to Saturn. Pluto was trine the composite Venus for a whiff of attraction but was also in a power-struggling square to Jupiter.

  I don’t know what to say – just astonished that they even got together.

Hall & Oates, the most successful musical duo of all time, has ended up in a heap on a Nashville court room floor as Daryl Hall sued John Oates for breaching their half century partnership by trying to sell half of their joint operation. The aim was to make long term gains from streaming royalties, advertising syncs and other sources.

  The “ultimate partnership betrayal” and a “global divorce” is what Daryl Hall has accused erstwhile musical partner John Oates of as he aimed to dissolve the Whole Oats company which handles their trademarks, likenesses and recorded music royalties. What could be a multimillion dollar sale is now dangling in limbo.

  Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays the electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two write most of the songs they perform, either separately or in collaboration and achieved their greatest fame from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s with a fusion of rock and roll, soul music, and rhythm and blues.

  John Oates’ chart is an eye-opener. Born 7 April 1948 1am New York (biography) it gives (birth time being accurate) a megaton Pluto, Saturn, Mars conjunct in the 8^th and that is heavy. His quick witted 3^rd house Aries Sun in trine those 8th house Leo planets and widely trine Jupiter in Sagittarius giving him inspiration, faith in his own judgement and a tendency to demand attention. His Jupiter opposing Uranus square Mercury Moon in Pisces point to an adventurous streak and impulsive decisions.

  Daryl Hall, 11 October 1946, Pottstown, PA, no birth time sadly, is a Sun Neptune in Libra trine Uranus, sextile Pluto (conjunct Saturn in Leo). He also has an ultra-determined Mars in Scorpio square his Saturn Pluto conjunction as well as Venus in Scorpio.  Both of them are inordinately stubborn – though also enduring. Hall’s Sun Neptune falls across Oates’ Sun opposition Neptune – so they will be well-suited musically.  Hall’s Jupiter in Scorpio also sits exactly conjunct Oates’ Midheaven for a successful combo. Though Hall’s Mars conjunct Oates’ South Node hints at problems since when push comes to shove he won’t bring out the best in Oates.

 Their relationship chart is Neptune heavy with a composite Sun Mercury square Neptune – performing in harmony but unrealistic when it comes to nuts and bolts which bring disappointment.

  Oates’ will have issues with money having Mars, Saturn, Pluto in the 8^th and a Taurus North Node – it’s a miracle it has only caused a rift now.

War weariness has hit Ukraine with the counter-offensive not producing the expected results and international backers being distracted by their own internal problems. EU leaders are facing deadlock over a promised €50bn lifeline for Kyiv with Hungary digging in its toes and Germany being forced to curb borrowing. At a time when the flow of US financial and military support has stalled in a politically divided Congress.

  Even within Ukraine, cracks are beginning to appear. Kyiv’s mayor, the former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, has said Volodymyr Zelensky’s popularity is failing with the war stuck in stalemate as he becomes increasingly isolated and autocratic and he will pay for his mistakes by eventually losing power.  He blamed him for ignoring warnings about the Russian invasion in February 2022. Opinion polls in Ukraine have shown that support for fighting against Russia and for President Zelensky have fallen, although they are still above 60 per cent. Zelensky’s opponents have recently accused him of mishandling the counteroffensive, failing to stamp out corruption, dodging a presidential election scheduled for March and losing international political goodwill.

 On the Ukraine country chart, 24 August 1991 2.34 pm Kiev, tr Neptune opposition the Ukraine Mars this year and running through until mid February 2024 was always going to bring a sense of panicky failure. From early 2024 through till late 2025 tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn predicts a discouraging slog, deprivation and hardship though there may be glimmerings of light from June 2024 onwards into early 2025 with tr Uranus square the Ukraine Jupiter.  That last usually brings lucky breaks.

 The Lunar Eclipse of September 2024 at 26 Pisces is opposition the Ukraine Mars which looks violent/argumentative. 2025/2026 sees a combination of lucky breaks and disasters with upheavals and pressure for radical changes from tr Uranus square the Sun.

 The relationship charts between Ukraine and Russia 1917 – turmoil through till late 2024 with stalemate causing aggravation. And Ukraine/Russia 8 December 1991 – grinding aggravation through 2024/25/26.

 Zelensky’s Swearing In chart, 20 May 2019 10am Kyiv, shows 2025 as the year of greatest upheaval for his Term – since even Klitschko thinks he can’t be ousted midway through the war. High hopes being dented is 2023’s epitaph with the over optimistic Jupiter Neptune square closing to exact by Solar Arc. The recent Lunar Eclipse hit the Administration Uranus for a nasty jolt. 2025 has tr Uranus conjunct the Taurus Sun for an abrupt change, running alongside tr Pluto square the Uranus which is classic for a collapsed administration as well as tr Neptune Saturn square the Mars – so nothing good coming out of that for him.

 His personal chart, 25 January 1978 2pm Krivoj Rog, has had the frustratingly trapped tr Pluto opposition his Mars all this year and continuing till late 2024. With a discouraging, destructive SA Saturn conjunct his Pluto in 2025 alongside an undermining SA Neptune conjunct his Sun; and a jolting tr Uranus square his Saturn.

 Sigh, not sure why unwinnable conflicts are the mark of the moment. It is difficult to see where this one is going.

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman Supreme Court Justice and regarded generally as a shining example of a past that has gone, has died. She was a trailblazer not only in rising to the top but in giving the casting vote to the Roe v Wade ruling, and she was also believed to be pivotal to the vote which put George W Bush into the White House instead of Al Gore after a deadlocked election. She was collaborative and keen to ensure rulings would sit well with ordinary Americans.

  Born 26 March 1930 1.10am El Paso, Texas, she was the daughter of Arizona cattle ranchers, tending the herd on her way to her class at Stanford Law School in 1952.

  She had the signature Saturn opposition Pluto square Uranus of her generation – used to hardship, unyielding and innovative. She had a pro-active, sharp-witted 3^rd house Aries Sun close to unconventional Uranus and Venus – so a mix of charm with a hint of rebellion. She had an 8^th house Neptune opposition Mars square Jupiter in her 5^th – good at attracting publicity, an enthusiastic worker and a good team mate with an ability to project an aura of helpfulness from Neptune.

  What runs through her notable harmonics – 5H, 13H, 17H and 22H – are marked Jupiter Pluto aspects, not visible on her natal chart – super-confident, lucky and successful.  

Playwright and artist John Byrne, who wrote the BBC series Tutti Frutti, Your Cheatin’ Heart and plays including The Slab Boys, has died. He had a prolific career, writing comedy as well as painting and designing; and married actress Tilda Swinton whom he met while she was performing in one of his series.

  He was born 6 January 1940 8.10am Paisley, Scotland, into an Irish Catholic family, and only learned later in life that his biological father was his mother’s father. He insisted that his mother really did “love” her father, and regularly walked eight miles from the family home to see him. Later in life, she suffered from mental health problems and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The incest taboo is not lightly broken.

 He had a 1^st house Capricorn Sun trine a 4^th house Uranus in Taurus which in turn was trine Neptune – creative in a tangible way. Capricorn is known as the stander on the threshold, able to dip into the unconscious realm of imagination and ideas and turn them into reality. Which Charles Munger did in one way making money – and Byrne instead producing entertainment and art. He had an exuberantly enthusiastic Mars Jupiter in Aries in an inspirational Fire Grand Trine to a Sagittarius Moon trine an 8^th house Pluto.

  His Pluto in the 8^th hints at a dark ancestral past but his ever-cheerful Sagittarius Moon would keep him looking on the bright side. A Fire Grand Trine would give him self belief.  

  He was married to Tilda Swinton, mother of his twins, for a decade plus, but it did not last. She was born 5 November 1960 and had her Scorpio Sun, Neptune, Mercury congregated around his Midheaven so a good work connection; with her upbeat Jupiter conjunct his Ascendant lifting his image and giving him confidence. But her Mars in Cancer fell in his 7^th conjunct his Chiron with her Saturn in opposition which in turn was conjunct his Sun. A scratchy interface as each of their wounds, however buried, did not sit comfortably together. Her Uranus and Pluto also fell in his 8^th which would stir up some deeper issues for him and her Pluto was in a possessive square to his Moon. There were positive aspects to their togetherness but also over-optimism and a simmering, underlying power struggle from composite Mars square Pluto.

  Growing concern in Germany and France about an influx of immigrants from cultures at odds with western democracy and individual freedom especially for women have led one German  national newspaper to print a list of house rules of how to behave, in the wake of violent pro-Hamas, anti-Semitic demonstrations. In France Michel Houellebecq’s novel Submission about a France ruled by Islamists stirred up a storm and landed just as the cartoon publisher Charlie Hebdo’s office was attacked with several killed in retaliation for a satirical cartoon about Mohammed. France’s rigorous approach to maintaining a secular society with strictures against Muslim woman wearing headscarves and veils attracts praise from some and criticism from others about Islamaphobia.

  Henry Kissinger just before his death  said “It was a grave mistake to let in so many people of a totally different culture, religion and concepts.” A mistake which Sweden is belatedly regretting and struggling to find a solution. A report on Germany’s migrant population produced by Harvard University warns that, instead of adapting to the liberal way of life in their new host nation, many remain attached to the austere conservative Islamic customs of their countries of origin. Women are often controlled by their menfolk, or face domestic violence. Some have ‘never even learned how to hold a pencil’, the report says.  France has most Muslims, around 9%, Sweden around 8% while Germany and the UK have around 6%.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”  “The law of unintended consequences – why things bite back.” Both truisms and both true.

  Disentangling religion from culture is not a simple matter. Many of the more extreme fundamentalist Salafist beliefs -derogatory views towards women, homosexuals, non-believers, and an edict against integration  – would not have gone amiss in the mediaeval Vatican. So they are part of the west’s past but progress was made and more civilized attitudes developed, though it did take several centuries.  

  I was trying to find an astrological timeline not so much for Muslim immigration as for the clash of cultures which has arisen in recent years. There have been Muslim intakes at various stages through the past century; with the 1970s seeing an uptick which was when Neptune moved into Sagittarius  and Pluto into Libra. Neptune can be surprisingly fanatical in its opinions and Sagittarius with its 9^th house rulership can lean towards self-righteous religious beliefs.  Al Quada emerged when Pluto moved into Sagittarius in the mid 1990s.  Pluto in Libra – should have improved relationships though what it did was shot the divorce rate up and expose flaws in cooperation.

  The other date which seems more plausible was the late 1980s when the triple conjunction of Neptune, Saturn, Uranus in Capricorn was in place.  Triple conjunctions which have only occurred 10 times in the past two thousand years can cover specific events over a decade or more. But they more essentially point to major civilization shifts, whose effects ripple out for decades and sometimes centuries to come.

 In the 5^th century AD, a quadruple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto followed by a shattering Uranus–Saturn–Pluto triple conjunction oversaw a huge civilization shift as the Roman Empire declined, Britain was invaded by the Picts, Scots and Anglo-Saxons, and the Dark Ages began. This last 1989 triple conjunction was nothing like as strong but it did have a particular impact on the UK, Germany and the EU – all with Capricorn Suns.  I suspect we are still seeing the tsunami waves from that conjunction.

  Al Quaeda which became the poster boy of the least palatable side of Islam was founded in 1988 as well. It in part developed out of frustration with western interference in the Middle East which had for decades propped up autocracies – and it campaigned for an equally totalitarian wish to impose a Caliphate on the entire world. Which to be fair is hardly dissimilar to Christian missionaries in South America and elsewhere trying to impose their faith on unbelievers.

  None of which gives any indication of when this particular problem will find closure.

 Hamas having lit the touch paper in Israel has set off a firestorm way beyond the Gaza borders.

As a non-astro-addendum I remember being infuriated when Labour Minister Jack Straw whose constituency  was in the Midlands with a large Muslim population was jumped on for suggesting Muslim women dispense with the full face veil. The squalling this perfectly reasonable and sensible suggestion attracted was never satisfactorily countered. As neither was the Ayatollah’s fatwa issued against Salman Rushdie in 1989 which aroused great fervour in the UK Midlands. I thought at the time that should have been slammed down on hard – you do not threaten to assassinate people in the UK and the country has no laws against heresy or blasphemy. Any imams or others heard repeating the threat should have been straight into prison. As TV commentator Joan Bakewell said at the time. “When basically tolerant countries let in intolerant elements they don’t know what to do with them.”

  Another imponderable problem. Any ideas do pitch in.

Die Bild: A manifesto in 50 points

1. For everyone living in Germany, Article 1 of the Basic Law applies: “The dignity of man is inviolable.”

2. For us, there are no infidels! Everyone can believe in whatever they want – even Santa Claus.

3. Anyone who considers our constitution and our legal system as a collection of non-binding recommendations should leave Germany as soon as possible.

4. Anyone who wants to live here permanently must learn German. Only when we speak the same language will we understand each other.

5. Everyone can demonstrate peacefully in Germany for their convictions. Free speech does not include threatening people, assaulting them, throwing rocks, burning cars, or celebrating murderers.

6. We don’t wear masks or veils; we look each other in the face (unless it’s Carnival or Corona).

7. Respect and charity sustain our free society.

8. Against the backdrop of the darkest chapter in our history, Israel’s security is a matter of German national interest! This means: Standing up for the security of the Jewish people is non-negotiable. Criticism of Israel’s politics is, of course, allowed.

9. We say please and thank you.

10. We gladly shake hands as a greeting or farewell.

11. We see the police as “friend and helper,” not as a repressive force or an enemy.

12. Many Germans eat pork. Of course, not everyone does. By the way: We have 10 million vegetarians or vegans because freedom also goes through the stomach.

13. The state has a monopoly on violence. Apart from the state-appointed agencies, nobody has the right to use violence against people or things.

14. We accept that our freely elected parliament sets the rules for our coexistence, which can be checked by independent courts.

15. Men are allowed to love men and women women. Whoever has a problem with that is the problem himself. Love and let love!

16. Even if someone feels neither male nor female, they are not persecuted or punished. In our country, citizens are allowed to think freely and live queer.

17. We don’t see social services as employers but as institutions that help people in financial need, people who can’t work. Not people who don’t want to work.

18. We respect the judiciary because it judges without prejudice.

19. Women wear bikinis or bathing suits in the swimming pool. And if someone wants to swim naked in the Baltic Sea – that’s okay too!

20. Women and men are equal in every respect.

21. Equality also in payment for work (we still have to catch up there)!

22. We discuss controversially and passionately, but we don’t insult those with different opinions.

23. We are tolerant with the tolerant.

24. And we have no tolerance for intolerance!

25. We only use fireworks on New Year’s Eve, so when it’s allowed.

26. We don’t burn flags of countries we dislike. That’s a crime!

27. We respect every religion, but we clearly separate religion from state.

28. Women who have affairs are not ostracized, let alone beaten or stoned! In the event of a divorce, joint custody applies to the children. It doesn’t matter who caused the marriage to fail.

29. You don’t have to be a virgin to get married!

30. Those seeking protection from political persecution or war in Germany will find it. Even those who have no claim to it can often stay. We don’t expect gratitude, even if it would be appropriate. But we do demand strict adherence to our laws and respect for our values and way of life.

31. We don’t marry off children. And men can’t have more than one wife.

32. Women decide – like men – for themselves how they dress, who they’re friends with, whom they love, whether they’d rather go to a club or church, whom they vote for, and what profession they choose.

33. Germany is a country of grillers. After a picnic in the park, we take our trash with us.

34. Knives belong in our kitchens, not in our pockets.

35. We pay taxes because we know they are the foundation of the state.

36. When a woman says no to a man, it is final and absolute. Anything else constitutes sexual harassment or rape.

37. We expect everyone who can and is allowed to, to seek employment and provide for themselves – even if social assistance or citizen’s income might initially be higher than the salary.

38. There is compulsory schooling in Germany. We believe in the importance of education and learning.

39. We give up our seats in buses and trains for the elderly and disabled.

40. Cheers, Germany! Beer and wine are part of our culture here. Respect it, and if you don’t want to drink, don’t.

41. How long or short a skirt is, is decided solely by the woman wearing it.

42. Those who cannot tolerate the caricature of politicians, celebrities, gods, or prophets are not in the right place in Germany.

43. The media question politicians, but we generally trust that the elected officials decide truthfully and for the people’s welfare.

44. Honor does not mean the right of the strongest.

45. Respect and appreciation are just as natural in social networks as they are in supermarkets or offices.

46. We try to protect the environment and conserve resources. Sustainability is the future.

47. Germany has a heart for children. They are not beaten but promoted.

48. Catcalling, like whistling or calling out to women, is harassment.

49. Boys and girls can go on school trips together, participate in sports, and swim classes together.

50. We love life, not death.

You have to hand it to the Markle effect for its talent (unerring instinct, spooky capability) in grabbing the headlines with a relentless ground hog repetition. Saturation point gets reached, everyone sighs with bored exasperation,  looks the other way and up it pops again.

  Harry having vented his spleen over brother Will, it is now Kate’s turn as the Meghan/Scobie proxy levels up the paint gun.

  Meghan has form with sisters and not of the amiable variety being presently sued by her half-sibling Samantha for deleting her from historical record.

  Two astro-thoughts on siblings – on Meghan’s chart she has that odd Libra Moon, Saturn, Jupiter in her 3^rd house of siblings square Mars – they aggravate her, females especially given the Moon. The other is Meghan’s 4^th house Pluto which hints at a childhood where she felt overly controlled or at least not in control. In adult life as a defence she has become the controlling one in the domestic arena, brooking no interference. Cooperation is not easy for her within families, though her mother who was mysteriously absent during chunks of her childhood appears to avoid this trap.

  Kate 9 January 1982 7pm Berkshire, England, has a Capricorn Sun opposition Cancer Moon square Saturn Pluto in Libra so will come across as cool, defensive and controlling. Her accentuated Saturn Pluto falls in Meghan’s 4^th house which would not help. Despite her butter-wouldn’t-melt manner and looks, Kate is one steely lady, having been brought up to conform to parental wishes – and will become more so the older she gets.  Kate’s Mars sits on Meghan’s IC and her Moon is conjunct Meghan’s Mars – so a scratchy, irritable interface.

 The Kate/Meghan relationship chart has a composite Sun Pluto conjunction (as Meghan does with half sister Samantha) for a tussle for the upper hand. Even more so with Kate since the composite with Meghan also has Pluto conjunct Jupiter which is a real oneupmanship battle. Used constructively they could have become a power couple had their aims been the same. But there is also a volatile, combustible Moon Mars square Uranus Venus – and that was never going to be cooperative.

  But the issue is much more Meghan’s with her flamboyant, attention-seeking 1^st house Leo Sun and explosive 12^th house Mars than it is battened down Kate’s. A Middleton childhood having to toe the line moulded her for a Royal life where she learned the rules and kept her head down. Meghan waltzing in expecting to take on Diana’s mantel and ???? topple Kate and Will and install Harry as heir?  Heaven knows what her dream and delusion was. Or maybe she just wanted to make her stay in the UK untenable so she could escape back to Hollywood with money, titles and guaranteed status.

She was six down the cast list of Suits, her only series of note, and not too memorable a presence in that. I watched it from the start before all this hooha and she was effectively playing a piece of arm candy. Why/how she expected to upstage the future Queen and grab the spotlight for herself is a mystery.

 The Meghan/Kate relationship (and with Will) will blow even more fuses from May 2024 onwards as tr Uranus collides with the composite Mars Moon and opposes the Venus, running into 2025 as well. And with Kate tr Pluto will continue as earlier this year to square the composite Sun, putting the Meg/Kate chemistry under great pressure.  

  The wedding chart, 19 May 2018 12.39pm Windsor, always did look an explosive omen for the future with a Uranus square Mars catching the tr Pluto hard aspects this year and 2024/25. Plus a controlling Pluto. Emotional disappointments loom large when tr Neptune squares the Venus from May 2024 on into 2025.

Trevor Phillips, a leading UK equalities campaigner stepped into the argument dismissing claims that discussions over skin colour should be considered racist, declaring: ‘There is no family of colour anywhere in the world where that conversation doesn’t take place’. He said that his family had the same conversation about his youngest grandson and believes that discussing skin colour in a mixed race home should be viewed no differently to discussing the colour of a child’s eyes or hair.

 Oprah can take part of the blame for sounding as if it was the worst thing she had ever heard in the infamous interview with Meg and Harry. Having had her television moment of glory she may well now be regretting being too closely allied with what turned out to be half truths and over-egged whines. The link with Meghan has been sagging since then and will get another sharp jolt come May 2024 and on.  Harry and Oprah’s relationship chart also shows a downward slide with chills, irritability and setbacks.