Astrology of Today’s News

Is the almost unprecedented firing of the FBI Director James Comey an act of Nixonian sabotage by Trump to halt the FBI investigation into links between his campaign and Russia? The reason given was Comey’s handling of Hillary Clinton’s emails, which Trump had previously praised, so it seems a feeble excuse. Especially since grand jury subpoenas for associates of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, fired for misstating his Russia connections, had been revealed hours before. This last suggested the FBI investigation was being escalated to a new stage.

The parallels being drawn are with Nixon’s firing in October 1973 of the Special Prosecutor investigating the burglary which led to Watergate and Nixon’s resignation nine months later.

And what do you know? In 1973, tr Uranus was beginning to square the USA 1776 Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto. VP Spiro Agnew resigned faced with tax evasion charges. Watergate rages, escalates and ends with Nixon’s resignation to avoid impeachment charges, as tr Uranus squares the US Mercury for the final time in August 1974, tugging on the US Pluto.

Where is tr Uranus now? Just over the square to the USA Mercury but zigzagging back and forth in hard aspect to the US Mercury till February 2018; and then moving to square the US Pluto in 2018.

The previous hard aspect of tr Uranus to the US Mercury was in 1953/54 during the McCarthy sniff-out-a-commie hearings, with increasingly vociferous criticism of his bullying and witch-hunting tactics.

One before that in 1933 there was an attempted coup d’etat by a group of fascist veterans and wealthy businessmen, wanting to ally themselves to Hitler’s Germany and Italy, which Franklin D Roosevelt saw off. So they were all sleazy episodes in US history. [See previous posts: Nov 12 2016, April 17 2017]

There are two key trigger points coming up for Trump – one is the late August Solar Eclipse in Leo conjunct his Mars Ascendant, which will hit him hard – and the eclipse effect runs on for six months after. The other is a poleaxingly explosive Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Mars, exact mid 2018 though likely to trigger earlier; and mid 2018 is when tr Uranus will be square his Solar Arc MC, continuing on through 2019, which will knock him off course. So the narrative could take time to play out.

James Comey, 14 December 1960, is a bit player now unless he turns state’s evidence somewhere down the line. Interestingly his Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Mars Ascendant and square Trump’s MC – so definitely a catalyst for change, who hits Trump at an awkward level. His relationship chart with Trump shows 2018/19 as being a time everything stands on its head.

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Darren Criss, an American actor, singer, songwriter is a high-energy bundle of multi-talents, best known for Glee and has also co-founded a Chicago Musical Theater company, been lead vocalist on best-selling albums, played on Broadway and is now acting in films.

Born 5 February 1987 12.37pm San Francisco, his father was a banker and patron of the arts and his mother from the Philippines. He studied classical violin from age 5, plays a handful of other instruments, studied the performing arts and first appeared on stage aged 10.

He has an Aquarius Sun conjunct the MC from the 9^th square Pluto in the 6^th so clearly driven, ambitious and a force to be reckoned with in his working life. His Sun is on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Mars in high-octane Aries in the team-oriented 11^th trine Saturn in Sagittarius, so quite ego-centric and loves excitement, but has discipline has well.

He has Mercury in musical Pisces in his 10^th  is sextile Neptune Venus in Capricorn and trine Pluto, so not short of persuasive powers or vocal ability. And talented, lucky Jupiter also in his 10^th is square Uranus Saturn in his 7^th, so he likes taking risks and they usually come off. Plus a 12^th house Taurus Moon.

He does have Neptune in the 8^th which is often found in movie stars who have the (probably unconscious) ability to project an aura.

His 7^th house is packed with Saturn Uranus Venus, so relationships won’t be as easy as outer ambitions and success.

He looks set for a super-triumph in four years from now when his Solar Arc MC is conjunct his Jupiter, and clearly has a good deal ahead of him.

His creative 5^th Harmonic is exceptionally strong with a Half Grand Sextile, a Grand Trine formed into two Kites, and a T Square. His creative 7h which is possibly more musical ability is strong as is his actor’s 15H. So lots going for him.

The Kushner family are in the news for the wrong reasons as Jared’s sister, Nicole Meyer is accused of using the presidential connection to sell real-estate in China.

Jared himself has supposedly set up blind trusts to distance himself from the family businesses, though no doubt will hope to step back into them once the White House days are over.

He will face considerable pressures in 2018/19 with tr Pluto conjunct his Capricorn Sun; and before then he has tr Saturn conjunct his Neptune and later this year his Venus (romance & money). In 2018 as well he has a high-insecurity tr Uranus square his Sun/Mars; and a stomach-sinking tr Neptune square his Mars/Pluto extending through 2019 as well.

He doesn’t look quite as exuberant as Ivanka is in 2020/21 with tr Pluto square her Jupiter Pluto. Indeed he looks fairly jammed in through a chunks of the 2020s.

Sally Yates, the former deputy attorney general, is reportedly being labelled by Donald Trump as a ‘Democratic operative’ and a possible leaker of classified info as she steps up to give evidence before a Senate subcommittee on his presidential campaign’s ties to Russia. She will give evidence about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. She was fired as acting attorney general after refusing to defend an executive travel ban order by Trump in January. Part of her testimony will be about Michael T Flynn, who had to resign after just 24 days as national security adviser after he misled Vice President Mike Pence about conversations he had with Russia’s ambassador to the US.

Born 20 August 1960 in Atlanta, Georgia, she comes from a respected legal family, and while in the U.S. Attorney’s office has held leadership positions under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Sher is a Sun Uranus Mercury (and Moon) in Leo; with Saturn in Capricorn trine Pluto Venus, sextile Neptune – so a mix of flamboyant and tough. Her Sun is conjunct Trump’s Mars Ascendant so they have an inflammatory interface; with her Pluto conjunct his Ascendant as well – so she has the potential to transform/damage his public image.

Their relationship chart couldn’t be worse with a volcanic composite Mars Uranus Sun square a distrustful Saturn Neptune (Moon); with a power-struggling Jupiter square Pluto as well. It’s under acute pressure at the moment with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars Uranus, and that runs on and off till late 2018. With a disruptive tr Uranus square the composite Sun; and tr Pluto returning to square the composite Saturn soon, which also extends up to late 2018. And in 2018/19 tr Pluto makes a devastating square to the composite Neptune. Their chemistry would be toxic at the best of times and this is the worst.

There is a very tentative birth date for Michael Flynn of 1 Dec 1958 Rhode Island but I can’t confirm it. This would make him a Sun Venus in Sagittarius, with Mercury Saturn also in Sag; and all trine Uranus in Leo; which in turn is on the focal point of a Fixed T Square to Mars in Taurus opposition Jupiter in Scorpio. The Mars Jupiter is an adventurer/opportunist, so it could fit. And that birth date makes for a bitterly hostile relationship chart with Sally Yates, so could be.

Her own personal chart looks highly stressed and trapped at the moment with tr Pluto opposition the Sun/Mars midpoint, on and off till late 2018. That’s been running for a couple of months in the run up to this; but she’s also picked up the lucky break tr Uranus opposition her Sun/Jupiter right now so something is going her way. September/October look exceptionally fraught for her, which is just after the late Leo Solar Eclipse of August is conjunct her Sun – and Trump’s Mars and Ascendant. So she won’t retreat into peace and quiet after this hearing.

Emmanuel Macron has won the French Presidential election with two-thirds of a low turnout, spurred to an unexpected victory by the embezzlement scandal of Francois Fillon and the anyone-but-Le-Pen vote. He has promised fresh faces from outside politics, an overhaul of the established political system and a new kind morality in political life. He faces two key questions ahead. 1. Can he govern and reform France with a likely politically diverse cabinet – and probably a divided parliament as well after the June parliamentary elections? 2. Can he back up his campaign promise to reform the EU? He said recently: ‘the dysfunction of the EU is no more sustainable. I do consider that my mandate, the day after, will be at the same time to reform in depth the European Union and our European project.’ If he were to allow the EU to continue to function as it was, it would be a “betrayal” which would lead to the prospect of a “Frexit”.

He’s a Sun Sagittarius trine Saturn in Virgo, with Venus Mercury and Neptune also in Sagittarius; and a Fixed T square onto a focal point Mars in Leo – so certainly enthusiastic, with a dogged, single-minded persistence and headstrong from that Mars.

France is notoriously resistant to reform so no surprises that he’s running into deadlocks and frustrations in 2018/2019, though he won’t give up easy and will push bullishly ahead nonetheless. With some explosive moments in 2018; and success in 2019. What will help him is his Solar Arc Jupiter which brought him to prominence this year (with an added dollop of luck) as it was conjunct his Mars and moves in the next three years to aspect his Moon Uranus in his Fixed T Square.

What’s more interesting to a non-French audience, are his relations with the EU. His Jupiter is conjunct the EU’s MC, which, according to Sakoian & Acker, can suggest he will influence the EU to acquire a more ethical approach. His Taurus Moon is conjunct the EU’s Taurus Moon, and his Mars square Uranus bounces off the rest of the EU’s Fixed Grand Cross, so he will make an impact – his bulldozer tactics meets the EU deep-rooted intransigence head on. His Saturn is conjunct the EU’s Pluto and square the EU Mars, so there will be mighty clashes along the way in a competition for the upper hand.

More importantly even than the EU, is his relationship with Germany, who effectively holds the purse strings. Macron’s Pluto is conjunct Merkel’s MC and conjunct Germany’s Ascendant, so he will definitely try to remake attitudes. But German’s 8^th house Pluto is conjunct his Moon and Germany’s Saturn is conjunct his Sun, so he’ll be pretty firmly stockaded by German’s power and interests. His relationship chart with Germany has a composite Moon opposition Saturn square an 8^th house Pluto, so pretty hard to budge on either side. He certainly dislikes Jean Claude Juncker but he won’t be around for much longer; and his relationship with Merkel will be logjammed and infuriated till late 2018, but again she may not stay the course till his presidency ends.

The France/Germany relationship chart will run into stormy weather in 2018 with tr Uranus opposition the composite Mars; and tr Saturn square Pluto; and be in a state of confusion in 2019/2020.

He certainly dislikes the UK with a composite Mars opposition Pluto, trine/sextile Saturn and Uranus – all of which is being upended over the next two or three years. His relationship with Theresa May has a composite Mars opposition Neptune – if one side wins the other loses, so an ego-clash. With a hostile and uncompromising composite Mars trine Pluto Uranus.

He does have a strong 17^th Harmonic, so despite his political inexperience and vague campaign promises he could make his mark.

Another Libran toughie, Roger Cruikshank, 18 October 1982, a Scottish RAF pilot, who has overcome two potentially life changing accidents and bounced back, has been awarded a DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for his actions while serving in Iraq.

When he was 22 he smashed his left leg in a fall while racing as a member of the British Olympic Ski team in Germany. “I put my femur through my tibia,” he said. “I have now got nine pins and a plate in my left leg.” 10 months later he qualified for the 2006 Winter Olympics and competed in the men’s downhill and super-giant slalom, wearing a leg brace and dosed up on painkillers. Seven months after that during a holiday in America to celebrate passing basic pilot training, his mountain bike collapsed under him, throwing him over the handlebars. His face had to be reconstructed. His decoration was for an operation last May in which he saved the lives of Iraqi soldiers while running so low on fuel that his own life was in danger.

He has now published a book ‘Speed of Sound, Speed of Mind’, relating his comebacks with proceeds going to mental health charity SAMH and military charity Help for Heroes, in part inspired by his mother who committed suicide seven years ago with depression.

He is a charming Sun Venus in Libra, with a gritty and persevering Saturn Pluto also conjunct his Sun and those four Libra planets sextile Mars and Neptune in sporting Sagittarius. His accidents occurred when tr Pluto in Sagittarius was conjunct his Mars.

His get-it-together 5^th Harmonic is strong, linking Uranus to Jupiter, Pluto and Mars – definitely attracted to high-adrenaline activities and also lucky.

His 8H is also marked, which can be an unlucky number though it gives an abundance of strength and stubbornness in the face of difficulties.

Just goes to show that tough aspects, while bringing a stressful life, do have a compensatory strength to overcome.

American bobsled champion, three-time Olympic medallist and five-time world champion, Steven Holcomb, has been found dead at 37. He put US bobsleighing on the map; and overcame health problems which nearly lost him his sight at point, causing a near suicidal depression and alcoholism, but he recovered almost perfect vision and always seemed cheerful.

He had an extraordinary chart. Born 14 April 1980 in Park City, Utah, he had an inspirational, super-confident Fire Grand Trine of an Aries Sun (and Moon) trine Mars North Node in Leo trine Neptune in Sagittarius, formed into an even more talented, driven and influential Kite by Sun opposition Pluto. His Sun was also on the focal point of a Yod to Saturn in Virgo sextile Uranus in Scorpio, so he would be troubled by feelings of low self-esteem, and wobble between pessimism about himself and high optimism.

Reports indicate that he died in his sleep. He was approaching his Nodal Return this August which would make the upcoming Leo Solar Eclipse conjunct his Mars and Node, so a critical year for him. With tr Uranus also rattling another leg of his Grand Trine conjunct his Sun, and earlier this year opposition his Pluto. So there would be considerable pressures on him and at the best of times he never kept himself in particularly good shape.

At least 36 people have died and hundreds have been injured in weeks of protests in Venezuela against President Nicolas Maduro’s economic mismanagement with inflation running at 700% (IMF), food and medicine shortages and his attempt to alter the constitution to give himself more power.

Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN has accused Maduro of “disregard for the fundamental rights of his own people”, which had “heightened the political and economic crisis in the country”. Trump’s national security advisor HR McMaster has met with the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly to discuss the release of political prisoners and pressing to hold free and democratic elections.

Given Venezuela’s history the question is when will the military step in? Though many senior players have been compromised by Maduro’s patronage.

Maduro was sworn in on 19 April 2013 at 2.05pm Caracas. It looks like a bumpy ride this year, but April/May 2018 is when it will really blow up with an explosive tr Uranus conjunct the Mars Sun of the Presidency chart; and a disappointing, financially undermining tr Neptune squares the 10^th house Jupiter.

The Venezuela 24 June 1821 and 22 September 1830 both have undermining and chaotic Neptune transits to Mars midpoints this year and next. There’s a definite downturn come December this year on both.   The 1830 chart has devastation written all over 2018/19 (perhaps earlier since there is no start time); with a dead-halt in 2019, financially and otherwise; and worse in 2022/23. The 1821 chart which has a Saturn Jupiter conjunction in late Aries is being jolted and jangled this year into 2018; with 2012/2022 looking hugely challenging with tr Pluto opposing Saturn Jupiter.

The ‘spirit and the soul, the conscious and the unconscious, husband and wife’ is how Ebertin describes the Sun/Moon midpoint in a chart – the degree halfway between Sun and Moon. It’s the meeting point of the yin and the yang, the masculine and feminine sides of the individual personality, and to some degree involves the early role models in the father/mother relationship in childhood.

It’s a useful point to keep in mind if the birth time is known – for predictions about relationship strains/splits or periods of emotional challenge when the outer planets are in hard aspect to the Sun/Moon. For example, tr Pluto opposition the Sun/Moon midpoint can lead not only to an extended two year phase of considerable pressure on close relationships, but also an internal ‘dark night of the soul’.

Close relationships undergo major changes during outer planet transits to the Sun/Moon midpoint, and because it shifts the internal balance in the individual affected, the kind of relationship they want on the far side isn’t the same as before. Such transits can also sometimes point to upheavals in the parental marriage.

It’s worth looking at the individual natal chart to see how the Sun/Moon midpoint aspects other planetary positions. For example: Sun/Moon = Uranus will have the same effect as Uranus in the 7^th, so the kind of partner needed will be unconventional and probably constantly changing with multiple partners. Jupiter or Venus in aspect to the Sun/Moon suggests the ability or luck to attract an affectionate and supportive partner. Saturn = Sun/Moon, relationships will be hard work, probably delayed till later in life and cool. Neptune = Sun/Moon, as Kirk Douglas has (see earlier post), indicates a lack of commitment to marital vows. Pluto = Sun/Moon, intense close relationships with jealousy causing problems.

Sometimes, though not always, it can be involved in cross-overs with a partner’s chart especially one person’s Sun/Moon conjunct the other’s Moon, or in their 7th. Queen Elizabeth’s Sun/Moon is conjunct Prince Philip’s Gemini Sun Mars; and his Sun/Moon is conjunct her Descendant. Catherine Zeta Jones’ Sun/Moon is conjunct Michael Douglas’s Moon. Joanne Woodward’s Sun/Moon was conjunct Paul Newman’s Moon. Princess Diana’s Sun/Moon was conjunct Prince Charles’ Moon; and Camilla’s Sun/Moon falls in Charles’ 7^th. Jackie Kennedy’s Sun/Moon was conjunct JFK’s Venus. Zara Tindall’s Sun/Moon is conjunct her husband Mike’s Jupiter.   Jennifer Aniston’s Sun/Moon is conjunct Brad Pitt’s Moon Venus; while his Sun/Moon collides with Angelina Jolie’s Mars opposition Pluto.

But never fear, just because your Sun/Moon midpoint doesn’t aspect any of your planets or partner’s planets it doesn’t mean you won’t be happily settled in a long term commitment. It’s only one point in a chart; there will be other indicators.

What is undoubtedly true is that transits from Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to the Sun/Moon midpoint will bring chills, disruptions, disappointments and challenges respectively. It doesn’t mean the relationship will inevitably split, though it can do.