Astrology of Today’s News

 

 

Ex-Goldman Sachser Steven Mnuchin has been confirmed as Treasury Secretary after facing withering criticism over his former bank’s treatment of foreclosure victims in his hearing. During his time there, he worked in the mortgage department, dealing with products such as collateralised debt obligations and credit default swaps, which arguably played a major part in the 2008 financial crisis.  Elizabeth Warren called him “the Forrest Gump of the financial crisis”. “He managed to participate in all the worst practices on Wall Street,” she said. “He spent two decades at Goldman Sachs helping the bank peddle the same kind of mortgage products that blew up the economy and sucked down billions in taxpayer bailout money before he moved on to run a bank that was infamous for aggressively foreclosing on families.” In 2009, he became chairman of a troubled housing lender, IndyMac, renamed OneWest. Two California housing watchdogs filed a federal complaint against the company, accusing it of violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against blacks, Hispanics and Asians.

He has no government experience; and neither does National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, also former Goldman Sachs. Mnuchin also finances movies – The Devil Wears Prada, the X-Men franchise and Avatar.

Born 21 Dec 1962, New York, he’s a last degree Sun Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo and Uranus in early Virgo; with Pluto Uranus opposition Jupiter in Pisces – a risk-taker, impulsive, outspoken, overly confident. His relationship chart with Trump is high-pressure, stressed and could easily end in a catastrophic fall out. There’s a high-octane Mars Pluto conjunction, which could all too easily turn into bitter hostility. It is sextile Neptune and inconjunct the composite Sun – so a composite Yod of an extraordinarily powerful variety, which could certainly be used for crisis-management and pushing through bold schemes against heavy resistance. But it has all the seeds of destruction wrapped in it, either of the relationship (ultimately most likely) or in the joint projects on which they embark.

There is a sugary sweet composite Sun opposition Venus square Jupiter as well, so initially good feelings, but once they get scraped away with tr Saturn square the composite Sun and conjunct Jupiter from later this month effectively right through till November, the underlying bruising ego-clashes will show through. Tr Uranus will also oppose the composite Neptune and square Uranus late April/May and again late in the year, so it’s going to be a very rocky ride. Trump has given him four months to come up with a plan for deregulating Wall Street, tax reforms etc.

Every criticism Trump threw at Hillary Clinton – untrustworthy where national security was concerned, in bed with the swamp alligators – is unbelievably a thousand times truer of him. Conducting a high-alert security crisis in a Florida dining room with guests present, as if it were a piece of street theatre is beyond parody.

Notable Royal events in the UK have occurred close to eclipses in the 20^th Century, though sporadically.

Edward V11 died and George V acceded to the throne the days before a Solar Eclipse; and the Royal Family’s name was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor two days before another Solar eclipse in 1917.

Edward V11 abdicated in December 1936 three days before a Solar Eclipse in the 11 North series which oversaw (though not exactly) the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.

His successor King George V1 died and Queen Elizabeth acceded five days after a Lunar Eclipse in 1952; and she was crowned in 1953 five weeks before a Solar Eclipse which was conjunct the UK’s 10^th house Cancer Moon. There was an 18 North Solar Eclipse in late July 1925 when HM Queen would have been conceived; and that repeating series oversaw the death of her uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten who was killed by the IRA five days before another such in 1979. One series later in 1997 Princess Diana was killed in Paris, two days before the 18 North Solar Eclipse.

Both Prince Charles’ weddings occurred near or on Solar Eclipses. To Diana in 1981 two days before; and to Camilla on the exact day.

Prince William was born on a Solar Eclipse in 1982 and Kate Middleton on a Lunar Eclipse six months earlier.

So there’s a fair sprinkling of connections to Eclipses though not a hugely regular pattern.  The North Node ties individuals into the zeitgeist so in many ways it isn’t surprising. Though it doesn’t always make for an easy life.

   

 

Stephen Miller, one of Donald Trump’s closest advisers, responsible along with Stephen Bannon for the immigration ban, was born on 23 August 1985 in Santa Monica, California. At high school he railed against multi-culturalism and Spanish-language announcements and urged violent responses to Islamic terrorism. And has spoken out against equal pay for women. He worked for Tea Party founder Michele Bachmann and then Jeff Sessions.

He’s a Sun Virgo trine Neptune, sextile Pluto – so has that Neptune Pluto hint of megalomania and definitely likes to be in control. His Mars Mercury in Leo are in a hard-edged, unsentimental square to Saturn in Scorpio and an excitable trine to Uranus. His Jupiter in Aquarius is opposition Mercury and square Pluto making him pushily confident.

His Sun is conjunct Trump’s Ascendant so he’ll warm to the President’s bombast and flamboyance and be less manipulative of Trump than Bannon. Like Trump he has Venus in Cancer and a Sagittarius Moon, so they will resonate together.

What’s interesting is that Bannon’s Pluto is conjunct Miller’s Sun, so that is definitely a dominating relationship. And their relationship chart has an overly confident composite Sun opposition Jupiter and a risk-taking (unrealistic) composite Jupiter inconjunct Mars. They’ll egg each into reckless schemes.

Miller’s relationship chart with Trump is complicated – friendly at one level with a composite Sun Venus Mercury; though destined to live through times of great upheaval and change with a composite Uranus Pluto Saturn; with the potential for disappointment with Sun Venus trine Neptune and Mars square Neptune. There will be an edgy, insecure, marginally explosive mood between them from late this month through most of March with tr Uranus trine the composite Mars; a seismic upheaval from late April through till early June with tr Uranus square the composite Venus, Mercury and Sun. With confidence between them sinking fast mid April to mid May as tr Neptune squares the composite Jupiter. And if Miller survives on the inside circle that long, definite blocks from July to October with tr Saturn square the composite Saturn Pluto.

Miller’s relationship with Bannon is also at Defcon1 from mid July to December 2017 with tr Pluto trine the composite Mars, square the Sun and Jupiter. Either they’ll be trying to outdo each other or more likely together hatching up yet more hare-brained schemes.

It’s like watching a car crash in real time – Trump’s administration, I mean, or for what passes as one.

 

 

Eike Batista, a Brazilian businessman (oil, gas, energy and mining) is now languishing in a maximum security prison in his home country under investigation for money laundering, having seen his net worth plummet from $30 billion to negative since 2012.

Born 3 November 1956 he has Sun, Moon, Neptune and Mercury all in Scorpio as well as his North Node, so determined, intense; even more so with Saturn in Sagittarius square Pluto; with an innovative Saturn trine Uranus, which is in a fanatical square to Neptune. He doesn’t look as if he’d be good at taking advice. Plus he has Mars in Pisces opposition Jupiter, which is a gamblers/chancer’s aspect, prone to over reaching.

His 9^th Harmonic connects his Sun to Neptune and Pluto, giving him a yearning for stratospheric wealth and power. But his ‘wheel-of-fortune’ 10^th Harmonic which brings the seeds of both rise and fall, is also marked.

The Scorpio North Node is also interesting since it often points to a life lesson about letting go money and possessions and learning the hard way to understand what truly has value.

Brazil, itself has been going through a tumultuous time politically and economically having seen the previous president Rousseff impeached, the present one also surrounded by scandal and something like 60% of the 594 members of Brazil’s Congress are facing or under investigation for “serious charges like bribery, electoral fraud, illegal deforestation, kidnapping and homicide, according to Transparency Brazil, a corruption-monitoring group.” (NY Times.)

It is the world’s fourth-largest democracy and was thought to be the shining hope of South America economically until it started to crack. There is some hope that it will weather the present storms financially.

The Brazil, 7 Sept 1822 4.30pm Piranga chart isn’t looking too upbeat for several years with an undermining tr Neptune opposition the Virgo Sun this year; a stuck Solar Arc Sun conjunct Pluto in 2017/17; and then a running series of shocks and insecurity in 2018/19.

The Brazil 15 Nov 1889 chart equally has a running series of edgy, jolting Solar Arc had aspects to Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto till 2021. So it may be a while before it recovers full forward drive.

Please add below.  Older posts under News on top bar.

     

 

Actor, comedian Alec Baldwin has had a new lease of life with his impersonations of Trump on Saturday Night Live, which has seen ratings soar. A photograph of his impersonation even made it to the front page of a South American newspaper who mistook him for the president.

Baldwin, born 3 April 1958, is an upfront Sun Aries sextile Mars in Aquarius, with his Mars opposition Trump’s Pluto so a hostile clash; and Baldwin’s Uranus conjunct Trump’s Pluto, threatening to destabilise his power. Baldwin’s Saturn in Sagittarius is conjunct Trump’s Moon opposition his Sun so he’ll dent El Presidente’s self-esteem. A mighty match.

Their relationship chart has a fearsome composite Sun opposition Mars square Pluto which makes for implacable enmity; and a differing-agendas composite Saturn square Uranus. Tr Pluto makes an aggravated and vengeful sextile to the composite Mars in 2017/18; as well as making a devastating and confusing square to the composite Neptune.

Baldwin’s Pluto is conjunct Trump’s Ascendant so he’ll have the power to dent Trump’s image.

Melissa McCarthy has morphed beautifully into Sean Spicer, the hapless and overly controlled Trump press spokesman. Their composite chart has a tied-together and resenting-it composite Saturn trine Pluto; and an undermining Saturn opposition Neptune.

Rosie O’Donnell is pitching hard to do the Stephen Bannon take-off, which with a composite Mars Saturn conjunction and Mars trine Pluto in their relationship chart – could ruffle a few feathers. Her Mars in Pisces opposition Pluto squares Bannon’s Sagittarius Sun, so almost as bad as the Baldwin/Trump cross overs.

One odd consequence of Trump’s election is that various newspapers and news magazines have seen their circulation rise sharply.

 

Fifty Shades Darker, the sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey has hit the cinema screens to escoriatingly bad reviews. EL James, the author, has sold 100 million copies of her ‘mummy porn’ books worldwide and evidently insisted on full script, cast and direction control of this movie, unlike the last, with predictable results which fulfilled the studios’ worst fears. Dominatrix in life as well on the badly written page. [A creative writing tutor described her novels as being written for people who didn’t read books.]

Born 7 March 1963, she is a Sun Jupiter in Pisces with her Sun opposition controlling Pluto, trine Neptune. Lucky, confident, intense, a dreamer. She also has Venus in Aquarius opposition Mars in Leo – so somewhat unbalanced between love and lust. Her Mercury in Aquarius opposes outspoken Uranus. Her Leo Moon may oppose Saturn and square Neptune – emotionally rather battened down though creative as well as neurotic. Certainly she wants to be grand with Mars Moon in Leo. It’s a see saw chart with four oppositions so she’ll be constantly looking for answers outside herself in her relationships.

When the first volume of Fifty Shades hit the best sellers lists in 2011 her Solar Arc Mars was opposing her Jupiter with Solar Arc Venus conjunct her Jupiter following along behind.

She’s not so upbeat at the moment with tr Saturn square her Jupiter through this year; and tr Neptune opposition her Pluto, square her Sun/Pluto this year and conjunct her Sun in 2018, so undermined. 2019 looks blocked and frustrated with her Solar Arc Pluto square her Mars.

 

 

Australian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress Kylie Minogue has split from her 20 year younger actor fiancé purportedly because of concerns over his fidelity. She’s had a chequered love life up till now.

Born 28 May 1968 11.16am Melbourne, AU (astrotheme) she has her Gemini Sun conjunct Venus on one side and Mars Moon on the other with Mercury making it five Gemini planets, so certainly a good multi-tasker, well designed astrologically as a pop singer and restless. Her Moon Mars are square Pluto, which is in turn conjunct Uranus, so she’ll have wildly contradictory needs – wanting freedom and possession at the same time. In addition she has a difficult Yod of Pluto Uranus sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn in self-reliant Aries (conjunct an Aries North Node), which will have seen her struggling with feelings of frustration and low self-esteem through her life. That’s very much a stand-on-your-own-two-feet placing, fostering independence rather than dependence.

Tr Neptune is square her Moon Mars through this year and next which will make her emotionally disappointed and confused.

Assuming her birth time is sound her Progressed Moon will move out of her 8^th in about six months’ time which will be less intense and anguished; and she does have tr Uranus trine her Jupiter in 2018 which will buck her up. Plus a couple of strongly upbeat transits to Jupiter midpoints through till late 2019. But she also has tr Pluto opposition her Saturn in 2018/19 which will be discouraging and a real tough slog. So a real mix of highs and lows.

 

There is concern in the Middle East about an eventual Saudi Arabia war with Iran. Though as one commentator pointed out ‘it is already happening.’ The two countries are killing each other’s proxies, advisors and troops, in Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Eastern Province.

If it were to come – via miscalculation – to a direct clash the Saudi air force and their key ally the UAE are now capable of destroying practically all Iran’s port facilities, oil loading terminals and key industries using stand-off precision-guided munitions. Iran can shower the Gulf coastline with unguided rockets and a higher concentration of guided long-range missiles than before. So a direct conflict is not an attractive proposition.

Where relations between the two countries looks to be at their most inflammatory is the period between 2018 up to 2020. Their relationship chart has a composite Sun, Mercury and Mars all in Aquarius, at 2,4 and 9 degrees, so will be jolted by tr Uranus in Taurus in square. There will be continually power-play through 2017; but Iran looks subdued through till 2019, rather than aggressive. And Saudi Arabia is struggling with its own internal economic woes.

   

The problem with Eclipses, of which there are at least four per year (2 Solar, 2 Lunar), is that you end up drowning in data especially when you track back historical events connected to any one particular eclipse cycle or degree. However two things are clear. One is that specific eclipses do seem to resonate with particular countries as they repeat on their 18.5 years cycle. Secondly, they can trigger events slightly before: around the exact date; on the New/Full Moon following; or even much further ahead as the planets cycle round to their Eclipse degrees.

The delayed effect happened with the 1999 Total Solar Eclipse in the 1 North Saros cycle series, which is the same series as this upcoming August one. In 1999 it rose in the Eastern seaboard of the USA, then crossed the UK, curving down across Afghanistan, Pakistan to finish in southern India. There was one small earthquake somewhere at the time in Turkey of memory serves me right, but nothing else, despite the New Moon Node in Leo being opposition Uranus and square Mars in Scorpio opposition Saturn, which looked destructive.

In January 2001 the same aspects recurred with Mars returning for the first time since 1999 to Scorpio, and along with the Aquarian Sun picking up the tale end of the waning, disruptive Saturn Uranus square. As those aspects repeated, the devastating Gujarat earthquake in central western India on January 26 2001 – exactly on the 1999 eclipse path – occurred as these aspects all came together again. The catastrophic national foot & mouth epidemic in the UK, also started around this time. Even later still in late March 2002, when Mars again in a fixed sign, Taurus, sitting on the square to Uranus, there was a major earthquake in Afghanistan, also on that 1999 eclipse path.

Japan, although not on the 1999 Eclipse path, is obviously sensitive to this 1 North series since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima happened under its shadow; and in early 2001 the admission was finally made that Japan’s economy was at the point of collapse.

** Update: Another example of a delayed effect was from the August 2008 Solar Eclipse, where there was also an exceptionally difficult set of aspects – a Saturn Mars conjunction in Virgo with Mars opposition Uranus square Pluto which suggests a violent disruption. The Eclipse at 9 Leo itself was conjunct the Pakistan Saturn Pluto Venus in Leo. And setting the Eclipse chart for Sindh, Pakistan it puts the Saturn Mars conjunction straddling the Midheaven which points to Pakistan being a high- risk area for this particular eclipse. By July 2010 Mars was back in Virgo for the first time since the 2008 Eclipse as the heaviest monsoon rains for almost a century displaced many millions bringing the country to its knees.

This upcoming August 2017 Eclipse has a New Moon North Node in late Leo conjunct Mars trine Saturn in Sagittarius trine Uranus in Aries – so powerful, not quite as disruptive as the 1999 one, but still edgy, overly confident from too much Fire; and with the Fire Grand Trine turned into a Kite with Uranus opposition Jupiter, making it even more of a gamble, involving get-rich-quick-schemes which turn into disasters, unbridled flights of fantasy, promising more than can deliver, undiplomatic; or religious conflicts. And all in a Saros series which says ‘hasty decisions would not be wise.’

The direct path goes from the Oregon coast through Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and westward out towards the Senegal west coast in Africa.

On the assumption – and it’s a big IF – there is a similarly delayed reaction for this August 2017 Eclipse, Mars does return to the same degree of Leo in August 2019. That is just after the July 2019 3 North 11 degree Cancer Eclipse in the series which occurred in June 2001 just before 9/11. It brings a slightly manic, excitably determined mood. Not that 9/11 is likely to recur since these cycles come round every 18.5 years.

Previous events accompanying this 3 North series:

1983:The Ayatollah Khomeini declared Islam to be a “religion of the sword”. US Marines invade Grenada. IRA bomb Harrods in London. Hurricane Alicia causes $2 billion damage in Texas.

1965: Start of regular US bombing of North Vietnam, and first combat troops, rising sharply to 200,000 by December. Civil rights demonstrations and violence in USA. Radical black leader Malcolm X killed. India invades West Pakistan and bombs Lahore.

1947: British rule in India ends in August; violence follows partition. India Kashmir dispute. Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip in November in London.

1929: Highest point on bull market on US stock market precedes the crash in late October which starts the Great Depression. St Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago.

1911: Famine in Russia affects 30 million. Floods in China kill 100,000.

The August 2019 3 North Eclipse does appear to resonate in USA, UK, India and Palestine/Israel history.

It is preceded in January 2019 by a 2 South Solar Eclipse at 15 Capricorn which in the past has been associated with Republican gains in the US, though not usually with memorable times in America’s history.

1982: Ronald Reagan is President. USA highest unemployment since recession.

1964: The Mississippi Freedom Summer with civil rights groups active. Martin Luther King Jnr wins the Nobel Peace Prize. FBI make arrests over the murders of 3 white civil rights workers.

1946: The French trigger the Vietnam war of independence. 1928: Republican majorities in US Senate & Congress.   Because of anti-Catholic bigotry against the Democrat candidate, civil rights activists set up Nat. Conf. of Christians and Jews.

So it does look like a critical series of Eclipses for the USA over these next three years.

More Eclipse odds and ends: The Lunar Eclipse of 5 July 2001 immediately preceding 9/11 when located to New York had Mars exactly on the IC (conjunct Pluto) opposition Saturn conjunct MC – accident prone with major catastrophes more likely. The 2001 Lunar Eclipse also fell on the Ascendant/Descendant when set for Afghanistan, which was attacked in the October as a response for 9/11.

Pope John Paul 11 born on the day of a Solar Eclipse and died six days before a Solar Eclipse Eclipse.

Prince Charles married Diana two days away from a Solar Eclipse; and Camilla on the day of an Eclipse. Diana died within a couple of days of a Solar Eclipse; and Prince William was born on a Solar Eclipse.

The problem with Eclipses, of which there are at least four per year (2 Solar, 2 Lunar), is that you end up drowning in data especially when you track back historical events connected to any one particular eclipse cycle or degree. However two things are clear. One is that specific eclipses do seem to resonate with particular countries as they repeat on their 18.5 years cycle. Secondly, they can trigger events slightly before: around the exact date; on the New/Full Moon following; or even much further ahead as the planets cycle round to their Eclipse degrees.

The delayed effect happened with the 1999 Total Solar Eclipse in the 1 North Saros cycle series, which is the same series as this upcoming August one. In 1999 it rose in the Eastern seaboard of the USA, then crossed the UK, curving down across Afghanistan, Pakistan to finish in southern India. There was one small earthquake somewhere at the time in Turkey of memory serves me right, but nothing else, despite the New Moon Node in Leo being opposition Uranus and square Mars in Scorpio opposition Saturn, which looked destructive.

In January 2001 the same aspects recurred with Mars returning for the first time since 1999 to Scorpio, and along with the Aquarian Sun picking up the tale end of the waning, disruptive Saturn Uranus square. As those aspects repeated, the devastating Gujarat earthquake in central western India on January 26 2001 – exactly on the 1999 eclipse path – occurred as these aspects all came together again. The catastrophic national foot & mouth epidemic in the UK, also started around this time. Even later still in late March 2002, when Mars again in a fixed sign, Taurus, sitting on the square to Uranus, there was a major earthquake in Afghanistan, also on that 1999 eclipse path.

Japan, although not on the 1999 Eclipse path, is obviously sensitive to this 1 North series since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima happened under its shadow; and in early 2001 the admission was finally made that Japan’s economy was at the point of collapse.

This upcoming August 2017 Eclipse has a New Moon North Node in late Leo conjunct Mars trine Saturn in Sagittarius trine Uranus in Aries – so powerful, not quite as disruptive as the 1999 one, but still edgy, overly confident from too much Fire; and with the Fire Grand Trine turned into a Kite with Uranus opposition Jupiter, making it even more of a gamble, involving get-rich-quick-schemes which turn into disasters, unbridled flights of fantasy, promising more than can deliver, undiplomatic; or religious conflicts. And all in a Saros series which says ‘hasty decisions would not be wise.’

The direct path goes from the Oregon coast through Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and westward out towards the Senegal west coast in Africa.

On the assumption – and it’s a big IF – there is a similarly delayed reaction for this August 2017 Eclipse, Mars does return to the same degree of Leo in August 2019. That is just after the July 2019 3 North 11 degree Cancer Eclipse in the series which occurred in June 2001 just before 9/11. It brings a slightly manic, excitably determined mood. Not that 9/11 is likely to recur since these cycles come round every 18.5 years.

Previous events accompanying this 3 North series:

1983:The Ayatollah Khomeini declared Islam to be a “religion of the sword”. US Marines invade Grenada. IRA bomb Harrods in London. Hurricane Alicia causes $2 billion damage in Texas.

1965: Start of regular US bombing of North Vietnam, and first combat troops, rising sharply to 200,000 by December. Civil rights demonstrations and violence in USA. Radical black leader Malcolm X killed. India invades West Pakistan and bombs Lahore.

1947: British rule in India ends in August; violence follows partition. India Kashmir dispute. Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip in November in London.

1929: Highest point on bull market on US stock market precedes the crash in late October which starts the Great Depression. St Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago.

1911: Famine in Russia affects 30 million. Floods in China kill 100,000.

The August 2019 3 North Eclipse does appear to resonate in USA, UK, India and Palestine/Israel history.

It is preceded in January 2019 by a 2 South Solar Eclipse at 15 Capricorn which in the past has been associated with Republican gains in the US, though not usually with memorable times in America’s history.

1982: Ronald Reagan is President. USA highest unemployment since recession.

1964: The Mississippi Freedom Summer with civil rights groups active. Martin Luther King Jnr wins the Nobel Peace Prize. FBI make arrests over the murders of 3 white civil rights workers.

1946: The French trigger the Vietnam war of independence. 1928: Republican majorities in US Senate & Congress.   Because of anti-Catholic bigotry against the Democrat candidate, civil rights activists set up Nat. Conf. of Christians and Jews.

So it does look like a critical series of Eclipses for the USA over these next three years.

More Eclipse odds and ends: The Lunar Eclipse of 5 July 2001 immediately preceding 9/11 when located to New York had Mars exactly on the IC (conjunct Pluto) opposition Saturn conjunct MC – accident prone with major catastrophes more likely. The 2001 Lunar Eclipse also fell on the Ascendant/Descendant when set for Afghanistan, which was attacked in the October as a response for 9/11.

Pope John Paul 11 born on the day of a Solar Eclipse and died six days before a Solar Eclipse Eclipse.

Prince Charles married Diana two days away from a Solar Eclipse; and Camilla on the day of an Eclipse. Diana died within a couple of days of a Solar Eclipse; and Prince William was born on a Solar Eclipse.