Astrology of Today’s News

There have been protests on streets in many cities as the bloody battle for Aleppo draws to a destructive end. The Eiffel Tower went dark, Qatar cancelled its national celebrations; there were demos in London, Sarajevo and Amman, with outbursts of feeling when the Russia/Turkey cease fire failed to hold as Syrian government and Iranian forces continued to pound rebels and civilians.

The Battle for Aleppo started on 19 July 2012 on a brutal Mars square Pluto; and a Cancer New Moon square Saturn. Saturn has now moved to square the Sun exactly as the city is all but annihilated.

The Syria country chart, 1 Jan 1944 12 am, was always heading for a total meltdown as the Solar Arc Saturn squared the Uranus Mars conjunction exactly over the past few months and weeks. There may be a ray of sunshine from May 2017 onwards with tr Uranus trine the Syria Jupiter.

Despite the ‘win’ Assad’s Presidency chart, 17 July 2000, doesn’t look that upbeat or settled with tr Uranus square the Mars at the moment and square the Sun from late April, on and off for a year; with worsening dangers and frustrations from tr Pluto opposition Mars in 2018/19.

His personal chart with its Virgo Sun Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn in Pisces is also heading for an undermining, uncertain, panicky few years of ebbing power from April 2017 on for several years.

His Saturn is conjunct the Syria Pisces Moon with his Uranus Pluto Sun in opposition so he’s been a disaster for the country over which he’s had an iron grip. Whether he gets dislodged is a moot point, though there are signs of movement on his relationship chart with Syria in 2017/18 so we can always hope.

Vladimir Putin’s Presidency chart, 7 May 2012 12.10 pm Moscow, always did look in for a stupendous triumph as the Solar Arc Sun moved to conjunct the 10^th house Jupiter, exact exact over the US Inauguration 2017 (one minute = a sixtieth of a degree).  His term is over its early instabilities and is definitely flying high with a getting-a-firm-grip tr Pluto trine the Sun, again this January as it has done in 2016, until late 2017. Into 2018/19 tr Pluto is trine the Presidency Jupiter which is more confidence and success.  There’ll be a few wobbles and arguments when tr Uranus is opposition the Saturn and conjunct Mercury in April/May 2017 and on, but the warm glow will continue through till the next election in 2018 when he’s eligible to stand again.

His own chart, 7 October 1952, is facing considerable challenges but he’ll be forging ahead nonetheless with a pushily confident and successful tr Pluto trine his Jupiter in 2017/18. His natal ruthless Pluto in Leo trine Mars in Sagittarius is forming into a Fire Grand Trine with tr Uranus in Aries in trine to both, so his risk-taking entrepreneurial spirit will be sky rocketing, which won’t do nerves in the East European ex-Soviet countries any good. Tr Pluto is opposition his Uranus in 2017/18 which does suggest a major turnaround in his life.

On the downside he’s got a tough tr Pluto square his Saturn this coming year, as last; with a highly-strung tr Uranus opposition his Neptune Mercury; and from 2018 tr Pluto square his Neptune.

His relationship with Rex Tillerson is friendly with a composite Sun Venus trine Jupiter. It’ll get the separating tr Saturn conjunction to the composite Sun, then Venus and Uranus in 2018/19, so may not stay as cosy.

Trump’s relationship with him is more controlling with a composite Sun Pluto conjunction. Putin’s Jupiter is conjunct Trump’s MC so Trump clearly sees him as a road to his success. But these Plutonic relationships have a habit of deteriorating and ending up in a tug of war for supremacy. There’ll be a definite hiccup between them from this May onwards as tr Uranus opposes the composite Mars, and that repeats till early 2018.

The USA relationship charts with Russia 1917 and 1991 look much less cheerful with undermining Neptune transits to the composite Sun Saturn on one and Mars on the other from mid May 2017 onwards  till early 2019. Plus downbeat Saturn transits. So the US leadership may not be singing from quite same hymn sheet as the US population.

Saturn moves into Capricorn from December 2017 staying till December 2020. Traditionally this was associated with hardship and deprivation and it does affect the USA chart with its Venus Jupiter Sun in Cancer; and the UK, EU, Australia etc with Capricorn Suns.

In fact two of the major financial crashes – Wall Street 1929 and the October 1987 – occurred before Saturn got there and was in late Sagittarius (i.e similar to what’s around this coming year in 2017). The Great Depression kicked in from 1930 when tr Saturn in Capricorn was in opposition to Pluto and square Uranus. Both Saturn Pluto and Saturn Uranus have negative connotations for economic prosperity. The 1987 crash happened with a Saturn Uranus conjunction in late Sagittarius.

Saturn was in Capricorn 1988 to 1991 and was very muddled up with the Uranus Neptune conjunction.  The 1987 crash happened just before. The previous time Saturn was in Capricorn was January 1959 to the end of 1961. There had been a recession in 1958; and another one picking up in April 1960 lasting till February 1961. Then Saturn started in Capricorn on a quincunx to Uranus.

This next Saturn in Capricorn is in orb aspect to Pluto in 2019 but not exact until early 2020. Though the exact aspects are not necessarily involved in major shifts, and the effect of Saturn in Capricorn will have been there since late 2017.

Saturn will oppose the USA Venus Jupiter through 2018 and then oppose the Sun in 2019. In the UK/EU with 10 degree Capricorn Suns the exact Saturn conjunction will come late 2018 into 2019.

By early 2020 Jupiter has moved into Capricorn which will help.

The sum total is that a recession is almost inevitable, perhaps kicking in through this year though there are no hard Saturn aspects to Uranus, only a soft trine. It’ll be tough going through 2018/19 with glimmerings of light by 2020.

The last time Saturn was conjunct Pluto in Capricorn was in 1284 when Wales was incorporated into England; and the Pied Piper led children away in Hamelin (chuckle, lovely analogy). Venice coined the gold ducat, the standard of European coinage for the following six hundred years.

Rex Tillerson, chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has been nominated for US secretary of state. Though his confirmation hearing is likely to be a rocky given his close ties to Russia, his deliberate downplaying of climate change and various controversial oil deals in Canada, Northern Iraq and associations with countries abroad with poor human rights records.

Born 23 March 1952 in Wichita Falls, Texas, he’s an upfront, pro-active Sun Aries with a fearsomely determined and ruthless Pluto square Mars in Scorpio; and a confident, pushy Jupiter in Aries trine Pluto. A big personality. His Sun opposes Saturn in Libra squaring onto an innovative/divisive Uranus in Cancer. With his Jupiter Mercury in Aries in a high-finance opposition to Neptune.

His Sun, Mercury and Jupiter fall in Trump’s 8^th so a strong financial connection. His Venus Moon in Pisces are in Trump’s 7^th which is good for a friendly connection/partnership. Though his Mars Pluto square does rather tangle with Trump’s Mars Pluto. It’ll be a robust working association with Tillerson bluntly straight talking, making unexpected suggestions about new experimental approaches.

Their relationship chart is friendly with a composite Sun Venus though that squares Pluto, which will be a tight connection at the start, moving into power struggles about who gets the last word. There’s also a non-mutually supportive composite Mars Neptune, which suggests egos will get in the way. Two alpha males. There’s nothing much ruffling the relationship chart (without a birth time) apart from an overly confident tr Pluto opposition Jupiter in 2017/18 which may generate too much confidence between them, leading to brash decisions.

He’s an easier fit for Trump than Gary Cohn, President of Goldman Sachs, who’s been handed the job of director of the National Economic Council, which has a key role in policymaking, and does not require Senate confirmation.

Cohn, 27 Aug 1960 New York, is an intense Sun Mercury Pluto in Virgo in a tough trine to Saturn in Capricorn, sextile Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio. [Born four days before Hassan Nasrullah, head of Hezbollah.]

Cohn also has a gung-ho Jupiter in Sagittarius opposition Mars in Gemini square Venus in Virgo.

Cohn’s Jupiter is conjunct Trump’s Moon which will help; but his Mars is conjunct Trump’s 10^th house Uranus and his Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Mars – so a definite clash of agendas and egos.

Their relationship chart has an explosively volatile composite Sun Mars Uranus square Neptune Saturn, trine Jupiter; with Jupiter square Pluto Venus. So huge amount of game-playing and competitiveness in there. It’ll probably start nice with Venus Jupiter Pluto and deteriorate. Mind you almost from square one since tr Uranus will square the composite Mars in February with a discouraging tr Pluto square the composite Saturn at the same time, running on and off for two years. I suspect that one won’t last the full term.

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The Electors meet in their own states on December 19^th to cast their votes for President and Vice President. These have to be delivered by Dec 28^th to the Senate; there’s a meeting on Jan 3^rd; and another on January 6^th when votes are counted in Congress.

While it seems unthinkable that any rebellion amongst the Electors could overturn what was a considerable win for Trump of 306 to Clinton’s 232, these are bizarre times. And both Trump’s chart and the USA 1776 do indicate serious setbacks over this period. See previous post on Trump facing Saturn, Dec 1 below.

The 19^th sees Mercury going retrograde/stationary at 10.54 am UT till January 8^th.  Tr Saturn will oppose the USA Mars at 21 Gemini from Dec 29 to Jan 5^th; and then squares the US Neptune from January 5^th to 15^th. So anger, confusion, panic, a collision.

Trump, of course, has tr Saturn conjunct his Moon and then opposition his Sun from Dec 29 to Jan 15. Both of which will be deflating.

Not only is the Clinton vote 2.5 million more than Trump; there’s now a major rumpus about the Russians interfering in the election to favour Trump, releasing Democrat hacked info while holding back Republican material. And the Republican FBI chief is being accused of damaging Clinton with allegations which he later retracted as unfounded two days before the election.

All an unholy mess as Trump continues to favour as nominees precisely the fat cats he accused Clinton of cosying up to.

Prince Andrew has issued what the press are calling ‘an extraordinary public statement’ denying there is any rift between himself and Prince Charles over the status of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. He is upset at recent press reports that he wants his daughters’ future husbands to be given earldoms and said the stories were “completely made up”.

It’s no secret the two brothers were never close and recent steps to slim down the Monarchy to the heir and his family have not gone down well with Prince Andrew, nor did the removal of expensive protection officers for the two girls.

Andrew and Charles’s relationship chart has an aggravated, argumentative, competitive composite Sun Mercury Mars conjunction in a cool sextile to Saturn; with the composite Moon square Saturn – so not remotely amiable or friendly.

There’s not much showing at the moment except on midpoints, though their relationship will continue to be tense through 2017. Where it starts to get really sticky is from late in 2017 and through 2018 and beyond as tr Saturn moves across the composite Descendant and starts to conjunct first the composite Jupiter, then Mars and the Sun, Mercury through 2019 as well. So the gulf will widen considerably presumably as HM Queen retreats further into the background and Charles takes more of a foreground role.

Prince Andrew, 19 Feb 1960 3.38pm London, has a tension-erupting Solar Arc Uranus square his Saturn at the moment; tr Uranus is conjunct his MC in early and late 2017 for a change of career or life direction; and a ‘shocking’ Solar Arc Sun square his Mars, exact in late 2017. At that point as well tr Saturn will conjunct his 5^th house Jupiter which will dampen his enthusiasm, especially where his children are concerned. Into 2018 tr Uranus will square his Mars Venus in Capricorn which will fire up his temper and rattle him significantly.

He’s been left without an official role since blotting his copybook a few years back which removed his trade envoy job, and his as yet unmarried daughters, one of whom appears incapable of holding down a steady job and holidays endlessly, are getting a running bad press. His bizarre relationship with his ex-Sarah Ferguson looks to be drifting further apart in 2017/18.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s tortured relationship with PM Theresa May has ratcheted up another notch with his undiplomatic (and oh so true) comments about Saudi Arabia and the devastating effects of its military interference in the Yemen. He had been ruffled by being the butt of her jokes in speeches and has now been publicly slapped down for talking out of turn.

With a Mutable T Square of Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto squaring onto an 8^th house Mars in Gemini, impulsive comments were to be expected from him. But she knew that which raises the question of what her game was in appointing him. Giving him enough rope? Or better having him inside the tent than stirring up rebellion from the backbenches?

Their relationship chart has a composite Saturn opposition Jupiter square Mars which is being walloped around over the next three years with tr Pluto conjunct the composite Saturn in January and tr Uranus conjunct the Mars in March – so it’ll be simmering dislike before breaking out into open warfare.

He doesn’t look remotely at ease through 2017 or 2018 – from February next with tr Uranus square his Mars/Pluto and then following, an extraordinarily tough tr Pluto square his Mars/Saturn and then opposition his Mars/Uranus. It all looks high risk apart from anything else, but also deeply frustrated and bad-tempered. He’ll sag badly as well in 2018 with tr Neptune square his Sun/Mars. Then get his mojo back in 2019/20 just in time for the next election.

Actress Emma Watson, best known for her Harry Potter movies, is also a model and UN Goodwill Ambassador, with a degree in English Literature. She’s been speaking out recently as a feminist, arguing for gender equality and against domestic violence.

She was born 15 April 1990 6pm Paris, France with two lawyer parents who separated when she was young. She has an 8^th house Aries Sun so determined and feisty; with her Sun in a hard-working square to Saturn in Capricorn in her 4^th. She also has Uranus Neptune in her 4^th, so clearly a disrupted childhood. Her Sun is trine an adventurous Sagittarius Moon, sextiling onto outspoken Mars in Aquarius in the 5^th/6^th – so a fighter for good causes. Her Venus in Pisces in the 6^th is trine a lucky Jupiter in the 10^th in Cancer widely trine Pluto – a Water Grand Trine which makes her creative, a good healer for others, though not always for herself, self-protective.

She has a Fire Sun and Moon, a Water Grand Trine and four Earth planets so she’s a real ball of energy. And well-plugged into the zeitgeist with her Mercury in Taurus opposition Pluto square an Aquarius (= good for humanitarian causes) in her 5^th.

Career-wise she’s got a long way to go with tr Saturn only now moving through her second quadrant. It won’t always be easy for her emotionally and she’ll suit a peripatetic lifestyle. But she’ll become more and more admired the older she gets with that Jupiter in her 10^th.

Two figure skaters who are having a shaky start to the competition season are Gracie Gold, 17 Aug 1995 and Ashley Wagner, 16 May 1991.

Gracie Gold was an Olympic Junior medallist and national champion. She’s a charming Sun Venus in Leo in a determined square to Pluto. Her problem is her Mars at 16 Libra which is picking up the tr Pluto square which is highly frustrating through 2016/17. She’s been talking about her weight problem since although she looks slim she feels she needs to be leaner to cope with the demanding agilities of the sport. She looks muddled through 2017 as well as stuck.

Ashley Wagner is a multiple competition winner and national champion. She’s a redoubtable Sun Taurus opposition Pluto, sextile Mars in Cancer; with Mars in turn opposition Neptune (Uranus). Her problem at the moment is her Neptune at 16 Capricorn which tr Pluto is conjunct in 2016/17. That’s confusing, and disorienting. She’s got a run of insecure, accident-prone Uranus transits to Mars midpoints up to late April when she may start to hit her old form again.