Astrology of Today’s News

Serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who killed at least 15, mainly homeless young gay men in the 1970s and 1980s, has died in prison. He was arrested when human remains were found in blocked drains at his London home. He was serving a life sentence after his conviction in 1983.

Born 23 November 1945 4am Fraserburgh, Scotland, with an alcoholic, largely absent Norwegian father and a strictly religious mother, who favoured his siblings, he gained most support from his grandfather who died when he was six. He was involved in a near fatal drowning when he was an older child. He spent 11 years in the army in catering, and latterly became a civil servant working in job centres.

He was a Sun Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo, sextiling onto a 12^th house Neptune. He did drink heavily to cover his shyness and to hide his homosexuality, which fits with an escapist/addictive Neptune in the 12th. But what is most striking about his chart is a difficult combination of a Cancer Moon conjunct Saturn, with Saturn conjunct MC and Mars, and Mars conjunct Pluto, both in the 10^th. It suggests a childhood with little love, a rigidly disciplinarian mother who was bossy and controlling. The Mars Saturn conjunction is cruel; Mars Pluto ruthless. He also had a passionate Venus in Scorpio square Pluto and widely square Mars, which would make him a) possessive and b) insensitive.

It’s thought his first victim met his death in late 1978 when tr Pluto was moving across Nilsen’s Ascendant, exacerbating his need for control; and his Solar Arc Pluto was moving to square his Uranus as he moved into a new phase of his life. His Solar Arc Neptune was also exactly square his Pluto, moving to conjunct his Venus, so amplifying megalomaniac and sexually perverse tendencies. He would enjoy the power. There was one theory that he was in part replaying the death of his grandfather whom he saw in an open coffin after his death, after which he became a more withdrawn child.

Ted Bundy was another Sun Sagittarius with Venus in Scorpio square Pluto.

On Tuesday Uranus moves into Taurus for the first time in 84 years. It spends seven years per sign and we’ve recently been through Uranus in fiery Aries, an explosive and rebellious combination.

The detailed post below is from October 2017. But I wondered whether looking back to the mythology might help to shed light on possible outcomes.

Uranus was the sky god married to the earth mother Gaia. He came down every night to mate with her and produced a huge brood of children, none of whom he liked – too brutish, too earthy. There were the twelve Titans of whom Saturn (Cronus) was one; the Cyclops (ugly one-eyed monsters); and the hundred-handed Giants (even uglier). Uranus so disliked the Cyclops and Giants that he imprisoned them underground and in revenge Gaia persuaded Saturn to castrate his father. Out of his blood spilled on earth sprang the avenging Furies and his genitals landing in the sea were transformed into Aphrodite (Venus). As an addendum Saturn re-imprisoned his younger brethren and was then cursed by his mother.

Not all sweetness and light, which is borne out by the below examples of previous Uranus in Taurus. It’s an odd mix since Uranus is light, airy, not comfortable with nature, the body, the earthy material realm. And Taurus is the most rooted of signs in all things physical and material. There will be innovations, since Uranus is nothing if not inspired and experimental. Trade will be a primary and possibly hot topic as the money-gatherers put profit before humanity.

October 2017 post:

Uranus, on its 84 year cycle, moves into Taurus May 15^th 2018 staying for 7 years, the first time since 1934 to 1941.   Uranus is inventive and experimental and Taurus is earthy and practical, so no surprises that on previous occurrences there were new discoveries. In the later 1930s there were major advances in technology in aviation, radio, and film. On a previous occasion, in the late 17^th Century, street lighting was introduced in London. There was also widespread exploration across the globe and major advances in astronomy, including the first sighting of Uranus (which was mis-named). Taurus being earthy and quite anal, no surprises either that sewage systems and toilets came to the fore.

Taurus is also acquisitive for money and possessions so from past experience trade became a pressing and not always compassionate drive. During the Uranus in Taurus of 1600 England starts trade with Asia; two Uranus in Taurus later it moves into Bengal with catastrophic results for the population; 2 million die in a famine and the East India Company raises their taxes and ships the revenues out of the country. The same Brit company then takes over the North American tea trade, which leads, due to their punitive taxation, to the American Revolution.

The Bengal famine narrative repeated in a different location during the mid 19^th Century Uranus in Taurus in Ireland. The potato crop failed, which starved a million to death and a million emigrated, with the British overlords, who were partly the cause of the population’s reliance on one crop, continuing to send foodstuffs to the UK. And that is a wound which has never healed.

Although it isn’t easy to extrapolate the effect of Uranus in Taurus from other influences ongoing. The mid 19^th Century Uranus in Taurus came on the back of a Saturn Pluto Uranus conjunction in late Aries/Taurus, so was always going to be a time of upheaval and devastation.

The most similar to this one would be the 1767 Uranus in Taurus with Pluto in Capricorn about to oppose Saturn in Cancer, with Neptune in Virgo. Apart from the horrors of the Bengal famine, James Watts’ steam-engine inventions drove the Industrial Revolution into being; and the first mechanical spinning frame for fabric weaving also appeared.

The most recent 1935 to 1941 Uranus in Taurus came on the back of the Great Depression of the decade following 1929, with widespread poverty and unemployment leading to authoritarian regimes emerging in several countries, most notably German with Hitler rising to power from 1933; and Stalin’s Great Purge of 1936-38 with 600,000 being executed in Russia by the state.

In 1935 Uranus was just over the square to Pluto in Cancer, so not dissimilar to now – and it ended with a Saturn Uranus conjunction trine Neptune in Virgo in 1941. Territorial greed is clearly also one of its manifestations; as well as inhumane methods in the pursuit of power.

So the overall conclusion would be good and bad. Innovative yes. Power and money hungry also.

Georgina Chapman, separated wife of Harvey Weinstein, is attempting to clear her name with a Vogue interview and photo-shoot. She said she knew nothing of his proclivities and assaults and is heart-broken about what the effect will be on their two children.

Born 14 April 1976, she is a fashion designer, so no doubt hoping she can resurrect her business. She’s a Sun Aries perhaps opposition a Libra Moon square Saturn in Cancer. Low in self-esteem and driven to succeed with such a strong Saturn. Her Venus in Aries opposition Pluto square Mars in Cancer would attract her to a dramatic emotional life with a powerful/dominating partner, given the Mars Pluto square added onto Saturn.

Weinstein’s Jupiter is conjunct her Sun, so he or his influential position would boost her morale; though with his autocratic Saturn square Uranus sitting exactly on her Pluto square Mars, their home life would have some very rough edges.

Their relationship chart has a composite Mars Pluto opposition Venus which hints at a very intense emotional interaction; with Venus trine Neptune which usually starts ethereal and romantic and can end in disappointment as illusions and delusions are blown out of the water.

She looks on better form in 2019 with plenty of Jupiter around.

The first skirmish in what may or may not be an all-out Iran Israel war seems to be over. Iran fired at the Israeli border on Golan with little success and Israel retaliated with a massive attack on Iranian positions in Syria, setting back their plans to consolidate their military base there. Israel clearly had Russian support for their action, given Netanyahu’s warm welcome in Moscow this week. There’s a feeling that Iran does not wish to escalate (at the moment).

Next Monday the US Embassy opens in Jerusalem which can only inflame the already heated mood, peaking on Tuesday, Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe) on which Palestinians mourn their ousting from their ancestral homelands. The ‘March of Return’ protests on the Gaza border have been building for the past seven weeks with so far around 34 Palestinian dead, over 4000 injured as Israeli troops fired on them. There have been solidarity demonstrations in Morocco.

Israel does look stressed with tr Uranus square the Solar Arc Sun from the 16^th of this month onwards; and the aggressive/insecure tr Uranus trine the Israel Mars again late in the year into 2019. With considerable unrest both amongst the Israeli leadership and population through 2019 with tr Uranus opposing the 10^th house Moon.

What interested me was the USA/Israel relationship chart which is under its most severe stress in 2019/2020 for nearly forty years. In 1981 Israeli bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor which was heavily criticised globally and in the US with the New York Times calling it ‘an act of inexcusable and short-sighted aggression”, and the Los Angeles Times calling it “state-sponsored terrorism.” The following year Israel invaded Lebanon starting a three-year war (which triggered the founding of Hezbollah).

The same tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars is in place on the USA/Israel relationship chart. Even before then from now onwards tr Neptune opposes the composite Saturn and squares the composite Uranus (this June) and then squares the Sun, running into 2020. So whatever Trump’s intentions, the USA as a nation is becoming increasingly unhappy about events on that front.

The USA/Saudi Arabia relationship chart is blocked in June; jolted in July to September and running downhill thereafter into a chilly 2019.

The NK/USA chart is pushing on through heavy mud in 2018/19; with a turnaround in 2019 which could go either way. But looks easier than the two above.

The shifting alliances are dizzying.

Two days before his birthday on 12^th June Trump will be the first US leader to meet a NK supremo – if all goes to plan. Kim’s leadership chart will still be in a discouraging dip from tr Saturn conjunct the Sun Pluto. Though tr Uranus has been boosting the Jupiter from mid May. They are miles apart on what denuclearization means. For Trump: it’s ditch the lot; for Kim: it’s stop missile testing while keeping his security blanket intact, with an eye on what happened to Libya’s Gaddafi when he gave up the nukes. There’s nothing too informative astrologically on June 12 though there’s a slippery Sun square Neptune and inconjunct Pluto – so no doubt much tap dancing going on both sides. But likely no concrete outcome.

Trump’s personal chart has nothing of note on transits, odd blips on midpoints and the high-drama Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars. It’s been pointed out that he does have his Progressed Venus conjunct his Jupiter in effect now and over the meet and beyond for a few weeks/months. At best this indicates peace and harmony, popularity, honours, and being invited into a prestigious social group. But it’s a combination that has a downside. Often associated with the fashion business, it has that all-for-show, superficial charm, more style than substance feel.  Super-indulgent, it stimulates a need for pleasure, for more, more more. It can lead to film-star mannerisms and over-promising.

Across June as well tr Uranus squares his Saturn Pluto which requires courage and grit and could bring violence. He has an emotional hiccup July to mid-September. Late October through to the year end he has tr Neptune opposition his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint, which Ebertin describes as: ‘general disappointment, losses, deception, cheating.’

Where his problems really pick up are from mid February 2019 to late 2020 – with first tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus – violent interventions, test of nerve, struggle for survival. Then from late March tr Pluto opposition his Saturn which is an uphill struggle and opposition his Mars/Node usually involving a violent separation. Those three run till early July, and repeat on and off thereafter through across the following year.  And from 2019 till late 2020 he has tr Pluto opposition Sun/Mars, Mercury/Pluto and Venus/Saturn – which is a whole load of grief – enormous strain, enraged, frustrated, under considerable mental pressure, lonely, can be violent.

From April 2019 onwards as well he has tr Neptune square his 10^th house Uranus, which will make him highly-strung, confused, clinging onto not always rational ideas with fanatical fervour.

His Solar Return from June 2019 to June 2020 has Saturn Pluto (10^th) opposition Mars Mercury (4^th).  Plus a ‘false happiness’ Sun Jupiter Neptune.

His relationship chart with the USA starts to show real aggravation from March 2019 to late 2020 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars; as well as major upheavals and disruptions in 2019 from tr Uranus opposition the Pluto.

Part of the above could conceivably be because of actual violence either on the streets or in military action abroad.  The likelihood is that 2019 will see a global recession because of the Saturn Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, perhaps triggered in part by rising oil prices with trouble in the ME; and the USA chart has the discouraging tr Saturn opposition Sun then; as well as tr Pluto starting to oppose the US Mercury for angst-ridden and bitter debates.

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Will Anna Wintour leave Vogue? The fashion world is abuzz with rumour though they’ve been around and come to naught before. One commentator remarked that if she does leave, it will be the fashion-world equivalent of a change of US president, or the election of a new Pope. She became editor-in-chief in 1988 and has been artistic director of the entire Condé Nast media group since 2013; is reputed to be paid a salary of $2 million a year with a $200,000 clothing allowance, fashion’s grand high priestess and can make or break the careers of fashion designers, photographers and journalists alike.

Born 3 November 1949, she is an intense and enduring Sun Scorpio square Pluto, trine Uranus and sextile Mars and Saturn in hard-working Virgo. Determined, secretive, controlling, innovative, hard-edged, focussed. Her Moon is in Aries with Venus in adventurous Sagittarius and her Jupiter not surprisingly is in ambitious, money-oriented Capricorn square Mercury.

She does look uncertain going ahead from this month with tr Neptune opposition her Saturn into 2019; with some jolts from tr Saturn opposition her Uranus.  Although 2020 looks like a year of more radical change as her Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct her Saturn.  But without a time it’s tricky to say. She’ll be in the money with a glorious success wherever she is by 2021/22 with tr Pluto conjunct her Jupiter.

Vogue’s first issue came out on 17 December 1892 with a Sagittarius Sun conjunct her Venus which makes sense and her Aries Moon is probably conjunct the Vogue Jupiter for a supportive connection in both directions.

It’s tumultuous times in the magazine business with print going out of fashion in favour of digital. Where Vogue looks to be in a major upheaval is 2020/2021.

Trump to the world – drop dead – is how Haaretz described the nixing of the Iran nuclear deal. And went on to compare Trump to Netanyahu – ‘both desperate to fend off metastasizing allegations of misconduct, zealous to make a mark in history, who resort to bigotry, misdirection, arrogance and kitsch.’ And suggesting that the Pompeo/Bolton hardliners’ tactics for effecting Death to the Islamic Republic could backfire, and badly.

Robert Fisk in the Independent merrily says ‘the political leader who most resembles Trump is the late Colonel Gaddafi of Libya. ‘The parallels are quite creepy.’ Gaddafi was crackers, a vain, capricious peacock of a man, obsessed with women; ran his business dealings through his family; liked the sound of his own voice – and although he constantly lied, his audience was forced to listen and to fear his wrath. Above all, Gaddafi was completely divorced from reality. If he lied, he believed his own lies. He believed that he kept his promises. He believed in the world he wanted to believe in, even if this was non-existent.’

State of play at the moment is that the USA has been roped into Netanyahu and Saudi Bin Salman’s grand plan to behead the Iranian dragon in opposition to the EU, Russia, China et al. Russia has warned it may undermine the NK rapprochement since summarily ripping up an international agreement hardly inspires confidence when negotiating another.

The USA has little trade with Iran even post the 2015 deal which lifted sanctions, but is threatening to punish others – EU, Germany particularly – who continue to invest in Iran.

Still he got what he wanted – drama with him centre spotlight, causing chaos throwing spanners into the global works and giving Obama a bloody nose. And not a whiff of an inkling of a Plan B if it spirals the Middle East into yet more bloody chaos, which could impact Europe with another flow of refugees. Nor any understanding that it will only play into the hands of the hardliners in Iran. And if it leads to a boots-on-the-ground war between Israel and Iran, what happens to Trump’s America First policy? The Iran-backed anti-Israel Hezbollah has strengthened its position in the recent Lebanon elections. So Israel is at risk on two borders, there and in Syria.

Relations between the EU and the USA and Germany and the USA are at a low this year and next, with a widening gulf in 2019.

Netanyahu’s position looks precarious as the summer proceeds (see post 1 May).  North Korea (post 27 April).

On Iran (post 26 April) the only further thought I have is the chart of the Revolutionary Guard, who are the protectors of the Ayatollah and the Islamic Republic, and heavily involved in commerce as well as defence. Founded 5 May 1979; they have a ruthless Mars in Aries opposition Pluto which is being heavily pressured by tr Pluto in square till late 2019, so their responses may be volatile.

Donald Trump (I’ll do another detailed timeline tomorrow) – this may be his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Mars moment – exact in a few weeks’ time but in effect now. It tends to overdo machismo, usually to prop up sagging self-esteem and often leads to wild misjudgments, which backfire. That’s especially true with a bombastic Mars in Leo. I’ve always thought if he was going to trip up it would be more into 2019/2020 when he has a raft of difficult Pluto transits to midpoints and a shockingly bad June 2019 to June 2020 Solar Return.

Only final thought is Trump has a habit of rowing back on grandiose gestures, having made his splash, so the situation may evolve.

An infamous blast from the past has been elected President of the NRA. Oliver North was central to the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s under Reagan. He created a network which secretly sold weapons to Iran and diverted the proceeds to fund armed Nicaraguan anti-communist groups. It was the major controversy of the Reagan presidency, as Congress had forbidden sending military aid to rebels in Nicaragua. He was tried, found guilty and given a suspended sentence which was later vacated. He later became a conservative radio host and was a Fox News contributor.

Born 7 October 1943 12.43am San Antonio, Texas, he has a 4^th house Sun Libra trine Uranus, sextile Pluto and trine Mars which is, in turn conjunct Saturn. His military Mars Saturn is sextile Jupiter in showy Leo and in an argumentative square to Mercury. With a singleton Capricorn Moon. Hard-edged, controlling, tied into the darker side of the zeitgeist with his Pluto conjunct a leadership Leo North Node.

His Sun is square the ruthlessly determined Mars/Pluto midpoint; and his Pluto aspects his Mars/Saturn – a tough nut.

He’s not looking confident ahead with a decided dip in his enthusiasm through this year and the next two. He’ll talk a good talk but 2019/2020 look littered with losses. Wayne LaPierre, Exec VP, also looks disheartened from mid this month into 2019. So not all going their way despite the political climate.

#Metoo round up.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and a fierce opponent of President Donald Trump, has resigned following allegations of assault by four women, which he “strongly contests”. In a statement, he said “In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have never engaged in non-consensual sex.” As New York state’s chief prosecutor, he recently brought legal action against Harvey Weinstein; sued on behalf of 600 students over a Trump real estate investment school which the students said offered no real education. A $25m (£18m) settlement was reached.

Born 31 December 1954, he is a Sun Mercury in Capricorn with a Water Grand Trine of Mars (Moon) in Pisces trine Saturn trine Uranus Jupiter in Cancer – Water Grand Trines can be healing for others if not themselves, and can sometimes live in their own bubble of reality. He’s also got an intensely emotional Venus in Scorpio square Pluto and trine Uranus Jupiter. So he will be passionate as well as adventurous in his emotional life.  His Moon may be tied into Mars Saturn and Uranus which won’t make for easy responses to women.

Actor Jeffrey Tambor has been speaking about the sexual allegations made against him which got him fired from Transparent allegations. He claims not to be a sexual predator but admits he’s moody, difficult to work with, volatile and bad tempered.    Born 6 July 1944 7.40 am San Francisco, he’s a Sun, Venus Mercury in Cancer; with Pluto on his Leo Ascendant sextile Uranus and Neptune – so will be controlling and highly strung. Plus a high-energy Mars Jupiter in Leo opposition an Aquarius Moon. With his Moon opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint; and his Venus conjunct the bleak Saturn/Pluto midpoint.  No Earth signs. He will find women tricky to work with given his Moon and Venus aspects.

Pulitzer prizewinner Junot Díaz, who recently wrote a harrowing essay in The New Yorker, describing being raped as a child, has also been accused – by one woman as forcibly kissing her when she was a 26-year-old student, and others have given accounts of verbal misogynistic abuse. Born 31 December 1968 in the Dominican Republic, he’s a Sun Capricorn square a lucky Jupiter Uranus in Libra on one side and Saturn in Aries on the other. With Venus in Aquarius inconjunct Pluto, square Neptune; and a Gemini Moon.

One treads warily in these delicate matters but I’m not sure I’d count a clumsy pass as sexual assault. Or get rattled about misogynistic abuse. Manys a time I’ve made disparaging comments about the male of the species to their faces. It’s difficult to assess without hearing what was actually said or done. My worry would be that collapsing all allegations together – crass comments and misread flirtations along with serious predatory behaviour will undermine the long overdue attempt to stop abuse of women.