Astrology of Today’s News

   

 

Trump Term revisited as it sidles towards its first ‘victory’ – a tax bill the FT describes as ‘the most bogus and politically cynical tax plan in recent memory. This is Reaganomics with all the downside and none of the upside.’ If it ultimately passes, it will create a fiscal mess and deficit that America will be digging itself out of for the next 30 years.

The Term chart does have Saturn in the 8^th, often found in bankers’ and financiers’ charts. The 8^th house rules business finances and taxes and Saturn always favours the establishment. The control-freak focal point Pluto in a pushy square to Jupiter also doesn’t help to make this an equal opportunities administration. The Term Pluto being 9^th house also points to a deluge of legal tangles creating hostility.

The Mueller Investigation is circling closer to the family with Jared Kushner’s name cropping up and Trump seemingly distancing himself from his son-in-law. Kushner, 10 January 1981 will be feeling precarious and unloved at the moment with tr Uranus in a disruptive opposition to his Pluto now and January and tr Saturn conjunct his Venus. Then tr Pluto is conjunct his Capricorn Sun from early February till late 2019, which will be a punishingly challenging time of great pressure. With major hiccups in May; and on a catastrophic downhill slide from mid 2018 onwards for 18 months with tr Neptune square his Mars/Pluto midpoint.

Ivanka looks confidence-dented this month but with more glimmerings of light than Jared, from tr Uranus opposition her Jupiter/Pluto till early February; though when he’s under most pressure she has tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Saturn midpoint, which usually means career and status changes, losses, restrictions – and that’s from Feb 2018 to late 2019, on and off.

Mike Pence may also be caught in the Mueller trap. He’s feeling the pressure of unsettling change this month and January with tr Uranus square his Sun/Pluto; worsening in January with tr Pluto in a disastrous square to his Mars/Saturn, on and off till the year end. March has career losses. And from May onwards his prospects look even dimmer with tr Neptune starting to square his Gemini Sun for 18 months; and tr Uranus squaring his Venus for an emotional shock, repeating in 2019. Plus a ‘shocking collision’ from Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Uranus from later in 2018 to early 2019.

I would have my doubts if Trump falls off his perch whether Pence would be in a position to step up.

 

 

North Korea’s latest dramatic long-range missile launch, capable in the eyes of some analysts of striking as far afield as Washington or New York, got lost in all the Trump noise. Bolstering nuclear power could just be a defensive strategy for Kim Jong Un, to discourage the US from ever attacking and allowing him to negotiate from a position of strength to secure a relaxation of economic and political sanctions. Although HR McMaster, the White House national security adviser, has warned that Pyongyang is the greatest immediate threat to America. In Hawaii, a siren to warn of an impending nuclear attack has been tested for the first time since the end of the Cold War; and there were calls for families of US forces personnel to be moved out of South Korea.

Kim Jong Un’s leadership chart, 29 December 2011 11.57am Pyonggang, looks on high tension as tr Saturn moves into Capricorn on the 20^th of this month; with an enraged Pluto Mars ramping up the pressure in January. The unstable Uranus in a control-freak square to Sun Pluto on the chart moves ever closer to complete upheaval by Solar Arc, exact in two months’ time, though could trigger any time. With more conflict, risk and losses by April/May – if he survives on his throne.

South Korea, 15 August 1948, also looks edgy in the extreme around December 20^th; and again at risk through January; with more upsets and insecurity through March/April 2018.

On the US side; HR McMaster is on high alert for violent calamities now and in January with tr Uranus square his Mars/Pluto, joined in January by tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus hinting at violent interventions. Looking more confident from mid March onwards.

James Mattis, Defence chief, is less bullish, a touch undermined this month (maybe for other reasons); but certainly moving into catastrophe-zone from early February till late March with tr Pluto square his martial Mars/Saturn midpoint. He looks much less confident that McMaster with Neptune transits washing over him.

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Will Prince William and Harry put a spoke in their father’s hoped-for plans to make Camilla queen rather than consort when he takes over the throne?  Despite their warm support in 2005 when Charles remarried, relations appear to have cooled in recent times, more so when they stepped forward as custodians of their mother Diana’s memory last year. Both the princes have ambivalent feelings about Camilla – some friendly affection mixed with resentment. In both cases’ Camilla’s Saturn Pluto in Leo falls in their 8^th house, which does suggest that she or her situation makes them feel trapped.

Harry’s relationship chart with Camilla is possibly the more complicated and volatile, with a warm composite Sun Venus conjunction; but the composite Moon (representing mother) squares Mars and Uranus Pluto. All of that is under disappointing Neptunian transits from March next year onwards for several years.

William’s relationship with Camilla is also fraught with a composite Venus square Uranus Saturn Pluto; though in theory he should respond well to her Cancer Sun, Moon, Venus, being one himself. Their composite Uranus Saturn are being opposed by tr Neptune in 2017/early 2018, before moving on to square the composite Venus in 2019/2020 – so no improvement there either. If anything worsening. Not argumentative, just eroding good feelings. 2021 looks jolted and edgy between them.

Charles is notoriously defensive about his position, disliking being outshone, so his relationship with his successor William has always been on an uneasy see-saw. That chart has a composite needs-space Sun Uranus; a chained-together by duty Saturn Pluto; and a composite Mars Neptune, making the success of one feel like a failure for the other. Again there’s been a Neptunian dissolution ongoing between them with increasing disappointment going ahead.

Charles’ relationship with Harry is complicated and aggravated in a different way with an affectionate Sun Venus; a chilly Venus Saturn; and a frustrating, enraging composite Mars square Uranus Pluto, which must explode every so often. This Christmas will see an enthusiasm-denting tr Saturn conjunct the composite Jupiter, moving on to square Mercury Saturn through 2018; and then square Venus Sun in 2019; with a weakening of the-ties-that-bind in 2019/2020 with tr Neptune square the composite Mars.

Camilla clearly never wanted to be in the spotlight and won’t be pushing to be queen but her life’s work has been to support Charles. She looks panicked and undermined at the moment till January 2018 with tr Neptune square her Mars. It’s 2019 and on when she’s under most pressure with tr Saturn opposing her Cancer Moon, Venus, Mercury, Sun in 2019; tr Pluto starting to oppose her Sun in 2019/2020. And by 2020 tr Uranus is squaring her Saturn, before moving on to square her Pluto for a dramatic upheaval. In 2020/21 her Solar Arc Midheaven will conjunct her Uranus (depending on her birth time being accurate) which would point to that period being the one of radical and unsettling changes in her life.  Even her relationship with Charles looks to be moving through swampy times from mid 2018 to late 2019.

    

 

Damian Green, the UK Cabinet minister and stalwart inside supporter of Theresa May, is embroiled in a complicated wrangle over allegations of inappropriate behaviour and having porn on his office computer (not illegal) – all of which he strenuously denies. His allies claim he’s being stitched up because of an old feud with the police; and his best buddy David Davis is threatening to resign if Green is forced out (now there’s a prospect.) If he does go it leaves May even more isolated than ever.

Green born 17 January 1956 in Barry, Wales does have quite a strange chart focussed onto Neptune and a Mars Saturn conjunction. His Capricorn Sun opposes Uranus squaring onto Neptune, which can be fanatical or not always open to rational argument. A confident Jupiter Pluto opposes Venus in Aquarius squaring onto Mars Saturn in Sagittarius; and his Sun Uranus opposition is in a wedge, sextile/trine Mars Saturn. Quite an oddball mix of practical, executive abilities, determined, disciplined – and head-in-the-clouds and prone to mishaps from Mars Saturn which latter being in Mutable signs can also be a malcontent.

His relationship chart with Theresa May is business-like and pretty locked together with a composite Sun Saturn opposition Venus square Pluto so it would take considerable pressure to separate them. The composite Sun Mercury square Jupiter brings good feelings and perhaps a tendency to overlook flaws. Though there is also a composite Mars square Neptune which suggests their personal ambitions don’t always coalesce.

He looks rattled at the moment having just moved through tr Uranus square his Sun, returning in spring 2018, before moving on to oppose his Neptune and square his Uranus – so one way or another his life will be unsettled in a major way for another 18 months at least. He looks seriously aggravated this month, perhaps from the 13^th for a few days (depending on his birth time). If an early morning birth could be exactly now.

There’s nothing much on his relationship chart with Theresa May (without birth times) to suggest much movement before the spring. Though their chemistry will sour badly in 2019/2020 no matter what the outcome of this typhoon of bad press coverage.

 

 

Julia Roberts’ latest pic Wonder about a disfigured boy who has to face the world has received generally favourable reviews. Variety said it has a “disarmingly level-headed empathy that glides along with wit, assurance, and grace, and has something touching and resonant to say about the current climate of American bullying.” The Guardian on the other hand saw it as a “ manipulative feel good drama, with a hefty dollop of treacle, with all the depth of a fridge magnet.” Rotten Tomatoes gave it an audience score of 91% and the box office so far indicates it’ll make a healthy profit.

Julia Roberts born 28 October 1967 12.15am Atlanta, Georgia, is still looking good at fifty, with three children in their early teens. She’s got a fairly tough chart with her Sun and two other planets in Scorpio in the 4^th; a challenging Yod of Jupiter sextile Sun inconjunct Saturn in forced-to-be-self-reliant Aries; and her Saturn in a disciplined, edgy square to a hard-working 6^th house Mars. Her Jupiter is well aspected being conjunct her Leo Moon trine Mars and sextile her Sun so she’d have enough optimism and luck to offset the setbacks in her chart.

She’s had an award-strewn career and now produces as well as acts and has hefty beauty sponsorship deals. She looks slightly deflated at the moment despite the film’s success, perhaps family and relationship concerns with her Solar Arc Mars opposition her Moon now and tr Saturn squaring her Sun/Moon midpoint before the year end. 2018/19 look a tough slog with tr Pluto conjunct her Sun/Saturn midpoint. But she’ll bounce up later in 2018 with Jupiter moving into her 5^th house of entertainment and fun.

 

   

 

Sexual harasser Matt Lauer’s exposure – now fired as Today show host and in full PR apology mode – seems to have been more of an upset than some. Though his secret-button locked door mechanism which trapped unwary female visitors in his office is enough of a shock to persuade even the most sceptical.

Born 30 December 1957 in New York, he’s a Sun Capricorn trine Pluto, sextile Neptune Jupiter with his Pluto square Mars. No shortage of controlling, power-hungry elements in that. His singleton Moon in Aries would suit him for a public career, and is either trine Saturn or trine Pluto – in either case not a woman-friendly Moon. It is probably being assaulted by tr Uranus at the moment as his star plunged to the ground. His Venus is in Aquarius – dislikes intimacy but feels free to experiment.

Geraldo Rivera, another talk show host, quintuple married, spoke up in support of Matt Lauer and was then outed by Bette Midler on #metoo. The Daily Beast skimmed through his 1991 Memoir describing it as a “Horndog’s Bible of Workplace Harassment.” Born 4 July 1943 12 am New York, he’s a Sun Cancer, though more pointedly has an attention-demanding 5^th house Pluto conjunct Jupiter and late Cancer Moon – so again Pluto’s need to dominate figuring strongly. With his Moon in an angry square to Mars in Aries, with Mars trine Venus in Leo – not exactly sensitive especially to the fairer sex.

   

 

Is King Salman of Saudi Arabia about to step down and hand over the reins of power to his imperious and impulsive son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)? Reports from mid November say it is imminent.

If so, it would certainly fit the astrology of his Reign chart, 23 January 2015 1am Riyadh, closing the square between Saturn and the Moon to exact (on the same minute of a degree) at the moment. He would continue as a ceremonial figurehead. From mid 2018 tr Uranus squares his Reign Sun into 2019 which also points to an approaching upheaval. On his own chart, 31 December 1935, his Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct his Pluto by early 2019 which for someone of his age and poor health, would indicate an upset.

Commentators say that once crowned king, MBS will focus on Iran, a long-standing rival oil empire to Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, with fears military action is possible. He will also enlist the help of the Israeli military to crush Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia supported by Iran. “MBS is convinced that he has to hit Iran and Hezbollah, contrary to the advice of the royal family elders. Which is why the ruler of Kuwait privately calls him ‘The raging Bull’.”

The unified Saudi Arabia chart of September 1932, either 21 or 23^rd, in either case has a formidable T Square of Pluto in Cancer opposition Saturn square Uranus in Aries, all last decan. That has just undergone a Uranus Return, so a significant game-changing moment in the country’s history. And the pressure for a radical transformation will continue as tr Uranus continues in 2018 to a high-tension square to the Saudi Saturn; and by 2019 tr Pluto starts a long and difficult haul in aspect to this T square until almost the mid 2020s. The Saudi of the later 2020s will be a very different country. Tr Uranus is also within days of being square the Jupiter Sun in Capricorn of the 1902 chart.

Wars between countries are notoriously tricky to pinpoint from the astrology, though tr Uranus square the Mars/Pluto midpoint on the Saudi 1932 chart in early 2018 and then the Mars might suggest violence; with worse in 2019 with Solar Arc Mars square the Saudi Saturn (though could be earlier depending on start date of chart). Both relationship charts with Iran suggest tensions mounting at the moment and through 2018, though again 2019 looks the more stressed.

[See also post November 10^th 2017]

   

 

Donald Trump is either descending into paranoid psychosis or he’s up to his usual game of diversionary tactics to render reality irrelevant; plus his narcissistic urge to keep attention focussed on him. Although his return in private to obsessive conspiracy theories about Obama’s birth certificate, Hillary not winning the popular vote and it not being his voice on the Access Hollywood sex tapes, might hint at the former. Both are also possible since even the mad can be smart and devious. He’s under growing pressure, possibly more than we see, with the Mueller Russia investigation circling closer to the family; sex allegations against himself and Moore; his hotels losing business; and generally being unloved except by his fan base who continue to cheer even his most rancid and ludicrously unbelievable tweets.

From this weekend tr Uranus moves to square three of his key midpoints until early February. His Sun/Mars – even more impulsive than usual and given to reckless macho reactions; over-strain (cardiac troubles). His Mercury/Pluto – fanatical pursuit of plans, nervous breakdown through overtaxing strength. Venus/Saturn – lonely, quarrelsome, high-tension. Plus his Progressed Moon will conjunct his 12th house Pluto over this New Year – pent up pressures, power-struggles, opening up old psychological wounds, resentful.

It won’t ease up in early 2018 for him,  with February seeing tr Saturn square his 2^nd house Neptune, bringing financial concerns, forcing him to face a sobering reality, returning till late 2018, worse in 2019 with tr Saturn square his 2nd house Jupiter. Tr Saturn just before in this coming January moves into his 5^th house of children, fun and speculation – so all three areas will have Saturn’s repressive and separating hand landed on them for three years ahead. February also has tr Neptune opposition his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint bringing disappointment, undermining his bullish confidence/social standing and brewing up more deceit than usual, returning late in the year. And the explosively disruptive Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars grows ever closer, exact in six months’ time.

His relationship chart with the USA 1776 will continue at high tension through 2018; and with a sense of a growing gulf from mid this December as tr Saturn squares the composite Neptune and more so in mid January with tr Saturn opposition the composite Sun, which returns on and off till October 2018. 2019 is when the more challenging upheavals show up with tr Saturn opposition Venus, Mercury, Mars and conjunct the composite Moon; and tr Uranus opposes the composite Pluto and trines Saturn. 2019 is also when tr Uranus squares his Solar Arc MC and his Solar Return is beyond horrible from June 2019 onwards with Saturn Pluto in the 10^th opposition a 4^th house Mars.

 

 

Mars moves to oppose Uranus in the zodiac this Friday which is a touch like a volcano about to explode. It tends to stir up an argumentative, intolerant mood with everyone kicking against restrictions and flaring up over other people’s actions and behaviour. Mars is assertive not to say aggressive when confronted or hemmed in; and rebellious Uranus adds a thunder bolt of lightning to the mix. Often when the pair merge or clash what is experienced is a threat to one’s ego. In order to bolster self-esteem, the immature (or normal) response is to leap into reckless actions or words in a display of machismo which prove to be unwise, even leading to accidents on occasion.

So general frazzle, stresses, strains and emotional tensions. It does come round maybe twice a year so isn’t terminal, but very irksome all the same. There has been a run of aggravation and challenges recently since Mars squared Pluto on the 19th and for the days in the run up before that, so it has been a testing time for nerves.

It can coincide with computer and tech failures as Mars Uranus overloads circuit boards with bad temper; or surgical operations; and usually with violence somewhere in the world (when is there never not?) but more marked than usual.

There is an upside, as the high energy levels can lead to unusual achievements, though it is trickier to handle in an opposition.