Astrology of Today’s News

Another Libran toughie, Roger Cruikshank, 18 October 1982, a Scottish RAF pilot, who has overcome two potentially life changing accidents and bounced back, has been awarded a DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for his actions while serving in Iraq.

When he was 22 he smashed his left leg in a fall while racing as a member of the British Olympic Ski team in Germany. “I put my femur through my tibia,” he said. “I have now got nine pins and a plate in my left leg.” 10 months later he qualified for the 2006 Winter Olympics and competed in the men’s downhill and super-giant slalom, wearing a leg brace and dosed up on painkillers. Seven months after that during a holiday in America to celebrate passing basic pilot training, his mountain bike collapsed under him, throwing him over the handlebars. His face had to be reconstructed. His decoration was for an operation last May in which he saved the lives of Iraqi soldiers while running so low on fuel that his own life was in danger.

He has now published a book ‘Speed of Sound, Speed of Mind’, relating his comebacks with proceeds going to mental health charity SAMH and military charity Help for Heroes, in part inspired by his mother who committed suicide seven years ago with depression.

He is a charming Sun Venus in Libra, with a gritty and persevering Saturn Pluto also conjunct his Sun and those four Libra planets sextile Mars and Neptune in sporting Sagittarius. His accidents occurred when tr Pluto in Sagittarius was conjunct his Mars.

His get-it-together 5^th Harmonic is strong, linking Uranus to Jupiter, Pluto and Mars – definitely attracted to high-adrenaline activities and also lucky.

His 8H is also marked, which can be an unlucky number though it gives an abundance of strength and stubbornness in the face of difficulties.

Just goes to show that tough aspects, while bringing a stressful life, do have a compensatory strength to overcome.

American bobsled champion, three-time Olympic medallist and five-time world champion, Steven Holcomb, has been found dead at 37. He put US bobsleighing on the map; and overcame health problems which nearly lost him his sight at point, causing a near suicidal depression and alcoholism, but he recovered almost perfect vision and always seemed cheerful.

He had an extraordinary chart. Born 14 April 1980 in Park City, Utah, he had an inspirational, super-confident Fire Grand Trine of an Aries Sun (and Moon) trine Mars North Node in Leo trine Neptune in Sagittarius, formed into an even more talented, driven and influential Kite by Sun opposition Pluto. His Sun was also on the focal point of a Yod to Saturn in Virgo sextile Uranus in Scorpio, so he would be troubled by feelings of low self-esteem, and wobble between pessimism about himself and high optimism.

Reports indicate that he died in his sleep. He was approaching his Nodal Return this August which would make the upcoming Leo Solar Eclipse conjunct his Mars and Node, so a critical year for him. With tr Uranus also rattling another leg of his Grand Trine conjunct his Sun, and earlier this year opposition his Pluto. So there would be considerable pressures on him and at the best of times he never kept himself in particularly good shape.

At least 36 people have died and hundreds have been injured in weeks of protests in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduro’s economic mismanagement with inflation running at 700% (IMF), food and medicine shortages and his attempt to alter the constitution to give himself more power.

Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN has accused Maduro of “disregard for the fundamental rights of his own people”, which had “heightened the political and economic crisis in the country”. Trump’s national security advisor HR McMaster has met with the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly to discuss the release of political prisoners and pressing to hold free and democratic elections.

Given Venezuela’s history the question is when will the military step in? Though many senior players have been compromised by Maduro’s patronage.

Maduro was sworn in on 19 April 2013 at 2.05pm Caracas. It looks like a bumpy ride this year, but April/May 2018 is when it will really blow up with an explosive tr Uranus conjunct the Mars Sun of the Presidency chart; and a disappointing, financially undermining tr Neptune squares the 10^th house Jupiter.

The Venezuela 24 June 1821 and 22 September 1830 both have undermining and chaotic Neptune transits to Mars midpoints this year and next. There’s a definite downturn come December this year on both.   The 1830 chart has devastation written all over 2018/19 (perhaps earlier since there is no start time); with a dead-halt in 2019, financially and otherwise; and worse in 2022/23. The 1821 chart which has a Saturn Jupiter conjunction in late Aries is being jolted and jangled this year into 2018; with 2012/2022 looking hugely challenging with tr Pluto opposing Saturn Jupiter.

The ‘spirit and the soul, the conscious and the unconscious, husband and wife’ is how Ebertin describes the Sun/Moon midpoint in a chart – the degree halfway between Sun and Moon. It’s the meeting point of the yin and the yang, the masculine and feminine sides of the individual personality, and to some degree involves the early role models in the father/mother relationship in childhood.

It’s a useful point to keep in mind if the birth time is known – for predictions about relationship strains/splits or periods of emotional challenge when the outer planets are in hard aspect to the Sun/Moon. For example, tr Pluto opposition the Sun/Moon midpoint can lead not only to an extended two year phase of considerable pressure on close relationships, but also an internal ‘dark night of the soul’.

Close relationships undergo major changes during outer planet transits to the Sun/Moon midpoint, and because it shifts the internal balance in the individual affected, the kind of relationship they want on the far side isn’t the same as before. Such transits can also sometimes point to upheavals in the parental marriage.

It’s worth looking at the individual natal chart to see how the Sun/Moon midpoint aspects other planetary positions. For example: Sun/Moon = Uranus will have the same effect as Uranus in the 7^th, so the kind of partner needed will be unconventional and probably constantly changing with multiple partners. Jupiter or Venus in aspect to the Sun/Moon suggests the ability or luck to attract an affectionate and supportive partner. Saturn = Sun/Moon, relationships will be hard work, probably delayed till later in life and cool. Neptune = Sun/Moon, as Kirk Douglas has (see earlier post), indicates a lack of commitment to marital vows. Pluto = Sun/Moon, intense close relationships with jealousy causing problems.

Sometimes, though not always, it can be involved in cross-overs with a partner’s chart especially one person’s Sun/Moon conjunct the other’s Moon, or in their 7th. Queen Elizabeth’s Sun/Moon is conjunct Prince Philip’s Gemini Sun Mars; and his Sun/Moon is conjunct her Descendant. Catherine Zeta Jones’ Sun/Moon is conjunct Michael Douglas’s Moon. Joanne Woodward’s Sun/Moon was conjunct Paul Newman’s Moon. Princess Diana’s Sun/Moon was conjunct Prince Charles’ Moon; and Camilla’s Sun/Moon falls in Charles’ 7^th. Jackie Kennedy’s Sun/Moon was conjunct JFK’s Venus. Zara Tindall’s Sun/Moon is conjunct her husband Mike’s Jupiter.   Jennifer Aniston’s Sun/Moon is conjunct Brad Pitt’s Moon Venus; while his Sun/Moon collides with Angelina Jolie’s Mars opposition Pluto.

But never fear, just because your Sun/Moon midpoint doesn’t aspect any of your planets or partner’s planets it doesn’t mean you won’t be happily settled in a long term commitment. It’s only one point in a chart; there will be other indicators.

What is undoubtedly true is that transits from Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to the Sun/Moon midpoint will bring chills, disruptions, disappointments and challenges respectively. It doesn’t mean the relationship will inevitably split, though it can do.

A rushed through vote in Congress to repeal/replace Obamacare was done without waiting for the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to submit its official estimate, which could take several more weeks to complete. That is likely to say how many millions will be left without insurance and medical support. It then has to make its way through the closely divided Senate, who are talking about tearing it up and writing another bill. If left as it is, which seems unlikely, it’ll hit Republicans in the midterms in 2018 as ordinary Americans won’t remotely appreciate being left high and dry – against all Trump campaign promises.

Obamacare was signed in on 23 March 2010 at 11.56am, Washington. Tr Neptune is trailing across the MC till January 2018 which is lacklustre and directionless, dissolving its forward trajectory. Into 2018/19 tr Neptune is conjunct the 10^th house Jupiter which is again not supportive. With a tremendous upheaval and disruption in 16 to 18 months from now as the Solar Arc Uranus squares the Pluto and then Moon. But it will get a lucky break come 2020 as Solar Arc Jupiter is conjunct Uranus.

Trumpcare Mark 1 was gavelled at 2.18pm 4 May 2017 in Washington. This puts a Virgo Moon (North Node) conjunct the Ascendant opposition a 7^th house Neptune square Mars; with Uranus Mercury opposition Jupiter square a grandstanding Pluto in the 5^th; with a sombre Saturn in the 4^th in an innovative trine to Mercury Uranus; and a Yod Of Sun sextile Neptune inconjunct Jupiter.

Taking the last first. A Jupiterian yod can be disorganized and impractical; and although it has the potential to have a strong impact out in society, it can also have fateful consequences because Jupiter’s tendency to narrow-minded self-righteousness and grandiosity.

In terms of the impact on the American public represented by the Moon tied into Mars and Neptune, there’s anger, disappointment, with a sense that commitments are not being lived up to. The Moon is also opposition the Sun/Saturn midpoint which brings emotional depression; and women especially will feel it is hard and uncaring. The Sun also aspects the Mars/Pluto midpoint, a hint of the ruthless pressure exerted to get it pushed through. Neptune is conjunct the Saturn/MC which is lacking in clarity and causing suffering.

It’s not a devastatingly bad chart, just lacking empathy. In any event the Act as it stands won’t make it through the Senate so will be considerably altered.

Brad Pitt has gone in for a full mea culpa, soul-baring interview plus fashion shots presumably in the hope of resurrecting …. ? his public image? relationships with his family? He described a heavy drinking, spliff-smoking adult life and said the shake-up of his impending divorce had sent him into therapy which was doing him the world of good.

He does have tr Saturn now moving through his first quadrant below his Sagittarius Ascendant which is often a less ambitious time and one where unresolved psychological issues tend to surface.

He does have Neptune in his 12^th which is addiction-prone; plus a tough Mars trine Pluto Uranus, so quite heavy anger issues, which are often an underlying factor in alcohol consumption. He says: ‘I grew up with a Father-knows-best/war mentality—the father is all-powerful, super strong—instead of really knowing the man and his own self-doubt and struggles.’ His Sun/Moon midpoint which rules marriage and also how the body and soul are connected is conjunct Mars and square Jupiter – so he’d always go in for argumentative, high-octane relationships, which wouldn’t help. Indeed his Sun/Moon at 9 Capricorn is square Angelina Jolie’s Mars opposition Pluto, which certainly wouldn’t make for marital calm.

His creative 7^th Harmonic (septiles) is very strong which as well as being artistic can also be prone to escapism through drink and drugs; and his pleasure-seeking 9^th Harmonic is even more replete with aspects – 9H can also be humanitarian but it also has a tendency to indulge.

His career is still pretty much on a high with The Big Short being a critical and commercial success in 2015 and his production company winning a 3^rd Oscar for Moonlight. But there’s no doubt that he’ll want to duck out for a while to get his act together.

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Another enduring Fixed Mutable match has been the 63 year marriage of Taurus Anne to Sagittarius Kirk Douglas. She’s written a new book, Kirk and Anne: Letter of Love, Laughter and a Lifetime in Hollywood.  In it, she’s open about his extra-marital affairs with Rita Hayworth, Patricia Neal, Faye Dunaway and Christina Crawford, daughter of Joan, amongst others. “Kirk never tried to hide his dalliances from me,” the 98-year-old wrote. “As a European, I understood it was unrealistic to expect total fidelity in a marriage”.

He was born 9 December 1916 10.15am Amsterdam, NY and has an 11^th house Sagittarius Sun opposition a 5^th house Gemini Moon; with Neptune Saturn straddling his Descendant and a Venus in Scorpio square Uranus. So a Full Moon type, always ambivalent about what he wanted; uncommitted when it came to marriage partnerships and keen on freedom. Ongoing relationships really weren’t his forte. And he had a ruthlessly, power-hungry Mars opposition Pluto.

Just as well she was a Sun Taurus and able to stand firm, no matter what storms were blowing around her. Born 23 April 1919 in Hanover, Germany, her Sun is conjunct Mars and both square her Neptune in Leo and possibly her Aquarius Moon as well. So she’ll be a curious mix of fey, head-in-the-clouds, emotionally detached and quite egocentric, as well as implacably determined to plough the furrow she was in.

Her Sun Mars fell in his 3^rd, so they would have a good mental rapport; her Moon may be conjunct his Ascendant which is a good cross over and her Venus in Gemini falls in his 4^th house of home and family and is the same sign as his Moon.

Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Uranus Mercury which definitely needs space; but it was also opposition Venus so plenty of affection; possibly a possessive composite Moon square Pluto; an adventurous Jupiter square Mars; and a simmering-rage, power-struggling Mars trine Pluto. The composite Saturn (for longevity) is conjunct Neptune, sextile Jupiter, perhaps trine Moon.

There’s no such thing as a perfect relationship and sometimes the ones that last aren’t that obvious; so maybe a simple Sun sign complementarity is what it takes.

Prince Philp, soon to be 96, is to stand down from his public duties in September.

Born 10 June 1921 9.46pm Corfu (or 10am) (DD astro com) is a feisty, argumentative Sun Mars in Gemini square Saturn in Virgo; with Saturn conjunct Jupiter which is in turn opposition Uranus; a Leo Moon and Neptune; and Venus in Taurus.

He had a difficult, wandered childhood, his father, Prince Andrew, having been exiled from Greece and he was schooled in Paris, Germany pre-war and then Gordonstoun in Scotland. His mother, a great grand-daughter of Queen Victoria was hospitalised with schizophrenia. He was in the British navy during World War 11 and married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

There is certainly an affectionate and intellectual rapport between them with his Venus conjunct her 3^rd house Taurus Sun; and his Sun Mars falling in the Queen’s 5^th house of fun and children. Though not all easy with her Uranus square his Mars Sun; and his Uranus conjunct her Venus – so there would be outbursts, and long separations would undoubtedly help. Her chart is mainly Fixed while his is more adaptable and Mutable which would help, since he has had to fit in as and where he could.

Her Sun/Moon midpoint (the marriage significator) at 21 Gemini is conjunct his Sun Mars, so there would be an instant click. On a 9.46pm birth time his Sun/Moon midpoint sits exactly on her Descendant.

Their relationship chart does have an ‘unkind’, overly dutiful composite Saturn opposition Mars, which usually means one has to sacrifice their own needs for the other, which would grate at times. Their wedding chart of 20 Nov 1947 circa 11am echoes this time with a challenging Saturn Mars opposition Moon square Sun. So the seventy years ahead wouldn’t all be a picnic.

My recollection from Gunter Sachs study was that a Taurus/Gemini match was the most enduring.

The Empire State Building rose out of the gloomy depths of the Great Depression and was opened on 1 May 1931 11.30 am Manhattan, NY. At the time of construction with 102 storeys, it was the world’s tallest and was built largely by immigrant labour from Europe plus hundreds of Canadian Mohawk iron workers.

The opening chart reflects the bleakness of the time as well as its resourceful inventiveness with a super-confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer opposition Saturn in Capricorn square Uranus conjunct MC in Aries; with a stalwart, enduring Taurus Sun Mercury opposition a Scorpio Moon square Mars and Ascendant in flamboyant Leo. The Empire State Jupiter is conjunct the USA Cancer Sun; with the Mars Asc conjunct the USA leadership North Node in Leo – so a prized national symbol.

There have been two major incidents involving the Empire State Building (ESB). One a plane crash in thick fog on 28 July 1945 which hit the 80^th floor and killed 14; the other a shooting on 23 Feb 1997 on the 86^th floor observation deck when a Palestinian killed one, injured six others and then suicided.

In 1945 at the plane crash, tr Saturn in Cancer was minutes (of a degree) past the Jupiter/Pluto midpoint and past the ESB Uranus; with Solar Arc Pluto exactly on the Ascendant; and tr Pluto in Leo approaching within a degree of being conjunct the ES Mars and square Sun – so quite a dampening dent for its image though it was reopened the following week and quickly renovated.

At the 1997 shooting, tr Saturn in Aries was trine tr Pluto and both were hitting on the ESB Venus in Aries; with the Solar Arc Sun square Mars impacting on the ESB Jupiter, and thus shaking the ESB’s Cardinal T Square.