Astrology of Today’s News

 

The USA Civil War of 1861 was fought over slavery and the independence of individual states from the national government. It cost of 625,000 lives and was the most destructive conflict in the Western world between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the onset of World War I in 1914. It pitted neighbour against neighbour, split families and by the end of four brutal years with two and a half million men fighting, it left the south devastated and left deep scars in the American psyche. It was precipitated by the election of the anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 who held that all men were created with an equal right to liberty. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1 January 1863 freed millions of slaves held in the south.

The war started on 12 April 1861 at Fort Sumter, South Carolina at 4.30am. What’s most interesting about this not very startling chart in relation to the USA 1776 chart are three things. 1 The USA was on its First Uranus Return. 2 Tr Pluto was hovering round the square to the US Leo North Node. 3. The transiting North Node was opposing the USA Cancer Sun (exactly in the June 1861 Eclipses).

The nodal connections suggest a significant moment in the country’s history and destiny. When tr Pluto had moved a quarter of a zodiac in 1941 to conjunct the US Node, Pearl Harbour happened. Tr Pluto on the next square in 1986 oversaw the Challenger space rocket disintegrate, the Iran-Contra Affair blew up, and more helpfully Reagan was descaling the Cold War with Gorbachev. (Just as a point of interest tr Neptune was exactly opposite the USA Node when 9/11 occurred.)

The next tr Pluto hard aspect to the US Leo Node, in opposition from Aquarius, doesn’t happen till 2027/2028. What is worrisome about that is the next Uranus Return also occurs in 2028. Both of those aspects were around at the height of World War 11 in 1943/44.

Uranus Returns come round every 84 years and affect every country differently. But they do carry great significance. Russia 1917’s First Uranus Return accompanied Putin’s accession to the top in 1999/2000, where he’s remained ever since.

In the UK the Uranus return in the late 1960s oversaw the start of the Irish Troubles, Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech, and the Race Relations Act was passed which criminalised racial discrimination. The previous Uranus return around 1885 saw colonial Britain in the ’scramble for Africa’, the Siege of Khartoum, and Irish terrorists in London.

For the USA, the Uranus Return was the Civil War and then World War 11.

I would suspect this nasty spat with Trump and the Alt-Right versus the civilized world is more to do with tr Uranus square the USA Mercury opposition Pluto (see previous posts Aug 13 2017, Nov 12 2016) – and that will subside into next year. But it has exposed glaring fault lines in American society that have been there from square one and won’t go away in a hurry.

Actor Tom Cruise is thought to have broken his ankle in two places after smashing into the side of a building when a roof top leap went wrong as he was filming Mission: Impossible 6 in London. He is famous for insisting on performing all his own stunts and according to reports has gone back the US for treatment, pushing back filming on the shoot by months.

Born 3 July 1962 New York with a putative, unsourced time of 3.06pm, he’s a Sun Cancer in a creative, though not always realistic Water Grand Trine to Jupiter in Pisces and Neptune. That apart his chart is substantially Fixed giving him endurance and perseverance. His Leo Moon and North Node oppose Saturn squaring onto Neptune – so he’s very Neptunian, suited to the film business and also to strong spiritual beliefs, especially with his Sun in the 9^th. Plus he has Mars in ultra-determined Taurus square Uranus – and it is that latter which is interesting since the Leo Solar Eclipse next week is conjunct his Uranus tugging on that accident-prone square. Plus he has tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint exactly now which is also disaster-prone and highly frustrating, repeating this November. He’ll come roaring back with great vigour and confidence from January 2018 and that will carry him through the year.

His birth time is too iffy to go by. However he will have quite a significant change come 2020 when tr Uranus opposes his Neptune and squares his Saturn, which will be unnerving and fairly discombobulating. Though his Solar Arc Jupiter catching up to aspect that T square in 2022 will give him a renewed boost.

   

 

“She died doing what was right,” were the words of Heather Heyer’s mother, the Virginia paralegal, who died when a car rammed into a group of people protesting against a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Heather’s Facebook cover photo read: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention”; she was active in fighting racism and police brutality.

Born 29 May 1985 (net obit), she was a Sun and Mars in Gemini opposition Uranus, so feisty in defending what she believed in. Her Mercury in Taurus opposed a conscientious Saturn in Scorpio; and she had Jupiter in can-be humanitarian Aquarius; with probably a Libra Moon. Heather’s Mars was conjunct Trump’s Sun with her Uranus conjunct his Moon and in opposition to his Sun Uranus. So a clash of opposites.

James Alex Fields Jr, 26 April 1997, has been arraigned on second degree murder charges and denied bail. He had allegedly been abusive of his wheelchair-bound mother, has neo-Nazi views and perhaps a history of schizophrenia. He’s a Sun, Mercury, Venus in Taurus square a highly-strung Uranus Neptune. With his Mars in Virgo trine Venus and inconjunct Jupiter, as well perhaps as being square a Sagittarius Moon. His Jupiter is like Heather’s in Aquarius, which as well as being idealistic can be fascist, certainly suggests adherence to a cause. He’s also got a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries in a bleak trine to Pluto. Heather’s interface with Fields had a composite Jupiter Pluto which is always a struggle for the upper hand.

Given that Heather’s tragic death has become a pivotal factor in dragging Donald Trump’s image even lower, what are disturbingly suggestive are the cross-overs between the charts. What is eerily precise is Heather’s ‘relationship’ chart with Fields, whom she’d never met but there’s always a karmic link between victim and perpetrator no matter how random the crime. Their composite Sun falls on Trump’s midheaven and their composite North Node is exactly conjunct Trump’s Saturn in Cancer. So it really was a catalytic event in the trajectory of Trump’s slide from approval. The composite Mars in the Heather/Trump relationship chart is also conjunct Trump’s Saturn Venus; with the composite Pluto Saturn Uranus squaring Trump’s Sun and Moon. All combining to knock him right off track.

David Duke, former KKK leader, has already made his views known about even Trump’s first prevaricating response to the violence (see post Aug 13 below), which he has since – two days too late – firmed up into a condemnation of evil racist thugs and criminals. Born 1 July 1950 11.37am Tulsa, OK,  Duke is facing multiple setbacks and collisions over the next two years with his Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Saturn in 2018, followed by Solar Arc Mars square his Saturn in 2019. And his relationship with Trump is infuriated at the moment and this November, and diverging further towards the New Year.

Interesting thought. If Steve Bannon is ousted which signs are he may be; and goes into full alt-right vengeful mode; then a goodly chunk of Trump’s core fan base will be at odds with him. Bannon’s Breitbart hosts a fair amount of the white supremacist propaganda, so it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that he’ll get attacked from all sides.

   

 

In theory Brexit happens at midnight between March 29^th and 30^th 2019 – if it sticks to schedule. Though there may be an extension if negotiations drag on, or even an earlier pull-out if there’s an impassable deadlock and crockery goes flying.

It’s not too interesting a chart though there’s an angry Mars in Taurus on the Descendant trine a Capricorn Moon Pluto (Saturn) in Capricorn, so a sombre, aggravated mood. Located to London it puts a swampy Neptune on the IC. The ‘deprived/hardship’ Saturn Pluto is in the 2^nd house of finances as is Jupiter – so money will be a loaded issue. Uranus, as to be expected with a split, is emphasised being on the point of a difficult T Square of Node in Cancer opposition Moon Pluto (Saturn).

On the UK chart tr Uranus will square the 10^th house Jupiter from the 7^th house, for a moment of great relief at a partnership split. Solar Arc Pluto is within months of being conjunct the UK Ascendant which may in part feel like taking back control. However the Solar Arc Moon also opposes the 11^th house UK Saturn, which suggests a population out of step with the legislature – ie. unpopular politicians. Tr Saturn is exactly opposition the 10^th house (= rulers) Moon so a separation from the past. Tr Uranus and Solar Arc Uranus are also gearing up for a rocky ride through the UK 8^th house of joint and business finances, which isn’t necessarily a disaster, just very roller-coaster with swings up and down. Tr Uranus stays there from 2019  till 2027. Tr Saturn Pluto is wending its way through the UK 4^th which looks like a problematic time for – the common people, the foundations of society, agriculture.

The EU chart looks financially devastated in March 2019 with Solar Arc Pluto almost exactly conjunct their 2^nd house Neptune. Solar Arc MC is conjunct Pluto in the months thereafter which will feel like a dead-halt; and the Solar Arc Node is conjunct the EU Sun – so deep reflection needed about what is a decisive point in their destiny. The EU chart also has tr Uranus just into their 8^th house of business finances for the following 7 years; and tr Saturn Pluto is going through the 4^th. Like the UK, the EU has four planets in Fixed signs, spread-eagled across the chart in a Grand Cross, so the years of tr Uranus in Taurus in hard aspect to those Fixed planets from 2019 onwards will be ones of disruption, upheaval and forced change for the EU. The UK’s really jolting portion of the Uranian ride comes later from 2021 to 2024/5.

The Eclipses in 2019 look fraught. Set for London, the January 2019 Capricorn Solar Eclipse has Uranus exactly on the Descendant squaring onto Pluto opposition Node, with Pluto Saturn conjunct the Capricorn New Moon. And Saturn Pluto continues to weigh heavily being in opposition to the July 2019 Cancer Solar Eclipse. The Lunar Eclipse for January 2019 has the Full Moon squaring onto Uranus; and the July Lunar Eclipse is conjunct Saturn Pluto again. Won’t be too much singing, dancing and firework displays, methinks.

 

[Pic The total solar eclipse of November 3, 2013, near Sierra Leone. Credit: Rick Fienberg / TravelQuest International / Wilderness Travel]

 

Useful to see how the Leo Solar Eclipse conjunct certain politicians’ charts works out. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Any other suggestions welcome.

Donald Trump has the Eclipse conjunct his Mars and Ascendant in Leo, making him even less in control of his temper than usual. The key to an Eclipse on Mars is to learn how to handle anger sensibly otherwise it leads to physical strain and/or accidents, never mind volcanic arguments. Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel also both have their Mars conjunct the Leo Eclipse, which could send them into aggressive overdrive. As does Bin Salman, the overly impulsive Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. And Zimbabwe.

There’s a fair raft of prominent politicos with their Pluto conjunct the Eclipse. A Solar Eclipse conjunct Pluto can either bring empowerment/transformation or, in the face of refusal to change – decay and destruction. Al-Sisi, President of Egypt (Pluto in Leo opp Mars square Scorpio Sun, so it will rattle up all of that control-freak, ruthless energy). The EU’s Jean-Claude Juncker (Pluto opp Mars). UK Chancellor, Philip Hammond and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joseph Dunford, born within days of each other, have the Eclipse conjunct their Pluto Jupiter (square Saturn) – so amping up their confidence and drive for control. Steve Bannon also has a late Pluto in Leo, perhaps conjunct Moon. The EU’s 12^th house Pluto is also conjunct the Eclipse. UK PM Theresa May has her Pluto in the firing line as well.

Jeremy Corbyn and Emmanuel Macron both have the August Eclipse conjunct their Saturn – paying the price for past decisions, having to shoulder heavier responsibilities and be realistic. The UK has its 11^th house Saturn also conjunct the Leo Eclipse, which will put pressure on the legislature at Westminster.

Iraq’s Leo Sun is almost exactly conjunct as they struggle to regain control of territory from ISIS and bridge the sectarian divide. Usain Bolt’s Leo Sun is also conjunct as he retires and faces a complete change of lifestyle. Afghanistan’s Sun is conjunct as well and its Uranus closely in opposition to the Eclipse, so very unstable.

Kim Jong Un’s Leadership chart has Neptune conjunct – which tends to bring self-deceit.

James Mattis, has his Venus conjunct, which will bring a sense of crisis, and forced independence. No guardian angel to depend on, so having to go it alone.

Previous Eclipses in this Saros series, which cast their shadow before and after for several months, have been risky for US presidents.

1998/9 – Clinton impeachment, Dec 98 to Feb 99.

1981 – Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in March.

1963 – Assassination of JFK in November.

1945 – Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs dropped. Death of FDR (by natural causes).

1927: US local politics. Chicago’s Pineapple (= hand grenades) Primary. 62 bombings, 2 politicians killed just before. A corrupt city government, politicians with ties to organized crime (Al Capone).

1909: Assassination attempt against anti-African-American President William Howard Taft while on a visit to Mexico.

 

 

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Mo Farah is the most successful British athlete ever, with gold medals for the 10,000 and 5000 metres at two Olympics and ten global titles in all. He is retiring now, though may move onto marathon running.

Born 23 March 1983 in Somalia, he came to the UK aged 8 with his father and family leaving his sick twin brother behind who wasn’t fit to travel. In recent years he has trained in Portland, Oregon where he has a house, with coach Alberto Salazar. Doping allegations against Salazar have never been proved and have left Farah bitter about the media damaging his legacy.

The switchover won’t be easy for him, if he retires, since his life for the past fifteen years has been ‘sleep, eat’ train’. And it’s not certain he’ll make the transition to marathons.

He has an Aries Sun square Neptune (very common amongst top sportsmen that Neptune); with his Sun trine a lucky Uranus Jupiter in Sagittarius and inconjunct an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio conjunct Pluto, so perseverance is what he thrives on. On top of that he has Mars in Aries opposition Pluto which has enabled him to undergo the most brutal training and challenging lifestyle to reach and stay at the top in distance running.

Tr Pluto will pick up the frustrating, blocked square to his Mars from early 2018 for two years; with tr Saturn also square his Sun and conjunct his Neptune from this December through 2018, so fairly discouraging. Plus some accident-prone Uranus transits to two Mars midpoints in early 2018. He will get a confidence lift from tr Pluto trine his Jupiter/Node midpoint in 2018/19. But by 2019 he picks up Solar Arc Saturn Pluto starting to cross his optimistic and lucky Uranus Jupiter for several years which will damp his enthusiasm considerably.

Usain Bolt, the sprinter, being a Leo and a showman, may fare better in his retirement since he’ll no doubt embark on the celebrity circuit. With Mars Neptune conjunct in his chart he thrives on publicity and glamour. It still won’t be easy since winding down from a more-than-full-time way of life will take a major adjustment. But he looks less stressed about it than Mo Farah.

   

 

Katy Perry’s much publicised feud with Taylor Swift with tweets and supposedly pointed songs being taken as insults is theoretically over according to reports (from celeb sites). Both are stratospherically successful so it’s all a competitive dust-up about not very much, though they are completely different personality types.

Katy Perry, 25 October 1984 7.58 am Santa Barbara, California (astro com), is a highly-controlled Sun Pluto in Scorpio with Mercury, Moon, Saturn also in obsessive Scorpio – so not short of determination. She’s also got Jupiter Mars in Capricorn, so confident, risk-taking and good at attracting money.

Taylor’s Pluto is conjunct Katy’s Moon, Saturn, Mercury and square Katy’s MC which makes for a dead-locked interface. With Taylor’s Neptune Saturn in Capricorn conjunct Katy’s Mars, which is also a recipe for aggravation and misunderstandings.

Their relationship chart has an active-dislike and explosive composite Mars Uranus Saturn; with a struggle-for-the-upper-hand composite Jupiter inconjunct Pluto. There’s nothing to suggest a warm friendship picking up any time soon; indeed it’s likely to worsen with more suspicion and digs in the next few years with tr Neptune square the composite Saturn in 2018 and then later the composite Mars; and tr Saturn square the composite Jupiter and conjunct the composite Neptune Venus also in 2018.

Katy’s own chart shows her in a lower-profile phase at the moment with tr Saturn going through her 2^nd house (and first quadrant). It’s been frustrating and tough-going for the past two years with tr Pluto conjunct her Mars. And she’s in the middle of a series of major setbacks in 2017 with her Solar Arc Mars square her Saturn earlier this year, moving on to square her Moon in six months’ time. What will also jolt her considerably ahead is tr Uranus opposing her Sun Pluto in 2018. Though Jupiter crossing her Ascendant later this year for 12 months will give her a morale boost.

 

“Remember it was White Americans who put you in the presidency, not radical leftists,” tweeted former KKK leader David Duke in response to Donald Trump’s half-hearted attempt to blame both sides for the white supremacist violence against peaceful protesters in Charlottesville. And the Washington Post is now directly comparing Trump’s modus operandi to Joseph McCarthy (URL below).

Both of which lock in to the key astrological transit on the USA chart from 2016 to early 2018. Transiting Uranus is squaring the USA Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto, as it was in 1953/54 when McCarthy, having lied, smeared and ramped up hatred through his anti-Communist hearings, was finally tumbled. When he finally crashed and burned tr Uranus was exactly square the US Pluto.

Mercury opposition Pluto does exacerbate suspicion, paranoia, is associated with demagogues and those guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation, promotes over-intense debates with a drive for domination and little latitude for compromise, can teeter on the brink of nervous collapse through strain. Uranus is on an 84-year cycle of transits, so hard aspects come round every 21 years.

Trump, of course, learnt his McCarthy playbook from his mentor Roy Cohn (See post: March 7 2017). At the time, former president Harry Truman lamented “the rise to power of the demagogue who lives on untruth; it is the spread of fear and the destruction of faith in every level of our society.” A Post reporter Murray Marder described “a period of national turmoil. It was the closest we ever came to a real totalitarian atmosphere.” It wasn’t the media who brought McCarthy down since they’d been exposing his lies in the preceding years. In rural and low-income areas, he was deemed to have been unfairly vilified and gained support. Ultimately it was when the politicians turned against him and there was sufficient of an upswell of public opinion that his platform was demolished.

During another tr Uranus square the US Mercury opposition Pluto in 1973/4, Watergate was raging, escalating and ended with Richard Nixon’s resignation to avoid impeachment charges, as tr Uranus squared the US Mercury for the final time. VP Spiro Agnew had previously resigned faced with tax evasion charges.

Nixon died under the next tr Uranus hard aspect to the US Pluto opposition Mercury in 1994, then in Capricorn conjunct Neptune, so a very high-tension mood, as the Whitewater Investigation into Clinton financial dealings got underway, which although it fizzled out, did prepare the ground for the later impeachment of Bill Clinton over the Lewinsky affair. Jackie Kennedy also died, Superman Chris Reeves was paralysed, the Oklahoma bombing killed 169; and Newt Gingrich as Republican leader took over both houses, under a Democrat president.

So it has always been a significant and risky time in the US for presidents and the national morale, with the Republicans centre-stage. Back it comes round again and Trump is under multiple investigations which could lead to Federal indictments or impeachment ultimately; and the US is seeing an upsurge in far-right vitriol.

The USA Solar Return for July 2016 to 2017 was very strained, vengeful and explosive with Mars in Scorpio inconjunct Uranus; and New Moon opposition Pluto; as well as the neurotic with Saturn square Neptune. The Solar Return from July 2017 to 2018 is, if anything, more aggravated, dead-locked and prone to violence from Sun Mars opposition Pluto; and Mars Mercury square Uranus.

www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trumps-approach-to-the-press-mirrors-another-politicians-joe-mccarthy/2017/08/11/80186b0e-7c6f-11e7-a669-b400c5c7e1cc_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-e%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.943fec294de9

 

 

 

 

 

Pop star Taylor Swift has won the first step in her court battle with ex-radio DJ David Mueller, who she claims groped her at a 2013 concert. He sued her for $3m (£2.3m), saying she cost him his job. She countersued him for allegedly groping her and is seeking a symbolic $1 in damages.

A singer songwriter, she is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having started recording in her mid teens. Born 13 December 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania, with an unverified birth time of 8.36am, she has an unaspected Sun Sagittarius, with a Gemini/Cancer Moon, a sparsely Venus in Aquarius; and Pluto and Mars in determined Scorpio (not conjunct). It’s an all-over-the-place chart, dominated by Mercury in Capricorn sitting in the middle of the triple conjunction of Uranus Neptune Saturn opposing Jupiter (Moon) in Cancer. Her Jupiter is retrograde and will continue to stay that way throughout her life but it clearly hasn’t held her back.

So the major aspect in her chart is that striking opposition which is perhaps why she has such difficulty settling to one partner, with a revolving-door love life.

Down into lesser aspects and Harmonics, her success becomes more obvious. Her musical, creative 7H (septiles) is marked with a super-confident Jupiter Pluto; and an innovative Uranus highlighted as well. Her get-it-together and artistic 5H also pulls together lucky, successful Jupiter, Mercury and Sun; as well as emphasising Neptune Pluto and the Node – Nep Pl always has a hint of sky-high ambitions with results  following. Her 19H is also notable – lucky in prosperity though not always happy. And her super-star 22H is also a Jupiterian feast.

The unaspected Sun will make her an independent spirit, focused on self-importance, and able to detach from the environment around her. A sparsely aspected Venus suggests a personality that is not comfortable in social situations, nor able to express her feelings in as open a way as others, so they remain under-developed. But like all planets which are not well integrated they have that switch-on switch-off quality – sometimes not operating and sometimes overly intense.

She looks serious at the moment with tr Saturn conjunct her Sun till early September, though also confident with tr Pluto trine her Mars/Jupiter midpoint. The birth time is too iffy to be usable. But the tr Saturn into Capricorn will damp her spirits somewhat in 2018/19 as it moves up to her first Saturn Return and opposes her Jupiter and Moon. Tr Jupiter following along behind will give her a lift as it is conjunct her Sun in 2019 and then moves across her Capricorn planets in 2020.

That amount of success so young must make crafting a life plan tricky. Where does she go in her 30s, 40s and 50s?