Astrology of Today’s News

The multi-talented Barbra Streisand, 65 years into a singing career that shows no sign of losing its glitter, was born 24 April 1942 5.08am New York. Her father died when she was one years old and her mother struggled to bring up the family in poverty.

She’s got a stalwart Taurus Sun Mercury (rules the throat) square an intense Moon Pluto in Leo in the performing 5^th house; with Saturn and Uranus also in Taurus – so a very Fixed chart, enduring, stubborn, dislikes change. She’s also got four Mutable planets – Venus in Pisces in the 12^th widely opposition Neptune and North Node in Virgo square Jupiter and Mars in Gemini in her 3^rd. So she’ll certainly be a good communicator and outspoken with Mars in her 3^rd. Worth noting: a surprising number of people who lose a father early have Sun Pluto hard aspects which simplistically is the controlling, dominating father but in this instance is the father outwith control.

She’s always been a Democrat, appearing on Nixon’s Enemies list. At present she seems to be working on a film adaptation of the musical Gypsy and preparing to direct a film on Catherine the Great of Russia.

Exact at the moment is her Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her 5^th house Moon, so that will key into the women’s movement of rebellion against Trump. Though Solar Arc Saturn follows hard on its heels to conjunct her Moon late this year which will be a downer. Tr Saturn is aiming to hit her midheaven by 2018 and staying in her upper quadrant for seven years thereafter which is usually hard-working, responsible and high profile. Jupiter through her 7^th this year will find her being more outgoing and meeting an enthusiastic response. But it still looks an edgy, undermining and enraging year with tr Pluto trine her Sun/Uranus midpoint; and tr Neptune square her Mars/Saturn and Mars/Uranus as well as tr Pluto opposition her Mars/Pluto.

2018 will do her popularity the world of good with her Solar Arc MC conjunct her Venus. Tr Uranus is gearing up to oppose her Pluto and conjunct her Sun in 2019/2020 which will either turn her life upside down or see her in full revolutionary gear. Maybe both.

Scottish actor Ewan MacGregor doing the publicity rounds for the latest Trainspotting movie has fallen foul of Piers Morgan by refusing to be interviewed by him on television because of Morgan’s blast against Madonna’s performance at the Women’s March.

McGregor born 31 March 1971 8.10pm Perth, Scotland and Morgan, 30 March 1965, are both Sun Aries which is always a recipe for a head-on collision, even if it didn’t happen on screen. MacGregor has his Sun opposition Uranus square Mars in Capricorn, so is not exactly retiring; and Morgan has the excitably pugnacious Mars Uranus Pluto in Virgo – so they’re fairly well matched as opponents. Their relationship chart has a composite Sun Saturn which is defensive and chilly with the composite Mars quincunx Sun and composite Mercury quincunx Uranus – crossed lines in several directions.

MacGregor is coming out of a low-ish profile phase of his career which has never quite matched up to earlier expectations, despite Star Wars and awards for Moulin Rouge and Salmond Fishing in Yemen.  He does have tr Jupiter through his 1^st this year which will raise his confidence and profile, and into 2018 boost his finances. But he looks in for a fairly tough stretch ahead with tr Pluto trine his 8^th house Saturn in 2018/19.

Piers Morgan, who has hitched his wagon very clearly to his friend Donald Trump’s rising star, looks in for a debilitating 2017/18 with tr Neptune conjunct his Saturn and opposition Mars Uranus mid Feb to early March, and mid October to Jan 2018; as well as opposition his Pluto in 2017/18. There may be other reasons for his slump but it doesn’t look too impressive for the two years ahead.

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The Clintons, according to reports, are analysing what went wrong in the election and sorting out their plans for backseat involvement in the Democratic Party in the time ahead, having giving up any thought of standing for public office again.

While Hillary has an upbeat patch in September/October 2017, on the whole she’s facing a confusing and discouraging year, taking time to recover from a poleaxing failure. If her birth time of 8am is sound then tr Saturn is moving through the lowest point of her first quadrant for three years ahead which is usually a sinker for ego and ambitions. And Jupiter will be going through her 12^th from later this year for 12 months which tends to be introspective. She’ll bounce more enthusiastically in 2018 when tr Jupiter crosses her Ascendant. Tr Uranus into her 6^th from mid 2017 for  several years thereafter suggests a change of career and perhaps a few health issues. By 2018 she has tr Uranus opposition her Sun which will pose her some difficult questions, since with such a fixed chart, she finds shifting gear exceptionally hard.

Bill Clinton looks more resilient through 2017 with tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter and trine his Leo Sun; and tr Pluto trine his confident Jupiter/Pluto midpoint. But he’ll still have his down moments, losses and lack of a clear direction, with tr Neptune opposition his Jupiter/Saturn midpoint and opposition his Solar Arc MC; with patches of confusion and fury as well. What he can look forward to is his Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Jupiter in 2020 which is a definite high; with tr Pluto square his Jupiter in 2019/2020. So assuming his health holds up, he’ll be all systems-go for the next election.

Chelsea Clinton who shares a Scorpio Ascendant with her mother is in a similarly low profile phase, sorting out her ambitions for the years ahead in private. She’ll emerge from her low profile Saturn career phase in 2022 and then it’s all ahead for her, with her peak in her fifties and sixties. She’s ambitious and lucky with Mars Jupiter in her 10^th and will become more and more respected the older she gets.

She’s not having her best year in 2017 with home and financial worries, some depression, aggravation and setbacks. The February Pisces Eclipse is closely conjunct her 4^th house Sun so some kind of domestic or family crisis requiring action, which will require her to rethink her roots and the foundation of her life. Like Hillary she’ll be more outgoing and confident come 2018 with tr Jupiter crossing her Ascendant.

Qatar, tiny but energy-rich and one of the wealthiest Arab countries in the world, has a major stake in Europe in property and businesses. It has been feeling the pinch with the oil price drops recently but is diversifying into infrastructure projects and cutting back on cultural and World Cup 2022 costs. It is an absolute monarchy under Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who is close to the Muslim Brotherhood and is run under Sharia Law which allows flogging and stoning; with severe restrictions on freedom of speech and faces criticism for its ill-treatment of migrant workers.

The Emir was born 3 June 1980 and has 9 children by three wives. He’s a Sun Gemini trine Pluto, square Mars Saturn in Virgo, so fairly tough. He looks less than confident through this year with tr Neptune opposing his Mars mid Feb to mid March, and again late in 2017; and square his Sun till early 2018. Then he moves into two really challenging and discouraging years until 2020 with tr Pluto trine his Saturn.

His Reign chart, 25 June 2013 8am Doha, looks very upbeat in 2017 with Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct the Sun; though there will be disruptions and upheavals, emotional shocks, from late this March from tr Uranus square Mercury Venus and in 2018 square the Moon. The really tough years look like being 2019 to 2022 with tr Neptune square the Mars, and Solar Arc Sun opposing Pluto and square Uranus. That fits with his personal chart which has fairly cataclysmic Solar Arcs in 2020 of Solar Arc Mars conjunct Pluto; and Solar Arc Uranus opposition Venus.

The country chart, 1 September 1971 12 am, isn’t showing much apart from an image-denting tr Neptune square Ascendant this year; a forced change of direction in 2018. But it does have tr Pluto moving through the 8^th for many years ahead which will be very stuck financially and in other ways.

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven absolute monarchies which came together on 2 December 1971 and is now under the presidency of Sheikh Khalifa, born 25 January 1945, who took over on 3 November 2004. Human Rights organisations complain of restrictions on freedom of speech, treatment of migrant workers and disappearance/imprisonment of activists. The UAE is fairly contradictory in its approach since it is traditionally conservative, but likes to look liberal to attract rich westerners and tourists. It is expected to lead economic growth in the Arabian Gulf this year.

The UAE chart has a Sagittarius Sun conjunct Jupiter on one side and Neptune on the other, square Mars in Pisces which tr Neptune is slowly wending its way round in hard aspect, till late 2018 which suggests none-too-solid foundations. Neptune can create bubbles of false happiness, especially financial, which then deflate in a hurry.

Both Sheik Khalifa’s personal chart and his Presidency chart indicate significant and disruptive changes with major upheavals and setbacks between 2019 and 2022.

Clearly the turn of the decade and just before with the recession/war-prone Saturn Pluto in Capricorn won’t leave the autocracies of the Gulf unscathed.

Kuwait is a semi-parliamentary democracy though the Emir can and frequently does dissolve the legislature, and appoints the prime minister. It became independent on 19 June 1961 and the present Emir, now 87 years old, took over on 29 Jan 2006. Like other Arab states it is having to introduce austerity cutbacks and promote non-oil business to combat the price fall. On the Kuwait country chart, this year looks edgy and marginally discouraging; with 2018 much more unsettled and disruptive with a rebellious population. Real trouble spans the years 2019 to 2021 as for Qatar and the UAE above. With a Solar Arc Sun conjunct Uranus and following that conjunct Mars, which looks angry and highly insecure as well as explosive.

The Emir of Kuwait’s reign chart, looks in for a shock this year with the Solar Arc Sun square Mars; and a trapped, frustrating 2018/19 with tr Pluto trine Mars; with 2019 also having the destabilising Solar Arc Pluto square Uranus.

Bahrain, the smallest of the Gulf states, is heavily dependent on Saudi Arabia politically and economically and as Saudi’s growth declines towards recession, it’ll impact heavily on Bahrain, already struggling against junk status and internal unrest. There has been a marked deterioration in human rights since 2016 with opposition leaders and activists harassed and prosecuted. Authorities have not held officials accountable for the mistreatment and torture of detainees, continue to arbitrarily strip citizenship from Bahrainis who have been critical of the government, and subject civil society actors to arbitrary travel bans. One commentator said: ‘The country is sinking into a self-harming cycle of political repression leading to ever deeper economic woes, and there seems to be no impetus for a change of course among the leaders.’ It is a constitutional monarchy, under the rule of the Al Khalifa family since the late 18^th Century. It became independent on 14 Aug 1971 and the present Emir took over on 14 Feb 2002.

The Emir of Bahrain’s reign chart is scarily blocked through 2017/18 with tr Pluto square Mars; and even more undermined in 2018 with Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Sun in 2018; and facing a considerable upheaval by 2020 as tr Pluto is sextile the Uranus and tr Uranus square Neptune.

The Bahrain chart indicates a protracted period of high risk, escalating tension, fanaticism and upset between 2020 and 2023. So all of the Gulf charts look to be in the eye of one storm at least at this decade closes and a new ones opens, right through the Saturn Pluto and then Jupiter conjunction.

The UK doesn’t know whether to cheer or scream as PM Theresa May in her desperate search for new trade allies post-Brexit bags an early slot in Donald Trump’s visiting dignitary calendar for late this coming week. Politics was always going to win over principle when it comes to economic survival; and from Trump’s point of view the UK offers the unique and glittering prize of a Royal visit.

Oddly enough, Theresa May, for all her schoolmarmy prudery, does appear to blend reasonably well with Trump. Their relationship chart has an exuberant composite Mars trine Jupiter, sextile Venus; with Venus conjunct Sun – so enough friendly positives to outweigh the risks of the composite Sun Mercury Pluto which will turn into a tug of war for the upper hand at points.

TM’s Jupiter in Virgo squares DT’s Sun Uranus opposition Moon and her Sun in Libra is conjunct his Neptune Jupiter, both of which will smooth round rough edges. What may cause some aggro is her rigid Pluto on his Mars Ascendant though her Venus is close by, so maybe she’ll turn on the charm; and could even offer him the opportunity to soften/transform his belligerent approach.

TM’s Saturn in Scorpio sits on his IC as does HM Queen’s Saturn MC, so both will tap into his sense of his roots with a Scottish mother; and indeed German grandmother, both of who were strong women.

His relationship chart with the Queen needless to say isn’t great with a composite Sun opposition Mars, sextile/trine Pluto and trine/sextile Saturn – so rigid, a necessity borne through gritted teeth. That relationship does look ruffled through this year with tr Uranus square Pluto and tr Pluto square the Moon, but HM will no doubt sail on as she does with tricky State visits with icy courtesy. And his Gemini Sun, like Prince Philip’s falls in her 5^th which may help.

Prince Charles who is ramping up his climate change campaigning won’t be so enamoured, with DT’s Mars square his Scorpio Sun. Their composite has a smidgeon of friendliness from a Sun Venus conjunction; but also an explosive Grand Trine of Uranus Mars trine Moon, so more fireworks there.

Actress and political activist, Ashley Judd, was in fighting fettle on Saturday’s Women’s March in Washington and didn’t pull any punches in a poem she read out.  Written by a teenager it was called ‘I am a Nasty woman.’  “ I’m as nasty as a man who looks like he bathes in Cheetos dust. A man whose words are a death trap to America. – I didn’t know devils could be resurrected but I feel Hitler in these streets. A moustache traded for a toupee.” URL: goo.gl/9I8gXT.

Born 19 April 1968 1.12pm Sylmar, California, with a country music singer mother and sister Winona, and a father involved in horse racing, she has acted throughout her adult life – Missing, Double Jeopardy, Divergent, Insurgent – and was married for 12 years to racing driver Dario Franchitti. Her humanitarian work has revolved around AIDs in countries like Rwanda, Kenya, Cambodia and has she promoted women’s causes and equality.

She’s a feisty Sun Mercury in Aries in the much-travelled and communicative 9^th trine a confidently exuberant Jupiter on her Leo Ascendant. She’s also got Venus Saturn Node in Aries – so very fiery, pro-active and inspirational. Her ambitious and opinionated Mars in Taurus in the 9^th conjunct her MC is in a showbiz, publicity-attracting opposition to Neptune and trine a rebellious Uranus Pluto in Virgo. Her Aquarius Moon is in the 6^th square her Sun. She’s certainly well-designed to be a spokesperson and a fighter for good causes.

Donald Trump’s Mars Ascendant is conjunct her Jupiter Ascendant so he’ll press her buttons. Both share a determined Taurus MC with her Mars square his Pluto; and his Saturn squares her Sun, Mercury Saturn – so differing agendas and she’s certainly up to the task of confronting him.

She looked enfuriated and frustrated last December post-election with tr Pluto trine her Mars and that influence returns this coming autumn. But she’s in good form with tr Uranus trine her Jupiter on and off through this year and outspoken with tr Uranus conjunct her Mercury. Though it’s an uphill struggle at times with tr Pluto square her Saturn and tr Saturn square her Uranus. 2018/19 see tr Pluto trine her MC which will give her more influence and help her career.

The ‘Black House’ as Trump Tower is known to New Yorkers was opened to great fanfare on 14 February 1983. It was proclaimed as Donald Trump’s “fantasyland for the affluent shopper” as “flamboyant, exciting and emblematic of the American dream.” The fantasy turned sour fairly rapidly as it was ridiculed by architectural critics – ‘a pink marble maelstrom’ – and abandoned by celebrity residents, who sold their pads to swindlers and felons. Glamorous boutiques bailed out, leaving ordinary ones and empty space in their wake. So it’s had a chequered history from its grandiose start. Trump still lives there and it was the location for television reality-show The Apprentice.

http://nypost.com/2017/01/20/the-bizarre-history-of-trump-tower-and-why-donald-loathes-to-leave-it/

It has a dourly determined Aquarius Sun trine Pluto Saturn, so was clearly built to withstand crises. There’s also a showbizzy Neptune square Venus Mars (and Moon)in Pisces; and an adventurous Jupiter Uranus in colourful Sagittarius. It looks a touch blocked at the moment as presidential security is jamming up the streets surrounding it for the foreseeable future with the Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Jupiter Uranus.

The Tower is facing great uncertainty and major disruption come 2018/19 with tr Uranus opposition Pluto and the following year Saturn; with the Solar Arc Neptune square Saturn in 2019. I have utterly no idea what that might mean, except it won’t be a happy atmosphere, that’s for sure.

The Trump family empire started way back in 1923, with Donald Trump taking over in the 1970s, but the only accurate date I can source is the LLC date of 27 July 1999, which will have similarities to the earlier dates. That fittingly gives a Leo Sun, Mercury and North Node opposition Neptune and Uranus in Aquarius square Mars in Scorpio opposition Jupiter and Saturn in Taurus. With Sun trine Pluto. So an incredibly Fixed and enduring chart, with streaks of nastiness with Mars in Scorpio, a penchant for publicity with Mars Neptune; autocratic from Sat Ur; slippery at times from Neptune; and a tendency to go through periods of great upheaval with Uranus square Saturn and Mars.

It’s ploughing through heavy seas this year (as last) with tr Pluto trine Saturn; will get lucky breaks in 2018 with tr Uranus conjunct the Jupiter; but there will be a rolling series of disruptions and shocks  2019 to 2022 as tr Uranus moves in hard aspect to all the other planets in the Fixed Grand Cross.

Barack and Michelle Obama have choppered off to a few days sunshine in Palm Springs before returning to Washington for their younger daughter’s final two years at school. They made the handover in typically gracious style, earning plaudits from Trump, which must have been hard given his contemptuous and relentless birther campaign when they first moved into the White House; and in the knowledge that he’s about to take an axe to Obama’s legacy.

It was more of a shock to Michelle who has her Solar Arc Uranus square her Mars in Aquarius; and if her birth time of 1.56am is sound her Progressed Moon is also conjunct her Mars – so she’ll be fuming fit to bust. Obama himself, ever phlegmatic, looks less ruffled immediately, though he’s clearly changing his plans to become more active at grassroots level in the Democratic Party; and will undoubtedly speak out if Trump gets too egregiously unpleasant and damaging.

Obama has the hard-working tr Saturn in his upper quadrant until 2023, which is his peak, so he’ll be consolidating his life’s work in some way and gaining respect. Tr Jupiter through his 9^th from later this year for a year could see him travelling further afield more extensively and getting his vision across. His Progressed Moon is going through his 4^th for a few more months which is generally quieter, home oriented, and then it moves into his 5^th for a more sociable, outgoing two or three years. Then late 2018 for the next year he’s got tr Jupiter through his 10^th which will be successful, with appreciation and recognition coming his way.

But for all that he looks fairly trapped with tr Pluto moving now into his 12^th to stay there for many years ahead, although it could also see him pulling strings effectively behind the scenes. His everyday schedule will speed up considerably from 2018 onwards with tr Uranus moving into his 3^rd and he may become more outspoken in the years thereafter.

It won’t be easy for him this year with tr Saturn square his 8^th house Mars in October and a jolting tr Uranus square his Saturn from late April this year, on and off till early 2018; plus a sinking tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Pluto mid point from April, on and off till late 2018. So he will have some bad moments.

What he has managed to achieve in his life is extraordinary given the milieu in which he chose to operate, despite his failings. He does have a strong get-it-together 5^th Harmonic; but his most marked is his 11^th which speaks of an obsessive dream and the determined need to live it out. His 22^nd super-star is also marked.

Michelle looks jangled, argumentative and undermined with tr Uranus square her Capricorn Sun from June onwards for a year; tr Pluto conjunct her Mercury/Mars from Feb for two years (and that is angry); plus tr Neptune opposing her Pluto. She may take till 2018 to get into enthusiasm back.

The deed is done, the die is cast and the USA (and the world) stand on a new frontier.

Exactly at noon 20^th January 2017 Donald Trump swore the oath of office. There isn’t the same enthusiastic Sun Jupiter in the 10^th as there was for Obama’s first term; but nor is it as difficult a chart as GW Bush’s muddled, explosively aggressive and dirty-dealing first term. Nor at all like Richard Nixon’s, for anyone hoping for an impeachment.

There’s a 12^th house Uranus opposition a 6^th house Jupiter which on the one hand could be adventurous in seeking remedies for employment which is his stump and inaugural promise; though it also points to underground rebel movements who don’t share his philosophy of life. That opposition squares onto Pluto in the 9^th which tends to be control-freaky, suggests high-tension foreign relations which will certainly be the case if he goes all-out protectionist. But could also indicate rolling legal actions which are not unlikely; as well as a push to reform education; and maintain a firm grip on communications.

There are two ‘wedges’ as well, which are difficult to balance. Uranus opposition Jupiter trine/sextile an 8^th house Saturn in know-it-all Sagittarius – shortage of money may get in the way of grandiose schemes; and Saturn is highly resistant to change in the 8^th.

The Virgo North Node opposes Neptune and is trine/sextile Mercury in Capricorn. The North Node in the 5^th is head-in-the-clouds, a dreamer and a fantasist, impractical. There is a need to let go castles-in-the-sky and get realistic about what it is possible to create. This is especially true given the Neptune opposition and Pisces on the South Node which will exacerbate the tendency to escapism and daydreaming. To work well this Node must work in a spirit of service to others. Neptune is also trine the Scorpio Moon and the Moon squares the Mars/Saturn midpoint as well as being in minor aspect to Mars and Saturn = discontented, unhappy, mistreated women; perhaps also points to the repeal of Obamacare since the Moon falls in the 6^th and is afflicted.

Neptune Venus and Mars all sit in the 11^th house which rules the legislature and society’s hopes for the future. So confusion in Congress/Senate, along with some good will and a great deal of argument, especially over financial policies since Mars squares the 8^th house Saturn. The USA won’t quite know where it is going since Neptune tends to be directionless.

It’ll certainly be an arena for hostile arguments with Mercury in aspect to Saturn/Pluto = Mars/Pluto = Saturn/Uranus = Mars/Uranus.

There will be some heated spats from the middle of next week for a few days as tr Saturn squares Mars; some uplift in March with tr Uranus opposition Jupiter; and a sharp change of direction as tr Uranus squares the MC in May this year, repeating in October and again in early 2018. But the real wobbles will come from Feb 2018 for two years with tr Pluto square Uranus exactly; and in late 2019 when the Solar Arc Pluto squares Uranus. Both of those will de-stabilise his administration, though such a tight-grip Pluto will hang on through thick and thin.