Astrology of Today’s News

A formal letter informing the EU of the UK’s intention to leave will be delivered in Brussels on March 29^th. There’ll be no formal time of the pigeon or chopper leaving London (perhaps sent by diplomatic bag the night before) although Theresa May will make an announcement in the House.

There’s a sparsely aspected Aries Sun, only conjunct Venus, so there’ll be an attempt to be charming about the divorce; which will set out to be a positive change with Saturn trine Uranus (= best of the old mixed with best of the new). But it’s likely to be fairly brutal all the same with a Pluto trine Mars in stubborn, unyielding Taurus.

And then there’s the Uranus Mercury in Aries opposition Jupiter square Pluto – which could be seen as an adventurous leap tied into a fight for control with a focal point Pluto. Down into the midpoints the Sun is square the bleak Saturn/Pluto midpoint and square Mars/Node – tenacious, tough, unfeeling, fanatical, an attempt to create a martyr (viz Juncker’s happy thought to make it punishing for the UK to deter others) and argumentative.

On the UK 1801 chart at the moment there’s a coming together of the Solar Arc Mercury which is conjunct the 10^th house Moon and both are exactly opposed by tr Pluto – the 10^th house is about rulership.  That will bring heightened emotions, intense debates, some hostility. Tr Uranus is moving through the 7^th house of close relationships as it was over the split, last June conjunct the 7^th house North Node. Uranus will leave the 7^th by mid 2019, moving into the 8^th for a changeable few years thereafter where international and business finances are concerned.

In March 2019, if negotiations stick to schedule which they may not, tr Uranus will be exactly square the UK 10^th house Jupiter bringing a sense of relief. The tr Saturn Pluto conjunction is within three degrees, though won’t hit the exact aspect until January 2020. By which time tr Jupiter has come into play in Capricorn, which should ease the heavy mood considerably.

The UK’s Solar Arc Pluto will conjunct the UK Libra Ascendant exactly by mid 2019 – that is often a time of exerting personal control.

On the EU/UK relationship chart there’s an undermining tr Neptune opposition Jupiter and square Moon, eroding enthusiasm and good feelings, in 2017/18. With a discouraging, tough-slog tr Pluto square the composite Saturn in 2018/19; plus tr Saturn will conjunct the composite Sun in December 2018. There’s usually Saturn around for endings. But it may not all be bad feelings since tr Jupiter, then in Sagittarius, is going through the 3^rd house of communications and conjunct the composite Mercury.

Theresa May is unlikely to find the process uplifting since tr Neptune moves to conjunct her singleton Mars in Pisces from early this April on and off till late 2018 – that always produces a panicky sense of failure. And both her own and the Government chart will find 2019 a test of morale as tr Neptune opposes the Jupiter in Virgo on both – which is usually a bubble of happiness bursting, enthusiasm undercut.

We live in interesting times, there’s no doubt.

Please add below. Older posts under News on top bar.

President Andrew Jackson (1829 Presidency) is evidently the one whom Donald Trump would most like to emulate. Jackson sought to advance the rights of the “common man” against what he saw as a “corrupt aristocracy” and to preserve the Union. Though the ‘common man’ clearly didn’t include slaves or Native American Indians. He was pro-slavery and a leading advocate of “Indian removal,” the ethnic cleansing of Creeks and Cherokee across the lower South which opened up tens of millions of acres for cotton cultivation. This policy led to the Trail of Tears, on which 4,000 Cherokee men, women and children died of hunger, cold and disease during their forced expulsion to the west.

The Washington Post described Jackson as ‘the long-haired, steely-eyed, bad-assed disrupter. The avatar of American nationalism. The original, and prototypical, testostero-president. He took on the British, the national bank, the Congress, the early secessionists with a determined application of will and power; and consistently pressed the boundaries of executive authority. He was prickly, demanding and mercurial and no stranger to sexual scandal. His opponents regarded his presidency as unimaginable, until he beat them.’

Bannon evidently encourages Trump to believe he’s the reincarnation of Jackson and sent him off to lay a wreath on his tomb last week.

In reality Andrew Jackson, 15 March 1767 7.35am? (ADB DD) Waccamaw, South Carolina, bears little resemblance to Trump or indeed Bannon. He had four Earth signs – Jupiter Neptune in Virgo, Pluto oddly enough in Capricorn, and Mars in ultra-determined Taurus. He had a Pisces Sun, his only Water sign; and a Fire Earth chart which gave him a steam-roller personality. And he had a crusading-for-a-cause Aquarius North. Jackson’s Mars does admittedly conjunct Trump’s MC Node which may put some boot behind Trump’s ambitions, but that apart they are very unlike. Trump is Air/Fire which is – hot air.

Usually when people have heroes there are clear cross overs in the charts, but Bannon (Fire/Water/Air – no Earth) seems to stick on pedestals individuals he has almost nothing in common with.

Though that Pluto in Capricorn of Jackson’s is interesting – fierce, exclusive nationalism does seem to be part of its package.

Donald Trump is but a pale imitation of the populist Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. According to one commentator ‘he conducts politics as an act of constant war, not a matter of administration; is hyperactive – constantly dreaming up new slogans and initiatives; occupies so much of the political landscape himself that his opponents cannot even get heard; is hyper-sensitive and hostile to any criticism.  The primary weapon Modi deploys to polarise his audience and stun opponents is stoking up religious tension. After his election in 2014, his party, BJP, started stoking up hysteria against Muslims and low-caste Hindus for not sufficiently respecting cows. Hindu mobs started attacking and lynching Muslims and low-caste Hindus for apparently eating beef – without evidence – on a regular basis.’

‘Modi carries himself with the kind of swagger and confidence opponents can only dream of. He makes Indians believe he can make India great again. Violent Hindu nationalism isn’t just the BJP’s crutch during elections – it is embedded in its DNA.‘

Dozens of Indian writers returned top national awards in 2015 in a protest against what they call a “climate of intolerance” after a series of attacks on intellectuals since his election. The niece of Nehru, a journalist and author, said that “India’s culture of diversity and debate is now under vicious assault”. Salman Rushdie weighed in saying the failure of the prime minister and others to act was allowing a new “degree of thuggish violence” in India.

Amnesty International’s report for 2016/17: ‘The authorities used repressive laws to curb freedom of expression and silence critics. Human rights defenders and organizations continued to face harassment and intimidation, and vigilante cow protection groups carried out several attacks.’

Despite not delivering on economic progress and creating a “currency chaos” when he abruptly annulled the vast majority of banknotes in a bid to tackle corruption, Modi has won even more backing in recent regional elections. He is now India’s most powerful leader in two generations; and is well on his way of turning the country into a Hindu nationalist state.

His term chart, 26 May 2014 6.13pm New Delhi, certainly reflects an administration that is hyper-active, ruthless, overly confident, careless of rules and regulations, a whirlwind of revolving crises. There’s a Cardinal Grand Cross of Mars opposition Uranus square Pluto opposition Jupiter; with a forbidding Saturn in Scorpio on the Ascendant. Though there’s also a ‘dependent?’ 7^th house Gemini Sun square a 5^th house Neptune, so perhaps there is more insecurity behind the scenes and ultimately domestic disappointment than appears.

What will be interesting is that this August’s Leo Solar Eclipse is closely conjunct the NC of this chart which sounds like a good going crisis. With the Solar Arc Moving to square Pluto exactly by mid 2018, and in effect in the months before, which looks high-risk and frustratingly trapped.

Modi’s own personal chart has a questionable date. Maybe 1949 or 1950. One in use is 17 Sept 1950 11 am which would put his MC conjunct this August Eclipse which would make sense – but it may be wrong, so best avoided. It certainly won’t affect his term chart which is accurate. Both India and Pakistan have 21 degree Leo Suns so will be in line for a collision with the August Eclipse, though it isn’t closely conjunct.

What gives with this rampant nationalism?  Must be Pluto in Capricorn. Those not like us are against us and must be destroyed.

There’s been an outpouring of adulation as the venerable Chuck Berry dies. ‘He was one of the undisputed, all-time greats of rock and roll, a founding father of the music that shook and shaped the world. He was rock’s first great songwriter and first guitar hero. His influence on Elvis Presley, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones (as well as every other star of the rock ‘n’ roll firmament, from Buddy Holly to Bruce Springsteen) is enough to guarantee musical immortality,’ wrote one music commentator. Mick Jagger said that Berry “lit up our teenage years and blew life into our dreams”. Singer Bruce Springsteen called him “a giant for the ages”.

Born 18 October 1926 at 6.59am St Louis, Missouri, he had a 12^th house Sun Venus in Libra; but what really dominated his chart was a Fixed Grand Cross of musical Neptune in flamboyant Leo in the 10^th opposition Jupiter square Mars in Taurus opposition Mercury and Saturn in Scorpio – so formidably enduring. 1926 has thrown up a fair number of prominent figures who stood the test of time including HM Queen and David Attenborough amongst many others.

Berry also had an artistic Water Grand Trine of Pluto in Cancer trine a Pisces Moon in the performing 5^th trine Mercury in the 1^st – custom built to create and entertain, a healer for others if not for himself. He also had Uranus in the 5^th which is a classic, rebellious rock/pop music placing.

He wasn’t the easiest or indeed nicest of men. Born in the tough southern states during racial discrimination, he ended up in juvvie for robbing cars at gunpoint, spent more time in prison for underage sex and later settled a lawsuit with 59 women who accused him of secretly filming them in the ladies bathroom of a restaurant he owned. Part of that may have been his Pluto square Venus and trine his Moon; plus his sexually-charged, though not sensitive Mars in Taurus which was quincunx his Venus.

His get-it-together 5^th Harmonic was strong; even more so his inspirational 7^th Harmonic. His ‘obsessive dream’ 11H was heavily aspected; also his leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17H; and his super-star 22^nd.

An over-weighting of Fixed signs makes for great stubbornness, acquisitiveness and the ability to plough on long after more flexible souls have given up.

The two possible SNP start charts both look wildly energised, utterly determined, pushily confident, reckless and deeply frustrated in equal measure over the next three to four years.

14 Dec 1933 or 7 April 1934 are significant dates in the formation of the party. If anything, the 1933 chart looked more descriptive around the September 2014 independence referendum which they lost 45% to 55%. There was a tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Mars. Though neither are that explicit, perhaps because the 2014 referendum was just the first step in a seven year campaign, stretching to 2021.

During this phase the Mars in Capricorn opposition Pluto square Uranus opposition Jupiter of the 1933 chart are undergoing huge challenges from tr Pluto in hard aspect. So it’s going to be a real hang-onto-your-hat roller-coaster ride with great anger and bitterness expressed, fanatical, striving for power, conflict with government – it’s all there. And because that is a Cardinal Grand Cross it’s impossible to separate out what comes in which order. It’s as if the entire chart is being pounded by transformational Pluto throughout till 2021 – which as always with Pluto will attract an equal measure of resistance from those who don’t wish to see the status quo altered. And this year it is being jolted into higher gear by tr Uranus conjunct Uranus and square Pluto.

The 1934 chart is much the same with Sun Mars Uranus in Aries, Jupiter in Libra, Pluto in Cancer, Moon in Capricorn – so highly restless, scattered, combative, fuelled by hatred as is the 1933 chart because of the hard Mars Pluto aspect. Both charts have an Aquarius North Node which makes them crusaders for a cause.

It won’t be the same party by the early 2020s and may have run out of steam. There will almost certainly be major internal disputes, though they can be managed by projecting the argument outwards against the Westminster government.

Alex Salmond looks slumped and disappointed in 2020 with tr Neptune conjunct his 10^th house Mars, his ambitions undermined. His relationship with Nicola Sturgeon is at daggers drawn in 2021/2022.

Robert Burns’ poem will be pinned to the Saltire

Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led;
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victory!

Now’s the day, and now’s the hour;
See the front o’ battle lour;
See approach proud Edward’s power—
Chains and slavery!

Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward’s grave!
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!

Wha for Scotland’s king and law
Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa’,
Let him follow me!

By oppression’s woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty’s in every blow!—
Let us do or die!

There’s an unsettling story about John Byrne, the Scottish artist and writer of Tutti Frutti, the hit television series of the 1980s that launched the careers of Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson; and former husband of Tilda Swinton with whom he had two children. He discovered a few years back that he is his grandfather’s son, the result of an incestuous union. His mother had a long struggle with mental illness, which he believes was brought on by her relationship with her father.

But Byrne still seems to be in denial about the damaging consequences and fairly nonchalant about it being common. He said: “That’s what they do in Ireland. I presume it’s what they do in unlettered places and lettered places. It’s traditional, and nobody speaks about it.“

Born 6 January 1940 8.10am Paisley, Scotland, he has a 1^st house Capricorn Sun trine a 4^th house Uranus – so an unsettled childhood; and Uranus in the 4^th can suggest a non-biological parent who in his case would be his wife’s husband who brought him up and didn’t know.

More tellingly he has a Fire Grand Trine of a deeply buried Pluto in the 8^th trine a Sagittarius Moon trine Mars Jupiter in Aries – so he’s certainly got inspiration and confidence and the ability to extend his influence. But an 8^th house Pluto also carries the message of a dominating, controlling grandparent.

It’s lucky for John Byrne that he has so much talent and no health issues. His creative 5^th Harmonic is exceptionally strong; as is his 7^th Harmonic.

Bernie Sanders is shooting up in the favourability ratings, batting back at Trump with vigour, though for some reason the Democrats don’t seem to be taking him to their hearts.

He does have his Solar Arc Sun opposition his Uranus exactly now, so however much he dislikes the new administration it’s been an opportunity for him and given him a platform. He does have a fair amount of Neptune around in transits to his Virgo Sun and Jupiter in Gemini from 2018 onwards; and a Solar Arc of Neptune square Sun in 2021, so he won’t feel he’s making the headway he wants. Though he is 75, so part of that may be energy dips. But he is battling on with confidence in 2018/19 though being overcome by insurmountable difficulties in 2019/2020 – so a mixed bag ahead.

Sander’s Mars in upfront Aries squares Trump’s Saturn which is a scratchy interface; with Sanders’ Saturn Uranus in Trump’s 10^th as he attempts to talk liberal common-sense to him.

Their relationship chart has a power-struggling composite Sun Pluto Node conjunction which is conjunct the USA Leo North Node – so fighting for the soul of the United States; with an aggravated composite Mars Saturn conjunction which is being triggered this year by tr Saturn in opposition.

It’ll get more explosive in 2019 if both are still around with tr Uranus square the composite Sun.

George Osborne, the former UK Chancellor until David Cameron’s exit, whereupon he was summarily dumped by Theresa May, is reinventing himself – as a superman of boundless stamina. He’s staying on as an MP, getting paid £650K a year by an investment company, and has picked up nearly £800k since July as a speaker at global events. And is now to edit the London Evening Standard – in the mornings, leaving him time for Westminster in the afternoon. That’s probably another £200k a year (which all adds up to near enough $2 million USD plus per annum). Normally editing a newspaper is more than a full-time job and he has no prior journalistic experience. And there are now squeals from other MPs saying he’s making a mockery of his MP job.

Public-school educated and one of the ‘posh boys’ he always did have an over-whelming sense of his own importance. He has an Air Grand Trine of Gemini Sun trine Uranus trine Mars in Aquarius, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition a high-finance and can-be-delusional Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius; with his Jupiter Neptune conjunct his Mars/Pluto midpoint which will give him ruthless and supercharged ambitions.

He does look seriously over-stressed at a mental level this coming Sept/Oct with tr Pluto hitting two of his Mercury midpoints. And stuck at the moment as his exciting announcement of his new position has met with outraged criticism with tr Saturn square his Pluto. By 2021 he has his Solar Arc Mars opposition his Pluto, which is complete dead halt for a year or so.

Evgeny Lebedev, the UK-naturalised, Russian-born billionaire, co-owner of the Evening Standard with his father the oligarch Alexander Lebedev (an ex-Russian Foreign intelligence operative turned banker) has said Osborne is exactly what the readers need.

Whether that relationship stands the test of time is debatable with a composite Sun opposition Mars under heavy pressure from 2018 onwards; and even before then will be running into arguments. Osborne’s relationship with his father Alexander is even less stable with Neptunian transits hitting that composite from now onwards for two or three years. And if the owners aren’t happy – he’ll no doubt move on to pastures need and even more lucrative. Osborne has a penchant for oligarchs, having got himself into a spot of political bother some years back over a sunshine cruise with Oleg Deripaska.

Add: His relationship with Theresa May was always bad-tempered, and his dismissal brutal, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he used his new position to get his own back, despite him being whipped in as one of her back benchers. He was/is a fervent Remainer.

Their relationship chart has an aggravated-dislike composite Mars Saturn conjunction, which is being tugged by tr Uranus in sextile from this May and throughout 2018, so sparks may fly. July/August and late Oct to early Dec this year look especially fraught with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mercury, so fierce debating and bitterness. New Year into 2018 and on has tr Saturn in a cold square to the Venus. If he lasts in his new Standard job then his parting of the ways with TMay comes in 2019 with tr Uranus square the composite Sun for a real upheaval.

There are various charts for Scotland of which 25 March 1005 JC is one with a start time of between 11am and 12 noon. 12 noon would give a Leo Ascendant which doesn’t feel right. 11.20am puts Saturn in Cancer on the Asc which feels better; with a rebellious Uranus conjunct the MC and a feisty, combative Sun Mars in Aries in the 10^th. Neptune in the 6^th fits with typically bad health; and an insecure Moon in the financial 2^nd; and a mutinous Pluto in the 4^th. So it could be OK, but going on characteristics doesn’t always work well.

The one I prefer is 25 Nov 1034 JC 12 noon Perth, which has Jupiter Mercury Sun in much-travelled, outspoken and education-oriented Sagittarius conjunct the MC from the 9^th, opposition a ‘wild’ Gemini Node square Neptune in Pisces the 1^st, below an Aquarius Ascendant; With a difficult-relationship-with neighbours Saturn Uranus on the Descendant; and a frustrating, angry and martial Mars Pluto in the 12^th; plus Moon in Aries in the 2^nd.

My preference isn’t so much on the national characteristics as what works against major events – like Bannockburn (a win!) in 1314 and the union with England in 1707, the latter a very Saturnine event.

On this 1034 chart, the 2014 referendum happened on a Neptune Return; with tr Pluto conjunct the 1034 Mars – so hostile, bitter and blocked. At the moment Pluto is on a Return to the 1034 Pluto. Tr Uranus will move to square the Uranus Descendant in 2019 which looks like a rebellion against a relationship that feels like a burden with more upsets come 2021 as tr Uranus squares the 7^th house Saturn.

If the start time is sound I wouldn’t expect true independence till the late 2020s when tr Pluto crosses the Ascendant and opposes Uranus and then Saturn. At that point tr Uranus will move round in hard aspect to Jupiter Mercury Sun Node and Neptune as well, which could be liberating and relief. So the tug of war may go on for a while.

And the other chart is no more indicative of a quick separation with a seriously stuck tr Pluto square Mars and opposition Saturn until 2023. Maybe freedom by 2027 when tr Uranus is conjunct the Jupiter.

Both charts probably have a validity but I’d reckon the 1034 is better for events.