Astrology of Today’s News

Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean Dear Leader’s younger sister, is reportedly taking a politically active role in his administration, and organising social events to promote his image. Birth date is given as 26 Sept 1987, though as with all things NK may not be accurate.

If it is, she’s a Sun Venus in Libra; with Mars in Virgo square Saturn Uranus in Sagittarius which in turn trine Jupiter in Aries, so she’ll be sociable, charming and tough enough to stand the rigours of a precarious existence in the inner circle. She is deemed to be a replacement for her aunt, whom rumour has it was killed after her husband was executed for treason, or has died in ill health.

If this chart is accurate then, 2018 won’t be a reassuring year with tr Neptune in an uncertain square to her Saturn; and tr Pluto in a trapped, scary, frustrating trine to her Mars, running through 2019 as well, which would fit with his Term chart being in major trouble then. She appears more important than his wife, whose dates are not known.

Ginger, bespectacled and a scruff, Ed Sheeran is an unlikely global superstar. Yet at 26, the English singer songwriter has won 2 Ivor Novello, Grammy and Brit awards; has outsold everyone bar Adele in the past ten years, sold out Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden with nothing but a loop pedal and a guitar; and has celebrity friends like Taylor Swift, Elton John and grime MC Stormzy. He was named Worst-Dressed Man in 2013 and still wears jeans and t shirts.

Born 17 Feb 1991 in Halifax, England (no time sadly), with arty/design parents, he started singing in the church choir at 4, played the guitar early and started gigging constantly just out of school, racking up 300 in his first year, all low-paid, but a solid grounding and a testament to his determination. That plus his social media skills – and talent – has got him a solid fan base.

He’s a Sun and Mercury in Aquarius square Pluto. His Venus in musical Pisces is trine Pluto, with Neptune (Uranus) widely sextile in between. His Aquarius planets will draw him towards social media. His Saturn opposes Jupiter in Leo, so he wants to be flamboyant despite his crumpled turnout and hates failure. That opposition is trine/sextile Mars in Gemini giving him discipline and the confidence to take risks. His Jupiter is also opposition his Sun/Uranus and Sun/Neptune midpoints, so confidence plus tinged-with-genius Uranus Neptune.

It’s a chart that really needs a birth time to give it context. He looks to be in a good year with tr Pluto trine his Sun/Jupiter midpoint and tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter/Uranus. He may slow down slightly in 2018 with his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Sun.

Theresa May called a General Election early, partly to avoid the prospect of facing a 2020 election when the economy will be suffering through a cold turkey Brexit withdrawal. And it will also give her more leverage vis a vis a longer transitional phase out of the backdoor; and having to make compromises in the negotiations that the hard-line euro-sceptics would fulminate about.

Her Solar Return Oct 2016 to 17 is lucky, confident, determined, risk-taking with Sun, Moon, Jupiter square Mars and Sun square Pluto. Birthday Oct 2017 to Oct 2018 is a different matter, with the Mars blocked every which way in opposition to Neptune, square Saturn, trine Pluto. Admittedly there is a Fire Grand Trine of Saturn Uranus North Node, formed into a Kite with Uranus opposition Jupiter, making Jupiter the driving planet. She won’t be short of creativity or good fortune but it will be quite an obstacle course. From Oct 2018 her Sun has lost the square to Pluto but picked up the square to downbeat Saturn; with an afflicted ultra-stubborn Mars in Aquarius. From Oct 2020 for a year she has Mars square Saturn Pluto Jupiter which will be a gruelling challenge.

Tr Neptune throughout will be conjunct her natal Mars 2017/2018; square the Mars/Jupiter midpoint and then opposition her natal Jupiter in Virgo in 2019/2020 – which is an extended period of high (perhaps delusional) hopes and major panics. Tr Saturn in Capricorn squares her Sun in May 2018 and early 2019; with a high-tension, confused tr Uranus opposition her Neptune in 2018/19. And a ‘shocking’ Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her Sun around 2019 as well. So I hope that the media suggestions about her health, which have been heavily denied, are just a flyer.

The UK chart has the emotionally intense tr Pluto opposition the 10^th house Moon and Solar Arc Mercury at the moment and running till late 2019. [A small part of that may be the soul-bearing of the young Royals since the 10^th house Moon is in part connected to the Monarchy.] But feelings will be running high. There will be some upbeat moments this year with tr Pluto trine the Jupiter/Pluto midpoint from mid July onwards; and a bullish confidence in 2018/19 from tr Pluto square Sun/Jupiter and opposition Jupiter/MC. And a sigh of relief with tr Uranus square Jupiter in 2018 as well. Plus some Saturnine jolts and blockages as it squares the UK Uranus over the New Year 2017 into 2018, proceeding on to square the Solar Arc Pluto, Ascendant and then conjunct the Capricorn Sun – so there will be some reality checks along the way. And the Solar Arc Moon (= population) opposes the 11^th house Saturn (= the legislature) in early 2019 so Westminster may not be too popular then.

Where it starts to get considerably trickier is in six and seven years’ time – 2023/24 – with Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the 8^th house Mars and Solar Arc Pluto square the UK Sun – economically stressed and generally blocked in. That’s in the middle of  tr Uranus through the 8^th house of joint finances from 2019 to 2026, as Uranus hard aspects the Fixed Grand Cross in the UK chart which will see a rolling series of disruptive jolts, forcing a country fairly resistant to change into adapting to new circumstances.

Her Sun is conjunct the UK’s Ascendant so she’ll be key to forging the country’s new identity; and there is an affectionate Sun Venus in an expansive square to Jupiter in the relationship chart, so she’ll be a popular helmsman through the next tricky patch. Though with more aggravation come 2019 when tr Saturn squares the composite Saturn opposition Mars.

There are two Labour Party charts, 27 Feb 1900 and 12 Feb 1906.

The 1900 chart looks devastated and in complete meltdown in 2017/18 with tr Neptune square the Pluto; tr Saturn opposing Neptune in 2017; and, if anything, 2018 is worse with Solar Arc Sun opposition Saturn and Solar Arc Mars conjunct Neptune.

The 1906 chart has a couple of ups this year, though not around the election – and a dreary slog in 2018 to 2020. With much more cheer and confidence come 2022 when tr Pluto trines Jupiter.

Tom Watson, the Labour Deputy leader, looks at his wits end this year with tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun and square his Mars till late year and completely stumped. Where he bucks up is from 2020 onwards.

John McDonnell, the far-left Shadow Chancellor and wannabe-Corbyn-replacement, also looks poleaxed this year with tr Pluto square his Neptune over the election and square his Solar Arc Mars, so stockaded and sinking; with an undermining tr Neptune opposition his Virgo Sun in 2017/18.

Keir Starmer, one of the hopefuls ahead, is ploughing through thick mud in 2018/19 but looking more upbeat from 2020 onwards.

Assuming it’s a straightforward win (and indeed the decision to hold it is voted through tomorrow), the UK election should declare next day on June 9th. There’s no saying what time her Majesty will do the honours but I’ve set it for 12 noon. Hopefully a different time will give it more coherence. Looking on the brightest side (?) there’s a Fire Grand Trine of Uranus in Aries trine Saturn (Moon) in Sagittarius trine North Node in Leo, formed into a Kite by Saturn Moon opposition a Gemini Sun. Fire gives confidence and inspiration, though not always practicality. The Kite gives it drive and focus, especially with sensible Saturn pulling its weight. Uranus Saturn is about mixing the best of the old with the best of the new, so can be constructive and moderate.

However the Sun squares onto Neptune and maybe the Full Moon as well, which is elusive, evasive, confused, lacking in willpower, gullible. It could at an absolute stretch be healing though it’ll be easily distracted.

Pluto squares Jupiter which is confident to over-confident; Mars in excitable Cancer is sextile Venus, but otherwise unaspected. Mars squares the Sun/Pluto midpoint and Saturn opposes the Sun/Mars midpoint both of which suggest obstacle courses with many setbacks. The Mercury is unaspected, which isn’t great for negotiations.

The start time will make all the difference since it may anchor down some of the loose ends onto the axis.

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Enough already. Elections and referenda are breeding like rabbits. Theresa May has now summoned the British public to gather together their scattered wits on June 8^th to pronounce on her fitness and – she hopes – give her a more substantial majority to plough through Brexit negotiations and lessen the pressure from hard-line euro-sceptics in her own party. Though because of the Fixed Term Act she’ll have to get agreement from two thirds of MPs when it goes to a vote tomorrow  at Westminster.

By June she’ll have lost the panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct her Mars; and tr Pluto will be sextile her Solar Arc Jupiter and moving to trine her natal Jupiter from mid July onwards; plus a lucky, what-a-relief tr Uranus trine Jupiter/Uranus on the day. The only downer may be tr Saturn conjunct her Sun/Mars but that depends on her birth time which we don’t know and could have passed at that stage.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, hasn’t much of encouragement on his chart (without birth time) and looks seriously stuck in July.

Tim Farron, Lib Dem leader, has win-some, lose-some influences. He has tr Uranus trine his Mars/Jupiter in the run up, but that has disappeared by June 8^th. He does have a lucky relief tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter. But he has tr Saturn square his Pluto and opposition his Mars, just before which looks jammed in.

Caroline Lucas, Green Party, is not in a brilliant year overall with tr Pluto conjunct her Saturn and opposition her Mars – all pre and post-election.

Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary and PM-wannabe ahead, looks beyond devastated in early June with tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn midpoint; and tr Uranus square his Mercury/Uranus and conjunct his Mercury/Saturn. He’ll clearly not be pleased with the result but that could mean various things, including watching Theresa May getting into an unassailable position. Although he does have tr Jupiter moving through his 1^st house to buck him up when he gets disheartened.

Oops, forgot Nicola Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party has 56 MPs at Westminster. She has pledged to make the election about getting voters to back her plans for a second independence referendum. Her fear is a Tory landslide would force through a hard Brexit and impose more austerity.

Just to be tricky she has tr Uranus square her Cancer Sun immediately before the election, which is a wild card, can go either way; and a lucky tr Uranus opposition her Jupiter in early June, which looks better. However she also has tr Saturn in a blocking square to her natal Pluto and Solar Arc Mercury, squaring her Jupiter/MC; and tr Neptune opposing her Uranus/MC – none of which look like cheering news.

With Donald Trump’s poll rating sliding I thought I’d re-run his influences of the moment from January 8^th post. Only 45 percent of Americans now think Trump keeps his promises, down from 62 percent in February, a slide of 17 points. There’s a 7-point drop in those who think Trump can bring about the change the country needs, from 53 percent to 46 percent, and a 6-point drop in those who think that Trump is honest and trustworthy, from 42 percent to 36 percent.

At the moment: tr Uranus is square his Venus 8^th April to 9^th May, bringing emotional shocks and upsets. And April 6^th to mid May, tr Neptune opposes his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint, repeating mid July to end August, February, Nov/Dec 2018, which will bring disappointments, damage and loss, a deceptive mood around, undermining his enthusiasm and social standing.

Tr Uranus will trine his Mars in May bringing insecurity and a tendency to make macho gestures. That repeats in Oct 2017 and Feb 2018.

His Secondary Progressed Moon goes into his 12^th house in June 2017 staying there till mid 2019. This tends to be a time of endings, introspective, escapist, can produce new behavioural problems if insights about self aren’t taken on board.

The August late Leo Eclipse, of course, is conjunct his Mars Ascendant so will be a considerable shake up, sparking his aggressive, combative tendencies. Around August as well his Solar Arc Uranus moves onto the same degree in conjunct to his Mars, though it’s not exact until 2018. This will bring a considerable shock to his system and could lead to even wilder reactions than usual.

July 7 to September 26 tr Saturn will oppose his Sun and conjunct his Moon for a downbeat, face-reality and feeling under-nurtured mood; with tr Saturn also square his Mars/Jupiter midpoint = inhibited, difficulty making decisions, end of relationship.

Tr Pluto returns to square his Jupiter mid July to early September, and for a final time Oct 24 to Dec 6 – that will push him into a confidence overdrive, which could backfire, with more lines being crossed and rules tossed out of the window.

There will be a Jupiter upward blip with tr Jupiter trine/sextile his Sun opposition Moon, from 27 Aug to 6 Sept, but that will be minor.

In Sept/Oct tr Pluto returns from Dec 2016 to oppose his Sun/Pluto and Mercury/Saturn as well as hit his relationship chart with Melania – so an aggravated, highly pressured, frustrating time.

On house transits: tr Jupiter going into his 3^rd from late Sept 2017 for a year should make his everyday working relations easier. Tr Saturn moves into his 5^th for three years in early 2018 which will damp his exuberance a touch, making everything feel like a slog.

Health-wise, all that pounding on his Mars will raise his adrenaline and maybe his blood pressure; Mars can be connected, especially in Leo, with heart problems in older people. His Sec Prog Moon going through his 12^th conjunct his Pluto in Jan 2018 may also be a point to watch.

His Solar Returns have Pluto in the 6^th for the year up to birthday June 2017, which is heavy pressure on physical health; then 2017 to 2018 Solar Return has Neptune in the 6^th which is low energy. This upcoming Solar Return also has Uranus in the 7^th for at least one partnership split and a mutinous Pluto in the 4^th, so trouble on the domestic front and feeling cornered. When tr Saturn hits on his Sun and Moon across that July to September patch, it also squares his Sun/Moon midpoint, which is both the marriage significator and a sign of a politician’s popularity – so feeling unloved.

Prince Harry has courageously spoken out about the mental and emotional turmoil which surfaced in his late twenties when he was forced to face his unprocessed grief about losing his mother suddenly when he was 12. He said counselling and boxing helped him through. He is promoting the Heads Together mental health campaign, the London Marathon’s charity of the year, with Prince William and Kate.

He does have an intense, secretive 8^th house Virgo Sun so would tend to hide his feelings away; and his Sun is square Mars in Sagittarius will give him an overflow of high energy and quite a temper. He is close to his family – grandparents with the 8^th house emphasis, and father for stability with a 4^th house Taurus Moon. But they’re very much of the stiff-upper-lip generation. His 12^th house Neptune Jupiter would tend to make him avoid unpleasant feelings, either air-brushing the past with Jupiter or escaping into drink with Neptune.

He would be fond of his mother though it wasn’t an easy relationship, given her problems. Her Cancer Sun was conjunct his Descendant and her Venus conjunct his Moon, both of which are lovely. But her tumultuous, raging, chaotic Uranus Mars Pluto fell in his 8^th which would stir up very uncomfortable emotions. Their relationship chart was a tremendous mix of – possessive, cool, evasive, volatile and adventurous. So his feelings when they did surface would be hard to handle.

When she was killed his Solar Arc Uranus just into his 12^th squared his Sun exactly, so it would be a tremendous shock. His Solar Arc Neptune was sitting on his Ascendant then making him unsure of his identity and tr Saturn was opposition his Venus. So a devastating and sad time, made worse by the callous public’s need for a public parade, when he’d have been better hidden away at Balmoral.

Four years ago when he first started to allow himself to face his feelings, he was on his Saturn Return, the first maturing transit of life; with tr Pluto moving across his Ascendant which is often a time when people go into therapy to better understand themselves and their environment. Tr Pluto was also conjunct his Solar Arc Uranus and then Mars which would be challenging. There was also quite a Nodal crossover with his Solar Arc Pluto opposing his Taurus natal Node; and his Solar Arc Node opposing her natal Neptune. So quite a karmic time as if his destiny was prompting him onto a different path.

The younger Royals and indeed Camilla with her domestic violence and rape charity work, do seem to be making a decent fist of moving into the modern world and making a difference.

Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, niece of Marine, is more closely allied to the hard-right views of her grandfather Jean-Marie, which has caused an internal split within the French Front National, with some members feeling Marine has moved too much to the centre ground. Marion is evidently more charismatic than her aunt, rarely gets ruffled, is neat on her feet in debates – and holds more extreme anti-gay marriage, anti-immigration, pro-Christian views. Marine has suggested she’s too inflexible to have in her cabinet if she wins which hasn’t gone down well.

Marion was born 10 December 1989 1.05am St Germain en Laye, France has a quick-witted 3^rd house Sun Sagittarius and an intense 8^th house Moon in Taurus. It’s a see-saw chart with a disruptive 4^th house Mercury Uranus Neptune Saturn in Capricorn opposition a lucky Jupiter in the 10^th; and Moon opposition Pluto in Scorpio with Pluto in turn conjunct Mars in Scorpio, so definitely a ruthless streak, though also fairly chaotic. With a charming Venus in Capricorn in the performing 5^th house. Her Sun is unaspected so she won’t have a clear sense of her identity or how to integrate her Sun into the rest of her chart.

Her grandfather’s Sun Venus are conjunct her MC in her 10^th so no surprises he is the inspiration for her political career; with his controlling Pluto Mercury conjunct her 10^th house Jupiter. There’s not the same closeness with her aunt, whose Pluto Uranus are conjunct Marion’s Ascendant, making her feel oppressed and tugged around.

Both relationship charts between Marion and Marine and Jean-Marie have composite Sun Pluto conjunctions, so she’s fairly controlled by both of them. Though there’s a better ideological and communication fit with Jean-Marie, with a composite Air Grand Trine, formed into a Kite with a PR-friendly Venus on the composite MC.

There’s a suggestion that she’ll be a force for the future, which with her Jupiter in the 10^th could be true in the later stages of her career.