Astrology of Today’s News

Another two thespian stalwarts gone.

Robert Hardy, 29 October 1925, had a long and illustrious career in theatre, television and film spanning 70 years – his most notable roles were in All Creatures Great and Small, Churchill and Harry Potter.

His father was a public-school headmaster and at Oxford he studied under CS Lewis and Tolkien. He was married twice and clearly had an eye for his leading ladies along the way.

He was a Sun Scorpio, born just 12 days before his great friend Richard Burton. Though in Hardy’s case his Saturn in Scorpio was more separated from his Sun than the depressive Burton who had the conjunction. Hardy had a super confident Jupiter in Capricorn opposition Pluto square Mars in Libra, so he would be vibrant, communicative and fairly argumentative as well as impulsive. His lucky Jupiter Pluto was further emphasised being the driving rod of a Kite, from a creative Water Grand Trine of Uranus trine Mercury Saturn trine Pluto. So Jupiter would be the key factor in his expansive personality. But with his Scorpio Sun and Aries Moon not being entirely compatible, he’d find balancing his ambitions with his personal relationships tricky.

He had wide interests including mediaeval warfare, perhaps a result of his research-oriented Yod of Uranus inconjunct a Mars sextile Neptune. His filmic Neptune was also trine Venus in Sagittarius. A colourful character.

Hywel Bennett, 8 April 1944, best known for Shelley and EastEnders, The Family Way, The Virgin Soldiers, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Pennies from Heaven, has also died.

He was a Sun Aries trine Jupiter in Leo, sextile Saturn in Gemini – so a helpful mix of luck and discipline. His Uranus was in a creative trine to Uranus, sextile Pluto North Node in Leo, so quietly influential.

Tesla Motors which specialises in electric cars and battery storage, co-founded by Elon Musk, hit an all-time high in share values in June and then tumbled 20% on a string of bad news – delivery numbers that missed expectations, competition, a set of bearish forecasts, and poor results in a vehicle safety test.

It was founded on 1 July 2003 and had its IPO on 29 June 2010.

The IPO chart is definitely lucky – luckier than it deserves clearly – with a Sun Mercury opposition Pluto square Jupiter Uranus in Aries. Very innovative, pushing back the boundaries with a focal point Uranus; risk-taking; ultra-confident. But Uranus tends to be erratic and unpredictable so up and down. Tr Neptune opposing the Mars later this year will be a downer; and tr Saturn square Uranus Jupiter, square Pluto and opposition Sun Mercury from this New Year till early 2019 will prune back overly high expectations and bring a reality check. Maybe a restructure in 2019 with tr Uranus trine Pluto.

The 2003 chart is also Cancerian with Sun Mercury Saturn trine Uranus Mars – so very experimental especially in machines (Mars Uranus) and aimed at the consumer market (Cancer’s public touch). Jupiter in flamboyant Leo is in a high-finance (delusional) opposition to Neptune; and a confident trine to Pluto. There’ll be a definite upheaval and reorganisation come 2019 under heavy pressure, with shortage of finances; but also luck sprinkled copiously along the way in 2018 and 2021. So very much on a roller coaster ride. Not an easy trajectory.

The whiff of corruption in high places is everywhere.

In the Trump camp the Mueller investigation into their campaign’s possible collusion with Russia is escalating with a Grand Jury being called. Son Eric Trump is fending off suggestions that the costs of using a Trump golf course for a kids cancer charity-do diverted money into the organization, despite claiming the venue was free. Etc etc etc in the Trump dynasty.

In Israel it is now openly said that the police suspect PM Netanyahu of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

In Pakistan the prime minister Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified from public office for failing to disclose financial interests, a breach which could see half the current politicians there also disqualified. A purge of an entire political class would create a vacuum that would likely open the door to an army takeover.

In France, former president Nicolas Sarkozy is embroiled in the criminal investigation into Qatar’s World Cup bid amid suggestions he may have benefited from multi-million-pound business deals linked to the Gulf state.

There’s no real connection to past occurrences of this upcoming I North Leo Eclipses. Though the Eclipse does impact on the Israel 10^th house, and the USA’s Moon, and on Pakistan’s clutch of Leo planets. But I wonder whether it is just part and parcel of Pluto grinding its way through Capricorn, the sign which rules governments, business and finance (2008 to 2024).  Cleaning out the sewers for a fresh start (ever hopeful).  Why it should be specific to this year isn’t clear. It could just be coincidence – corruption isn’t exactly unknown in Asia, or indeed France or Israel. But it does seem to be one of the defining characteristics of 2017.

Perhaps Pluto picking up with Jupiter and Uranus this year – Jupiter Uranus does have a tendency to get-rich-quick schemes; and Jupiter Pluto never worries about rules and regulations or the normal moralities which bind ordinary people.

If it is Pluto in Capricorn, then the pendulum will swing to the other extreme, from laxity of behaviour with Jupiterian overtones this year, to the opposite as Saturn – the giver of laws and order, and rigorous structure – comes into play from 2018 to 2020. Maybe the Jupiter Saturn conjunction of 2020 will find a better balance. Though it will still be very money and business-oriented being in Capricorn.  The shift of both Jupiter and Saturn into Aquarius in early 2021 will undoubtedly help.

PS: Wonderfully funny piece by Marina Hyde in the Guardian on Eric Trump’s wife and the whole farrago.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2017/aug/03/move-over-sean-hannity-meet-lara-trump-the-president-keeps-the-propaganda-in-the-family

www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2017/06/06/how-donald-trump-shifted-kids-cancer-charity-money-into-his-business/#6295be76b4a3

An explosively argumentative and bombastic leader, with a family whose sense of arrogant entitlement has risen to imperial levels, fending off a truckload of legal problems. Sound familiar? Another Mars in Leo is living out a similar narrative to Trump. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been skirting the edges of a corruption investigation, and word now is that a former top aide will turn state’s evidence against him. The probe is into allegations Mr Netanyahu accepted lavish gifts and made an illegal deal with a newspaper publisher. Then just to pile on his woes, his son Yair, having been ticked off for not picking up dog poop went off on a facebook rant attacking his critics and hurling slanders in all directions, including against former Israeli political leaders.

Netanyahu senior has Mars in Leo conjunct Pluto with the Solar Eclipse rattling up his Mars over coming months. He looks exceptionally stuck and panicked in 2018 with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Libra Sun; tr Pluto square his Sun/Neptune midpoint and tr Neptune opposition Saturn; with 2019 continuing the bad news with jolts and undermining jangles.

His son Yair, 26 July 1991, is a Sun Leo, with Jupiter and Mercury also in Leo – Mercury being triggered also by the Eclipse as well as an opposition in 2018 by Solar Arc Saturn in opposition to his Mercury. So a crisis of communication followed by a depression. He’s also got Mars Venus in Virgo in a volatile, highly-strung trine to Uranus Neptune in Capricorn, which has evidently in the past led to outbursts of rage. And he’s got a pushily-confident, ignores-social-niceties Jupiter square Pluto. So not given to humility or sensitivity. He’s got a confused, uncertain and fairly devastated set of midpoint transits over the next three to four years.

His mother Sara, no stranger to controversy either, 5 Nov 1958, is a super-determined and impulsive Sun Jupiter Venus in Scorpio square Uranus; with Mars in heavyweight Taurus opposition Mercury, so not backwards about expressing herself. She’s also running into a period of devastation next year.

They should try reading some Roman history or even the I Ching – “what goes up must come down.”

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There will be a few tears in the London Athletics stadium on Saturday as legendary sprinter Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt competes in his last individual race before he retires. Currently he is the fastest man in the world and reigning world and Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 metres and 4X100 metres relay. But he has been dogged recently by injury disrupting his training and age is slowing him down marginally so a win this week isn’t a certainty.

Born 21 August 1986, he has his Sun and Mercury in showy Leo, both trine Uranus; and his Uranus is in an adventurous, risk-taking square to Jupiter (Moon) in Pisces. So nothing shy and retiring about him. His Jupiter is sesquisquare Pluto (135 degrees) and his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint aspects his Sun and is exactly conjunct his Mars in Capricorn – so plenty of high-octane energy and confidence. His Pluto is square Mercury and conjunct his Sun/Mars midpoint – when he talks he gets his points across forcibly and his determination and competitiveness is second to none.

It’s not the easiest year for him with an uncertain his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Neptune; tr Uranus trine his Sun and the Leo Eclipse in a challenging conjunction to his Sun; and the Lunar Eclipse opposition his Mercury; plus tr Pluto conjunct his Solar Arc Uranus – so a life-changing time.

His future won’t be short of personal appearance work, sponsorship deals and the like though he’s expressed a wish to play football for Manchester United when he retires from the track. Athletics will miss him. He almost single-handedly transformed it into a top spectator sport.

Former footballer and now sports broadcaster, Gary Lineker, divorced his wife, Danielle, after six years together because she wanted children and he didn’t want any more, having four already from a former marriage. She found a new beau, an LA lawyer, got pregnant, and has now moved back in with her ex to the former marital home when she’s in the UK. Couldn’t be more amicable.

Gary, 30 Nov 1960, is a Sun Sagittarius square Pluto; with Pluto trine Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn; and Saturn Venus opposition Mars – controlling, confident, hard-edged, short-tempered, not always sensitive with Venus opposition Mars. Danielle, 15 June 1979, is a Sun Gemini opposition Neptune, with a volatile and determined Mars in Taurus opposition Uranus.

Her Venus opposes his Sun; and his Venus is trine her Mars – so there would be a sparkle. But her Saturn is conjunct his Pluto; her Pluto square his Mars and Venus Saturn, which is a load of difficulty. It’s one of these can’t live with them, can’t live without them, lots of pluses and lots of minuses kind of relationship.

Their relationship chart is powerfully connected with a composite Venus opposition Pluto Sun square Mars – that’s a lot of passion, mixed up with anger and control issues. Venus is in an ethereal trine to Neptune; and the composite Mars is in a supportive trine to Jupiter. So much the same pattern of positive and negative.

They’ll drift further apart later this year and more so in 2018 on with tr Saturn square the composite Venus and Pluto and then tr Neptune opposes the composite Sun.

Some relationships are better as friendships. Getting into intimate personal space brings up a whole slew of different problems.

Christopher Wray has been overwhelmingly confirmed to be the next FBI director, by a vote of 92 to 5 in the US Senate. He replaces James Comey, fired by Donald Trump over investigations into Russian interference in the presidential election. At his hearing Wray said “My loyalty is to the constitution and the rule of law.” Democrat Dianne Feinstein said Wray “We need leaders with steel spines, not weak knees, and I am hopeful that Mr Wray will be just such a leader.”

Born 17 December 1966, he’s a Sun Sagittarius on the point of a T square to Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto – such a focal point Sun will make him ambitious for recognition; Saturn Pluto is ultra-determined; Saturn Uranus plus Sagittarius quite self-righteous about his opinions; a plethora of Mutable planets will make him highly strung but also well-adapted to a complex job with a broad portfolio. His Jupiter in Leo is trine Mercury in Sagittarius, sextiling onto Mars in Libra – so again confident about expressing himself in arguments.

That he’ll clash with Trump is almost inevitable since his Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto squares onto Trump’s Sun Uranus and Moon; and his Mars is square Trump’s Mercury. Mid October into November look chilly and separated on the relationship chart with tr Saturn square the composite Sun Mercury. On Wray’s own chart October and November look over-loaded with work and discouraging with tr Saturn square his Saturn, Uranus and conjunct his Sun. Once he’s through that hurdle there’s nothing of much note on his chart (without a birth time). But his relationship with Trump will be on a sharp downhill slide from mid 2018 with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mars for eighteen months thereafter.

Oddly enough the composite Mars in the Trump/Wray relationship chart is exactly the same degree and sign as the Mars on Special Investigator Robert Mueller’s personal chart, which is also moving into panic-mode from mid 2018.

Ivanka Trump’s delight at serving ‘alongside’ new Chief of Staff, John Kelly, has been dented by the flood of criticism thrown her way for hubris, in putting her own lack of political experience on a par with his CV. Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski tweeted: “It’s time for Donald Trump’s family members to get out of the way and let professionals run the White House.”

There’s no doubt Ivanka is down at the mouth at the moment, unnerved on top of everything else by the sudden exit of Scaramucci, whose appointment she and Jared had pushed. She has tr Pluto square her Mercury/Saturn and Mars/Uranus midpoints, now till early September – depressed with sudden shocks. From late Sept, through October, tr Saturn will conjunct her Neptune Venus in Sagittarius making her neurotic and feeling unloved. November brings back August’s glooms. 2018 has losses, high nervous tension, with a few hints of good news, but more bad. 2019/2020 she looks under serious mental strain. Though regaining confidence and drive in 2020/21.

Her relationship with her serving officer Kelly? Explosive and slippery. There’s a composite Venus opposition Sun square Neptune (all being rattled by this month’s Eclipses). And a volatile/disagreeable composite Mars Uranus which is being undermined by tr Neptune in opposition till late 2019. Whether Kelly succeeds in cutting off her open-door access to Trump, depends on the President himself, and seems unlikely.

Both she and Jared have Uranus in late Scorpio which opposes Kelly’s Sun Mercury in Taurus – so polar opposites, differing agendas, a rebellious combination. Her Scorpio Sun also squares Kelly’s Pluto, so she won’t budge him. And both she and Jared have Venus Neptune in Sagittarius which squares Kelly’s Mars in hard-working, perfectionist Virgo – so he’ll find them tricky to pin down.

Jared’s relationship with Kelly is a power-struggle with a composite Sun (Moon) opposition Pluto Uranus Saturn square Jupiter – cold, disruptive, game playing for the upper hand. It’ll certainly be on more of a downer than usual from late September into October.

Jared’s own chart looks confused but pushily confident through this month; dismayed in Oct/Nov; 2018/19 see tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun producing huge challenges and pressures; plus a rolling series of catastrophic disasters from mid 2018 to late 2019 with tr Neptune square his Mars/Pluto midpoint.

Kelly’s relationship with Steve Bannon is also locked into a power stalemate with a composite Sun opposition Pluto Mercury, which the Eclipses are both bouncing off. Plus an irritable composite Mars Saturn. And a composite Jupiter opposition Neptune square Venus which is being jangled seriously at the moment and into 2018.

A triumph of hope over experience is fuelling the Trump Admin’s schedule for tax reform legislation. A sprint, according to the White House, will see it through the House in October, clearing the Senate in November and on the president’s desk before the New Year. There’s also a small matter of avoiding a government shutdown after the fiscal year ends on September 30, and lifting the $19.8tn ceiling on the US government debt before the Treasury runs out of cash, probably in early October.

They badly need a victory after the healthcare cataclysm. But if they don’t get the Democrats on board they’re likely to run into a quagmire. Tax reform would be more difficult and drawn out than the Obamacare repeal, though tax cuts would be easier (marginally). Trump wants to slash rates for upper-income earners; and there’s still a debate over whether the tax bill should be entirely paid for or whether it could add to the deficit.

Two key players are Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, and Gary Cohn, National Economic Council director.

Neither of them look in the good books of the Oval Office moving ahead. The relationship chart between Trump and Mnuchin is chilly now till September, and very fraught in November with tr Saturn square the composite Sun and conjunct Jupiter; with more ructions from March 2018 onwards.

The Cohn/Trump relationship chart is super-stressed right through with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun now; tr Pluto in a confused, disappointed, neurotic square to the Saturn/Neptune midpoint through the fall; and worse by a mile from early 2018 for two years with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars.

Mnuchin, 21 December 1962, is a last degree Sun Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo (picking up the Solar Eclipse) with tr Saturn conjunct his Sun this December. And deep depression from early 2018 onwards. He’s also got a ‘car-crash’ Solar Arc Sun opposition his Mars sometimes this year.

Cohn, 27 Aug 1960, a tough-minded Sun Pluto Mercury in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn, sextile Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio, has tr Saturn dampening his confidence in October as it conjuncts his Jupiter. A ‘catastrophic’ tr Uranus square his Mars/Pluto also in October; and a highly insecure tr Uranus square his Sun/Mars in November. 2018 has some moments of luck and relief; but after tr Neptune squares his Mars from May, he’s not winning much for the eighteen months thereafter.