Astrology of Today’s News

The drinking water in Flint, Michigan is so polluted by lead and other contaminants that it is causing irreversible damage to the population’s health. In 2014 the supply was switched away from Detroit in a financial crisis to a cheaper local supply into which car factories used to pour waste. The corrosive Flint River water, which could have been sorted with a simple phosphate additive, started dissolving at the city’s lead-based pipes. There has been a spike in Legionnaire’s Disease as well with deaths.

Flint, the birthplace of activist Michael Moore, has 40% under the poverty level, 30% are illiterate, and violent crime levels are among the highest in the USA. It is nearly two thirds black.

President Obama has declared it a disaster zone. People from all over the US are sending in bottled water and donations. It has now been reconnected to the Detroit supply, but it may be a year before the water is safe to drink again. There have been class action lawsuits filed against the state Governor Rick Snyder amongst others.

The first city charter for Flint was agreed on 3 February 1855 when Uranus Pluto were in Taurus, Neptune in Pisces was square Saturn in Gemini; and Jupiter, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars were spread out through Aquarius.

In the past two years tr Pluto was trine Uranus creating disruptions; with tr Saturn squaring the Aquarius planets. At the moment the Solar Arc Neptune is opposing the Sun/Mars midpoint which is undermining and panicky. The tr Saturn square tr Neptune is also in hard aspect to the Flint Saturn Neptune square – so high levels of worry.

Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican and venture capitalist, was born 19 August 1958 in Michigan, and is a Sun Leo conjunct Pluto; with Sun sextile Jupiter in Libra, trine Saturn in Sagittarius, and widely square Mars in determined Taurus. He’s got a tough, scary struggle through 2016/17 with tr Pluto trine his Mars.

His Mars incidentally falls exactly conjunct the Flint North Node so quite a karmic cross-over. His Sun Pluto are probably conjunct the Flint Virgo Moon (midday start). And his Neptune opposes the Flint Pluto. So no surprises he arouses local anger and is made to feel responsible for undermining the city’s potency.

The relationship chart between Snyder and Flint is apt with a composite Pluto opposition Neptune square Mars – Neptune Pluto is associated with scandal and unseen poisons by water; and Mars with hasty decisions that lead to fights.

Snyder took up his Governorship on January 1 2011 which has a fearsome chart with Pluto Sun Mars in Capricorn and the Sun sitting midway between the two powerful and ruthless planets. The Saturn in Libra also squares Sun Mars – so compassion and sentiment not exactly on the agenda. That chart is pressured this year, more so in 2017 when it grinds to a halt with tr Pluto conjunct Mars.

Michael Moore, the documentary filmmaker and writer – Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko – was born 23 April 1954 12.46pm Flint, MI. He’s a tough-minded and angry Taurus Sun opposition Saturn, and trine Moon Mars in Capricorn.

His determined Pluto, on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Jupiter in Gemini trine Neptune, is conjunct Snyder’s Sun and square his Mars – so it’ll be a gladiatorial battle. Their relationship chart has a power-struggling composite Jupiter Pluto on the point of a composite mini-Grand Trine of Sun Venus trine Neptune; and square Saturn. So there’ll be no quarter given.

Singer Celine Dion has suffered a double tragedy with one of her older brothers dying two days after her husband, both from cancer. She retired from her career for a year from mid 2014 to be with her husband Rene Angelil as his condition worsened. He found her as a 12 year old and nurtured her career, marrying when she was 26 and he was 52.

Born 30 March 1968 12.15pm Charlemagne, Canada, she has a hard-working, self-reliant Sun Saturn in Aries straddling her Midheaven, with Moon in late Aries conjunct Mars in Taurus also in her 10^th. So very ambitious, a good organiser as well as suited to a public career; and with a Leo Ascendant has a flamboyant persona.  Her Venus Mercury in musical Pisces opposes Pluto Uranus in Virgo so an emotional and creative life filled with constant change.

She’s been through tough times recently with tr Uranus conjunct her Sun MC Saturn and then following that tr Pluto in the 6^th square all three. So huge pressures and discouragement.

At the moment her Solar Arc Sun which is coincidentally conjunct Algol, the destructive Fixed star, is opposition her 4^th house Neptune – so undermining family circumstances.

Her Progressed Moon is just into her 7^th house of close relationships, staying for just under two years – a time when she’ll miss the support of a partner greatly.

Tr Pluto sextile her Venus Mercury and tr Uranus trine her 2^nd house Jupiter may give her an emotional and financial boost by 2018. Though she’s also got her Solar Arc Neptune square her Saturn MC then as well – so confusion over work, health and career directions.

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Will sort out new system with one box at some point soon.  Marjorie

Taiwan has their first female president as the pro-independence party swept to victory in the elections, evoking tremors of disapproval from Beijing.

Tsai Ing-wen, 31 August 1956, is a Sun Jupiter in Virgo with Sun widely conjunct Pluto in late Leo. Pluto in turn is square Saturn in obsessive Scorpio. She has a Water Grand Trine of Saturn trine Mars in Pisces trine Venus in Cancer. Quite a chart. Enthusiastic, lucky, hard-working, ultra-determined and self-protective, difficult to get to know. Certainly she’ll have been used to tough times so will have resilience.

She won’t have an easy run in with tr Neptune opposing her Jupiter from mid April onwards till late 2017. That may be economic, since she doesn’t sound as if she wants to be confrontational initially with China. Tr Saturn will also square her Jupiter, off and on till October this year. So a confusing, uncertain time.

Her Saturn is conjunct the China MC and her Uranus conjunct the China Descendant so she will be seen as a rival and divisive.

The relationship chart between herself and China could start to rock n’ roll from late March, worsening through April and May as tr Uranus squares the composite Uranus, then opposes the composite Saturn Neptune. It will worsen considerably late 2016 with tr Saturn square Venus Sun; and destabilise in 2017 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus.  So it may be China ramping up the ante and trying to back her into a corner.

There’s a handful of charts for Taiwan itself since it has a muddled history through Japanese oppression and beyond. The Jan 1 1912 chart looks high-tension and stressed through the next three years and trapped by 2020.

The 7 December 1949 is edgy and discouraged this year with major challenges and risk in 2017/18.

Actor Michael Caine is still going strong despite being 82 with his latest movie Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth about to appear.

Born 14 March 1933 10.10am, he grew up poor in London, his mother a cleaner and his father a Billingsgate fish porter. He’s had a long and illustrious career and a 43 year marriage to Guyanian former model Shakira.

He has Sun and Venus and North Node in Pisces in his 10^th so suited to a film career; with Mercury in Aries also in the 10^th. What anchors him will be his Jupiter in the 4^th in Virgo opposition his Sun/Venus midpoint – a happy home life gives him a platform from which to operate.

Though he’ll have been and still is constantly on the move. He has Uranus in Aries opposition his entertaining 5^th house Libra Moon square Pluto in his 2^nd. So a life in permanent revolution but it seems to suit him. Quite controlling.

He has a strong actors’ 15^th Harmonic.

His wife Shakira, 23 Feb 1947, is another Sun, and maybe Moon, in Pisces; with Venus in Capricorn and Jupiter in Scorpio so she’ll appreciate the good life.

Much beloved actor Alan Rickman has died. From Die Hard through Robin Hood to the Harry Potter films, his growly voice left an indelible impression. He had a sterling theatre career as well as in the movies, notably in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, as well as Shakespeare, Ibsen and other classics.

Born 21 February 1946 in London, he was a Sun Venus Mercury in Pisces. But it is his Mercury which was astonishingly aspected – on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Pluto and Neptune, square Uranus, trine Mars Saturn in Cancer.

A Yod Mercury can be scattered, overly analytical and being a Yod would make him feel out of step with his environment. But he obviously wove that over-active mental energy into a career which blossomed from the moment he went to drama college.

He was born the same day as Anthony Daniels, who has portrayed C-3PO in all the Star Wars movies.

The latest report on in athletics is a headache for Sebastian Coe, former UK politician and Olympic track gold medallist, now President of the International Association of Athletics Federations. The report says corruption was embedded in the IAAF of which he was Vice President since 2007.  Despite that he is thought the best person to sort out the problems and move forward.

Born 29 Sept 1956, London he is a Sun Mercury in Libra with a sociable collection of maybe Moon, Uranus Venus Pluto in Leo and an adventurous Mars in Pisces opposition Jupiter in Virgo; plus a tough Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto Venus.

His personal chart indicates great confidence through 2016/17 with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter in Virgo; but also major problems in a year’s time (maybe less) with Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Sun, Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune, and Solar Arc Saturn square Neptune – so scandal, confusion, panic, jolts.

His IAAF Presidency chart 31 August 2015, 12am Monaco, has a high-hopes-dashed Sun Jupiter opposition Neptune which has had a few wobbles recently as tr Saturn moved to square all three planets. Where it hits instability is by 2018 when tr Pluto will square the Uranus. But even before the Sun will move by Solar Arc to oppose Neptune exactly now so a major banana skin.

The IAAF, 17 July 1912, is hitting a considerable upset and disruption from June this year, on and off till April 2017 as tr Uranus squares Neptune and the Sun. Then tr Uranus moves on to square the Venus – so more emotional shocks.   Plus this year also tr Neptune is square and tr Saturn conjunct the Solar Arc Mars – so a time of deep uncertainty.

Not quite the glory job he had anticipated.

The odd couple have made it into The Times engagement column. Unkindly, though aptly, dubbed the Beauty and the Beast, the blonde, leggy Jerry Hall, Mick Jagger’s ex, is to marry mogul Rupert Murdoch. They have hit it off recently and after a four month romance are heading up the altar sharpish by the sound of it.

Murdoch, 11 March 1931 11.55pm Melbourne, Australia, is a Sun Pisces, Moon Sagittarius, Venus in Aquarius with a fearsomely confident Jupiter Pluto in Cancer opposition Saturn square Uranus North Node in Aries. Jerry Hall, 2 July 1956, Texas, USA, is a Sun Cancer, Moon probably Aries, Venus in Gemini and a similarly confident Jupiter Pluto in Leo.

Despite their age gap of 25 years, they do have good cross-overs on their charts. Her Cancer Sun is exactly conjunct his 7^th house Jupiter so they do suit each other.  Both have Venus in an Air sign and a Fire sign Moon so they will understand the other’s emotional approach.

Where it may get stickier is her Mars in Pisces conjunct his 4^th house Sun Mercury IC – maybe arguments at home or some ruffled feathers in his family. Plus her freedom-loving Uranus is conjunct his excitable and possessive 8^th house Mars – and that could cause fireworks. And, of course, his 4^th house Uranus in Aries squares her Sun – which again suggests domestic/family upsets.

Their relationship chart has a ‘power-couple’ composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine to a Uranus trine Neptune. Together they will boost each other’s morale and possibly push each other over the top. There’s a sparky-attraction composite Sun Mars which may square the composite Moon – that will bring an initial attraction but could get argumentative. Plus a stabilising composite Saturn trine Venus.

Of the children, James seems least enamoured with his new stepmother-to-be with some aggravations coming through the next two years between them.

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Hunter S Thompson, was a writer and journalist, associated with Rolling Stone magazine and an icon of the counter-culture, known for his drink and drug abuse and his dislike of authority. He committed suicide in 2005, aged 67.

His son Juan, a remarkably normal IT manager, has written an affectionate but warts-and-all memoir of his father. He writes in the book. “[My father] didn’t care what she [his wife] was trying to say, he cared about breaking her,” he said. In the book, he also recalls his father’s “deliberate distortions and carefully chosen words that would inflict maximum hurt”. Astonishingly they made an effort in later years to come to some acceptance of each other.

Hunter S Thompson was born 18 July 1937 10pm Louisville, Kentucky and had a ferocious chart with an ego-driven, controlling 5^th house Sun Pluto in Cancer in a pushily confident, rules-don’t-apply-to-me opposition to Jupiter in Capricorn; with Sun Pluto trine Mars in vengeful Scorpio. Talented certainly with an Earth Grand Trine of Neptune in Virgo trine Jupiter trine Uranus but a nasty streak as well.

His son, Juan, 23 March 1964, is a Sun Jupiter in Aries with a Leo Moon which probably helped him bounce above the emotional cruelty of his childhood. His Sun did conjunct his father’s hard Saturn in Aries so his father would come across as cold and block him out. Though he’d also induce shame in his father since Saturn is always one of the wounds in the chart. It clearly mellowed with age as Saturn usually does.

Their relationship chart is a curious mix of an affection Sun Venus in an argumentative trine to Mars, square a dominating Pluto; with an idealistic composite Jupiter Saturn conjunction. It says a lot for the son that he tried to reach across the abyss and make some kind of connection.