Astrology of Today’s News

JonBenet Ramsey, the miniature beauty queen murdered nearly 30 years ago is back in the news with a Netflix True Crime documentary about her.

 On the morning after Christmas the family reported a kidnap and the house was over-run by police setting up for a ransom demand; and when the body was discovered, it was moved by the father, further contaminating any evidence that may have been left. The initial call to the police was deemed odd and rehearsed, as was the ransom note. The parents John, a multi-millionaire business man, and Patsy, now dead, were always under suspicion but never charged. A mentally unstable, serial sex offender confessed in recent years but that has never been corroborated.

JonBenet was born 6 Aug 1990 1.36am Atlanta, Georgia, and had a truly difficult chart, so even before her murder, must have lived with high levels of anxiety, fear and anger. Her 4^th house Leo Sun opposed an Aquarius Moon, MC, North Node squaring onto Mars in Taurus opposition Pluto in Scorpio. For her, both parents carried the overly dominating Mars Pluto signature. Her superficially glitzy (fashion conscious) Venus Jupiter in Cancer opposed Saturn hinting at an emotionally cold atmosphere in childhood. Her Saturn was trine Mars and sextile Pluto – bleak, unkind and deprived, trapped.  It’s often the case with individuals who exhibit an exterior ‘beauty’ that they are driven by underlying dread and horrors. They put on a façade of pleasing in order to escape punishment or worse. Her highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn in her 8^th house hint at a family legacy of potential instability from a previous generation.

 Poor little mite had quite a psychological burden to carry from square one.

  When she died her Aquarius Moon had moved by Solar Arc to close the square to the Mars Pluto opposition to exact. And her Uranus Neptune conjunction in her 8^th had moved by Solar Arc Directions to close the conjunction to exact.

  What struck me years ago when I first looked at the charts was how stressed/emotionally conflicted the parents’ relationship chart with each other were. John Ramsey, 7 Dec 1943 12.45am Omaha, Nebraska, is a volatile Sagittarius Sun opposition Uranus Mars in Gemini and widely opposition Saturn in Gemini; with Uranus Mars trine Neptune, sextile Pluto – so quite explosive and controlling. Patsy Ramsey, 29 Dec 1956, who died of ovarian cancer, was a Sun Capricorn trine Pluto on one side and square Mars in Aries on the other; with a Sagittarius Moon conjunct Saturn trine Mars trine Uranus – certainly impulsive and ambitious with a Fire Grand Trine but also probably passive-aggressive.

 Their relationship chart had a composite Venus opposition Mars square Pluto probably opposition Moon which is an unpleasant mix of sexuality and power.

  No proof of anything, but JonBenet was a lotus growing in a swamp.

  Burke, her brother, 27 Jan 1987, is a Sun Aquarius square Pluto with a Capricorn Moon probably conjunct Neptune square Mars in Aries; with Mars trine Saturn Venus (Uranus) in Sagittarius. So he’ll be bubbling with the family tensions and anger as well.

 The Netflix producer now says he has backtracked from his initial suspicion of the parents as being responsible. Whether or not this renewed exposure brings any answers is questionable. Though on her posthumous chart her Solar Arc Uranus is exactly conjunct her Moon at the moment.

   One way or another, her life always was going to be a tragedy. 

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Angela Merkel regrets little in her fairly anodyne memoirs, keen to shore up her legacy. Critics say what she left behind was the German economic miracle sagging, the automotive industry struggling and debt at a post-war high. She became too close to Vladimir Putin, causing Germany to become dependent on Russian oil and gas, and allowed one million migrants into Germany in 2015, helping the vote in the UK to exit the EU and bolstering populist parties across the continent.

 One review says: “Few politicians have been more lauded during their careers and more excoriated in retirement than Angela Merkel.” Her chief qualities were caution and discretion which saw her through the financial crisis, the Russian occupation of Crimea and the dependency on Moscow’s gas.

 She was born 17 July 1954 5.45pm Hamburg, and spent her first 35 years in the socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR). She was a good fit for united Germany with her Jupiter in Cancer conjunct the Germany Midheaven and her Sun Uranus conjunction conjunct the Germany 10^th house Uranus.

  Her rebellious, unconventional streak from her Sun Uranus conjunction were kept well hidden in her confidential 8^th house but she was undoubtedly a trailblazer, certainly in becoming a woman leader and staying for 16 years in power.  Her assertive Mars in Sagittarius in her 1^st house was in a determined trine to an opinionated 9^th house Pluto. Her 10^th house Neptune would give her an idealistic slant and soften her tougher inclinations -as well as giving her a talent for evasion and smoke-screening.  Her Aquarius Moon sits awkwardly with four Cancer planets though would give her the necessary detachment for a political career.

 Her relationship chart with Germany does suggest a successful combination with a composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction trine an enthusiastic Venus Mars. Plus an enlightening (and illusory) composite Sun opposition Mercury square Uranus opposition Neptune.

 She became Chancellor in 2005 and resigned Half a Saturn cycle later in December 2021.

 At the moment she looks less than upbeat with tr Pluto square her 10^th house intense Saturn in Scorpio, with a discouraging SA Pluto conjunct her Saturn in 2025. Her Solar Arc Midheaven will also conjunct her Mars in 2025, hinting at another setback to her reputation.

  All political careers end in failure and hers may be weighing heavily on her in retirement.

Keir Starmer’s freefall down the polls with a petition pleading with him to resign doing the opposite does little to foster calm in a UK which had grown weary of revolving premiers amongst the previous administration.  

Starmer’s Government chart, 5 July 2024 12.19 pm always looked ominous with Mars Uranus (Algol) in the 8^th hinting at turbulence especially on the economic front. Plus a discouraging Saturn in the 6^th house of employment and health.

 Liz Truss’s ill-fated 45 day premiership, 6 September 2022 12.27pm which ended when she was forced to resign after an internal rebellion, also had Mars in the 8^th. According to a political analyst it was the market crisis which tolled her departure. And that may well be the next hurdle for the hapless Starmer/Reeves duo. Since on the UK chart, the 8^th house Mars, already heavily stressed will face a major explosion point when the conjunction from Solar Arc Uranus reaches exact in five months.

  The UK chart also has an undermining, indecisive Solar Arc Midheaven square its 2^nd house Neptune now; tr Uranus square the 11^th house Saturn (= hopes for the future and the legislature) for high tensions and divisive arguments late this December to mid March 2025. Plus a panicked tr Neptune Saturn opposition the UK Uranus come mid 2025 into 2026.  Nothing that will make it easy for an administration already struggling to gain traction.

  If Starmer were to be voted out by an internal rebellion it would not be entirely surprising since his Leadership chart, 4 April 2020 10.45 am London, has an equally punishing Saturn Mars in Aquarius in the 8^th – which is being ground down by tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn now and moving in to conjunct the Mars/Saturn and Mars in 2025/26.

 His personal chart, 2 September 1962, no time, Southwark, is facing a significant setback around now with his Solar Arc Saturn squaring his Mars on one leg of his Water Grand Trine/Kite – so disaster resonating right round his chart. With a Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Neptune and SA Sun to follow within months which suggests devastating confusion. A staging-post tr Uranus square Uranus from mid 2025 into 2026; and a collision-type shock probably late 2025 from SA Mars conjunct his Sun. With the complete end-of-the-road SA Mars conjunct his Sun Pluto conjunction through 2025.

  I never thought he’d see 2026 still in power but his exit stage-left may come before then – not that it would make much difference since there is no messiah in sight across the political landscape.

  Rachel Reeves, 13 February 1979, with her fixed Aquarius Sun catching the tr Uranus square now and again in the spring will be stiffening against the changes being presented to her. With tr Pluto opposing her Jupiter giving her an overdose of misplaced confidence through 2025.  The UK will not be looking kindly on the results of her policies with tr Neptune Saturn opposing the composite Mars from April 2025 onwards plus other negative indicators.

  The Labour Party, 12 February 1906, chart which showed the recent win most clearly looks rattled ahead, stuck in 2025 and panicked and riven by internal arguments by 2026.

  None of which looks like bringing peace to a fractious nation anytime soon.

  Standing back to take a considered view of the UK chart – tr Uranus finishes its shake-up of all the UK Fixed planets from spring 2025 onwards and heads to the end of the 8^th house of transformation in 2026 which should stabilise the economic situation thereafter.  The SA Uranus crossing the 8^th house Mars in 2025 will be a last hurdle though of considerable proportions.

  The UK yod of Jupiter sextile Uranus inconjunct Pluto in Pisces is getting hammered all the way with tr Pluto opposition the Jupiter in 2025, which could see social unrest and jousting with authorities. Tr Neptune Saturn opposition the Uranus from mid 2025 into 2026 will be highly strung, nerve-stretched, could see fanatical outbursts and divisive arguments. Then tr Uranus square the focal point Pluto in 2026/27 which will see disruptions, upheavals and a sudden shift onto a new trajectory.

  A bruised, battered, tattered but revisioned UK will emerge thereafter. Stirring times though utterly exhausting.

  Poor Keir Starmer, right place, wrong time.

Another day, another exposé of busted Britain with an excoriating report by an all-party parliamentary group on the shortcomings of the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) whose principal role is to protect consumers. ‘A “toxic” culture at the City watchdog has made it easier for fraudsters to prey on consumers.’ The agency’s failings were deemed “incompetent at best, dishonest at worst”. “It comes across as an opaque and unaccountable organisation, slow to act and even slower to admit it has got things wrong and to change – with profoundly defective leadership.”

  The chief executive Nikhil Rathi has been linked to the forthcoming job of Cabinet secretary and was a senior civil servant under the last Labour administration, serving under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He was singled out in the report for having a “tin ear” and a “lack of empathy for individuals”.

  Although important, the FCA won’t be featuring on most of our radar and is only featured here since the astrology is wonderfully precise.

 Founded on 1 April 2013, it has a Uranus, Sun, Venus, Mars conjunction in Aries square Pluto – with the Uranus, Sun and Venus all being rattled by the recent October Libra Solar Eclipse and next March’s Aries Solar Eclipse – and that is some turbulence.

   The FCA also has a yod of Saturn sextile Pluto in conjunct Jupiter hinting at an organization which has the capacity to make social improvements but could be brought low by arrogance.

 Nikhil Rathi, the Chief Executive, 5 August 1979, has a stellium in Leo with his Sun conjunct an expansive Jupiter trine Neptune sextile Pluto and square an impulsive Uranus; plus Venus, Mercury also in Leo. Attention-seeking and super-ambitious. He is on an exact Saturn Half Return at the moment; and has his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Sun and his SA Sun square his natal Mars – both coming soon which usually coincide with a shock or a collision of sorts.

Singer Adele has finished her two year residency at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas which earned her a reputed $100 million for her 100 weekend shows and says she intends to take an extended break with no clear plans about what comes next. Though it may include marrying her sports agent fiancée and having another child.

 Born 5 May 1988 8.19 am London (biography), she has an expansive and enthusiastic Sun Jupiter in Taurus in a lucky and confident opposition to Pluto squaring onto a stubborn and enduring Mars in Aquarius. She is quite a dynamo. Plus she was born at the time of the triple conjunction of the inspired but can be chaotic Neptune, Saturn, Uranus in Capricorn with her late Sagittarius Moon conjunct Uranus and Saturn giving her a complicated emotional background. Her parents split when she was 2.

 At the moment her Solar Arc Neptune is  exactly square her Sun which will lower her motivation and energy, bringing confusion and indecision. Tr Pluto is also moving through her 8^th since 2021 which tends to bring profound experiences and a heavier tone to life.

Tr Saturn is in her upper quadrant until late 2032 so she’s unlikely to go into permanent retirement, which would not anyway suit her fairly hard-driving temperament. But she will be backwards and forwards with an uncertain tr Neptune Saturn square her Uranus and then Saturn in 2025/26; and her SA Neptune moving to conjunct her Mars in 2027/28 for a slump along with a stuck SA Saturn square her Pluto.  So it will be stop start ahead. Tr Jupiter bouncing across her Ascendant after mid 2025 will revive her spirits and confidence, making her more outgoing.  

Add On: Concerning weight loss (see Deirdre comment below), what is intriguing is that Alison Moyet, 18 June 1961 9.30am Billericay, England and K.D. Lang, 2 November 1961 2.03AM Edmonton, Canada as well as Adele all have Moon Uranus conjunctions which would not have sprung to mind as a common factor in weight. Except on reflection having a sense of separation from mother/nurturing would bring a need to compensate. Alison Moyet has a particularly afflicted Moon being conjunct Mars as well as Uranus; and K.D. Lang has a Moon, Uranus, Pluto conjunction. Taking away the comfort blanket of food is likely to bring up more than usually strong feelings of deprivation.

 Alison Moyet has Jupiter in the 6^th which has a reputation for indulgence. Adele has her Moon Uranus in her 6^th pointing to a link between emotional wellbeing and appetite.  K.D. Lang has her South Node and Chiron in her 6^th for issues around her body.

Writer Barbara Taylor Bradford, known for a string of best-selling epic novels which spawned sequels and TV adaptations like A Woman of Substance, has died at the age of 91. She had a ferocious work ethic, inspired by her mother who was mourning a son lost before her birth and poured her determination into her daughter.

 She was born 10 May 1933, no birth time, Leeds, and later discovered her mother Freda Walker was the illegitimate daughter of a local landowner who employed her mother as a servant and they had three children together. Her grandmother later spent time in workhouses.

 Barbara read books avidly – Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, Thomas Hardy, and Colette – left school at 15, started life as a journalist, became a fashion and design writer and launched into writing 40 novels after the age of 40 with her first book selling 30 million copies worldwide. She had a long marriage to a Hollywood film producer who produced her work on screen.

  She was a charming Sun Venus in Taurus in a persuasive sextile to Pluto and a hard-working, determined square to Saturn in Aquarius. Her Moon was probably Scorpio – and if so her Saturn was doubly emphasised being on the focal point of a Fixed T Square to her Venus Sun opposition Moon; and on the focal point of a wide-ish yod inconjunct Pluto and Jupiter. Which would explain her workaholic tendencies.

Her Mercury in Taurus was trine a publicity-attracting Mars Neptune in Virgo.

 What is fascinating is how many showbusiness names came out of 1933 with the glitzy Mars, Neptune, Jupiter in Virgo combo which stayed together for several months – Quincy Jones, Yoko Ono, Michael Caine, Gene Wilder, Willie Nelson, Nina Simone, Joan Rivers, Joan Collins.

[A tragic irony that her story follows one on the plight of Afghani women who are being deprived not only of intellectual and creative sustenance but any chance of doing what she did to make a life for herself out of words.]

As Afghanistan’s benighted, backward-looking Taliban ruler, lays down increasingly draconian edicts restricting women’s lives, there are signs of discord from within the ranks. Some senior figures have openly criticised the policies of the leadership towards women. An official inside the Taliban’s morality ministry told The Telegraph most of the rules it was told to enforce were about “controlling women” and “often don’t even make sense”.

Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader since 2021, has vowed to publicly stone women to death for adultery.

The Taliban has said Afghan women are not allowed to:

Drive a car

Speak in public

Speak loudly inside your house

Travel alone

Own a smartphone

Wear bright clothes

Wear high-heels

Go to high school or university

Sing

Read the Quran aloud in public

Look at men they don’t know

Attend a protest

Go to the gym

Go to the park

Work in the civil service

Ride in a taxi

Go abroad

Show their faces in public

Speak to a male doctor

Play sport.

The Afghanistan, 19 August 1919, 12 am Kabul chart has a hidden 12^th house Taurus Moon conjunct Algol and the South Node and square a Leo Sun Mercury which makes sense of a punitive, destructive, primitive attitude to women. There is also a yod of  Mars in Cancer sextile Venus inconjunct Uranus hinting at lawless defiance and a contrary and eccentric outlook.

The Afghanistan Islamic State 25 April 1992 chart is ruthless, brutal and also inclined to fanatical views with Mars trine Pluto, sextile Uranus Neptune in Capricorn. With (maybe) an Aquarius Moon (square a stubborn Taurus Sun) sextile Mercury inconjunct Jupiter.

 There is no birth date for the present Supreme leader Mullah Akhundzada but he took office on 15 August 2021 after the USA withdrew. This chart is dominated by a strained yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct a Leo Sun. The downside of a Sun on the focal point of a yod is a tendency to abuse power and authority though the drive for absolute domination usually backfires. His term chart has an undeserved dollop of good luck built in with a helpful Jupiter but it will be under massive, perhaps terminal pressure come 2026/27.

  The Islamic State 1992 chart is also under significant pressure at the same time with tr Pluto is moving to square the Sun in 2026/27 alongside SA Neptune square the Pluto and SA Uranus square the Pluto.

 The Afghanistan 1919 chart is showing disruptions through 2025 with tr Uranus conjunct the Moon, Algol and South Node and square the yod focal point Uranus.

  Will be instructive to see which chart most accurately reflects events.

The US indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on bribery charges raises questions about the probity of Indian authorities, which draws in PM Narendra Modi, his close friend, and may strain US/India relations when there are already problems over claims that Indian officials were involved in attempts to kill Sikh separatists in the US and Canada. Trump is likely to want it swept under the carpet but Modi’s opponents are already making capital out of it. “It’s now pretty clear and established in America that Mr Adani has broken both American law and Indian law,” opposition leader  Rahul Gandhi told a press conference.

  A possible extradition request, legal appeals and long-running court proceedings could lie ahead. An extradition treaty between India and the US has been in force since 1999, but only occasionally used.

 The Adani Group founded on 20 July 1988 is one of India’s biggest conglomerates, a sprawling industrial powerhouse whose rise has marched in parallel to the political ascent of Narendra Modi for two and a half decades. It will have lucky breaks through 2025 but is likely to meet its downfall or at least a sharp and significant series of setbacks by 2026/27 as its Solar Arc Mars opposes its Pluto. It has a lucky yod of Jupiter sextile Sun inconjunct an innovative but also can-be-autocratic Uranus Saturn in Sagittarius. 2026/27 also see tr Neptune Saturn square the Mars which will have the scent of failure and panic about it.

 Gautam Adani, the chairman, 24 June 1962 5.15 am Ahmedabad, India, has a creative Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Pisces trine a Cancer Sun trine Neptune, formed into a Kite by a pushily-confident Jupiter opposition Pluto, making Pluto his driving planet. Plus a Fixed T Square of Saturn opposition Venus North Node in Leo square Neptune.

 His relationship with Narendra Modi, 17 September 1950 11 am Mehsana, India, is showing signs of turbulence across this December to next March and more so from mid 2025 onwards with tr Uranus square the composite Venus, then Pluto and tr Uranus opposing the Saturn – so there will be tensions flaring up right through 2026 as well.

 Whether it affects Modi’s political position immediately is questionable. His recent term chart from 9 June 2024 7.30pm is certainly inherently fraught with a Mars square Pluto so will be under constantly pressure but it could be 2027/28 which sees his Term facing a real threat. Which timeline is echoed in his original PM chart from 2014 with tr Uranus conjunct the Gemini Sun in 2027/28 which will have the potential to derail him.

 Modi’s relationship with India will be jangled as tr Uranus moves into Gemini from mid 2025 to square the Mercury, Saturn and finally Sun, becoming more disruptive in 2026/27; with tr Neptune Saturn square the composite Uranus then as well.  Stormy times ahead.

 The Reserve Bank of India is facing a year of crises ahead with the Solar Eclipses, recently in Libra and next year in Aries tugging on its Aries Sun. With again 2026/27 looking highly unsettled.  The India country chart, 15 August 1947 12 am Delhi, has Mars in its financial 2^nd house catching the tr Neptune Saturn square from this coming April onwards which will throw up financial problems into 2026 which won’t help the prime minister.

 Relations between the USA and India will be strained with tr Pluto opposition the Sun and square Pluto through 2025 till 2027; with confusion and uncertainty as tr Saturn Saturn oppose the composite Neptune in 2025/26.

 Relations between India and Canada look even more aggravated with tr Pluto opposing the Mars and then Mercury this year till late 2027; with jolts, jangles and disruptions 2025/2026 with tr Saturn Neptune opposing the composite Saturn and square Uranus. Nothing calming down soon.

ADD ON: The relationship chart between India and China will be edgy in the extreme ahead with the composite Uranus catching the recent Solar Eclipse in opposition and the late March 2025 Solar Eclipse by conjunction. Plus there will be an early 2025 few weeks of uncertainty in February 2025 from tr Neptune square the composite Saturn; and further jangles from tr Uranus square the composite Neptune from mid 2025 into 2026. Nothing that looks too explosive but certainly highly strung.

Add on 2: As astro-coincidence – the Adani Group chart of 1988 echoes that of Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial arts fighter, 14 July 1988, born a week earlier, who has the same yod of Cancer Sun sextile Jupiter inconjunct Saturn Uranus in Sagittarius; with a Martian T square onto Mercury and Neptune. He is in the news having lost a civil case for damages for a 2018 rape and has been ordered to pay the victim  more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.

Robert Burns, the Scots poet personifies the humanitarian, egalitarian streak in Aquarius. His poem extolling the virtues of the ordinary man over fools in silks – “a man’s a man for a’ that” – made him popular in early communist Russia.

 He was born 25 January 1759 7am Ayr, Scotland, which (if accurate) made him a Sun, Venus, Mars in Aquarius with Neptune in the 8^th and a rebellious Uranus square Pluto. His other resonant thought was that all humanity was equal in the eyes of God.

Francois Rabelais, the French freethinker, anti-clerical writer who managed to attract criticism from both Calvin and the RC hierarchy, shows more facets of the Aquarian nature. “His literary legacy is such that the word Rabelaisian designates something that is “marked by gross robust humor, extravagance of caricature, or bold naturalism”.  Communicative, provocative, idiosyncratic, can be contradictory, and can have a surprising interest on matters of the flesh.

 Born 4 February 1490 JC 4.15am Chinon, France (unverified) had a Sun Mars in Aquarius trine Pluto, sextile Neptune – determined, courageous (foolhardy), super-ambitious.

 Charles Darwin, 12 February 1809 3am Shrewsbury, England, the English naturalist whose thoughts on evolutionary biology fundamentally changed scientific knowledge on natural selection –  “Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history.” He had a 2^nd house Aquarius Sun trine an ambitious Mars in his 10^th; with Uranus in a revolutionary trine to Pluto.

Aquarius the experimenter and trail blazer.

 One curiosity of Aquarius is the number of sex-experts or writers on the subject, given the sign is supposedly emotionally-detached, is not earthy and regarded as being androgynous or against the biology.

 Dr Alex Comfort, whose 1972 The Joy of Sex brought bedroom matters out into the open – and was also an anarchist, pacifist, and conscientious objector. Born 10 February 1920, he had a Sun Mercury in Aquarius – and a Scorpio Mars Moon trine Pluto trine Uranus which will have tilted him towards an interests in sex.

 Of writers who are also renowned for their scandalous writings – Lord Byron with an 8^th house Aquarius Sun and Pluto, Venus, Saturn also in Aquarius comes to mind. 22 January 1788 2pm London, He also had an Air Grand Trine giving him the urge to communicate as well as living out a scandalous life.

 William Burroughs, 5 February 1914 7.40 am St Louis, Missouri, is another whose Naked Lunch became a cult classic but was regarded as pornographic with its focus on sadomasochism, body horror and drug abuse. He had a stellium in Aquarius in his 12^th house with Mercury, Sun, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter there. Plus a Moon Saturn in Gemini. No Earth and no fire in his chart.

 Freethinkers, contrary and unconcerned about prevailing cultural pressures sums them up. Their outsider approach made a difference.

Add On: Edouard Manet, a French modernist painter, 23 January 1832 7pm Paris, was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life and a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. His early masterworks caused great controversy but are now considered watershed paintings that mark the start of modern art. He developed his own simple and direct style that would be heralded as innovative and serve as a major influence for future painters.  All hallmarks of provocative, status-quo-upending Aquarius.

 He had his Sun in Aquarius sextile an 8^th house Pluto in Aries with Uranus and Jupiter also in Aquarius plus a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Sagittarius.