Astrology of Today’s News

There’s yet another rumpus about possible political meddling in the BBC – in the scheduling of programmes as well as governance, with a white paper on the BBC Charter due this month. Even the revered Sir David Attenborough has voiced fears about tampering with the UK’s national treasure.

The BBC, 14 Nov 1922 6pm London, is in an edgy year with tr Neptune moving through its 10^th conjunct Uranus on and off till January 2017 which is highly strung and could well lead to inflated fears about loss of freedom. Plus tr Saturn is back for another square to that Uranus in August with tensions surfacing.

Plus tr Pluto is square the 5^th house Saturn till early this December which is discouraging; and Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct that Saturn this year.  So stuck every which way.

And the thoroughly awkward September Virgo Solar Eclipse which is opposition Neptune square Saturn Mars in Sagittarius will rattle that 10^th house Uranus in a major way. So there could well be a sense of having their wings clipped every which way.

Tr Pluto is also poised to move into their 8^th house from later this year till 2025 which could be major financial headaches and restrictions.

All is not lost however, later in 2017 the Solar Arc Jupiter will conjunct the BBC Mars for a real injection of enthusiasm and a morale boost.

The BBC have been involved in political wrangles of one sort or another ever since I can remember. They are tough. They’ll survive. If they run short of money they can always delete another layer of management which is still far too top heavy.

Please post below ………

There’s a New Moon in Taurus this Friday at 16 degrees Taurus which is in an Earth Grand Trine along with Mercury in Taurus trine Jupiter and North Node in Virgo trine Pluto – so at the very least it should give a confidence boost. Jupiter Pluto is known as having the ability to make thoughts things. So Jupiter produces the idealism, the vision and luck and Pluto gives the push to turn the idea into a tangible result. It forms into a Kite with a Jupiter opposition Neptune, making Neptune the driving planet – so maybe en epiphany of sorts, spiritual or creative.

It won’t all be totally wonderful, of course, since Saturn is square the Jupiter opposition Neptune which is very up and down, panicky about failure, neurotic; and there are five planets retrograde – Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto and Mercury which will slow down progress, maybe even making it more an internal than an external event.

Be interesting to see how it plays out.  Do post with any reactions to it.

Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One driver isn’t having a great season (I am reliably informed by googling) with engine troubles and track mishaps, and now his second penalty.

Born 7 January 1985, he has an ambitious and lucky Sun Jupiter in Capricorn opposition a Cancer Moon. Though his Sun has the tr Pluto conjunction exact at the moment and on and off till late 2017. So a pressured time in what is a highly pressured lifestyle. He’s also got Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Sun this year which may also put him off his stride. Plus a disappointing tr Neptune conjunct his Mars until mid Feb 2017 – it’s that which is likely to be causing him most trouble since its works against ego-ambitions and success. Tr Saturn is also square that Mars till this September which is associated with setbacks, irritations and sometimes accidents.

However he does have tr Uranus square his Jupiter from May 8^th for three weeks and returning on and off till March 2017 which will give him some upbeat patches.

Nicola Sturgeon is sailing into the Scottish Elections on May 5^th in the enviable position of having no solid opposition in voter terms. All the polls indicate a clear majority to cement what has been a successful term for her at least in PR terms since she took over as First Minister on 20 November 2014 at 10.15am in Edinburgh.

Her term chart has tr Uranus trine Jupiter picking up a couple of days after the election which certainly looks elated. Though there’s a less cheerful Solar Arc conjunct Saturn exact in four months’ time; and heavy weather in 2017/18 with tr Pluto conjunct Mars which looks highly frustrating and irritated.

Her personal chart, 19^th July 1970 3.16pm Irvine, Scotland, has tr Jupiter in her 10^th until mid July which is generally successful and high profile. And a definitely upbeat tr Pluto square her Jupiter/Uranus in June to mid July, repeating on and off till late 2017. Tr Uranus is trine her MC come this June which suggests a positive change of direction for her.

But she’s also got a handful of points between 10 to 15 degrees Virgo which are catching the tr Neptune square tr Saturn square tr Jupiter – so it won’t be smash hits all the way. There will be dashed hopes, some setbacks, some failures as well as triumphs.

She’s still held back to some extent by tr Saturn in her first quadrant for several years yet which tends to militate against great achievements. And her Progressed Moon goes into her 12^th in less than six months, staying for a couple of years, which can be inward looking and conflicted.

The two SNP charts of 14 Dec 1933 and 7 April 1934 both have Cardinal Grand Crosses involving Mars Pluto Uranus and Jupiter and both are being hard-aspected by the tr Uranus square tr Pluto through this year and the next several years as well.  Jupiter involved in the mix makes it tricky to gauge, since its’ luck can pull a rabbit out of the hat, but there will still be a considerable amount of angst and aggravation as tr Pluto hits the aspect to Mars especially in 2017/18.

The fall in oil prices and subsequent cutback in the Scottish oil industry has hit the economic arguments for independence badly. And as continued devolution puts more power in Holyrood’s hands there is less room to use the Westminster government as the scapegoat for all blame. How the glaring problems of the Scottish NHS, education and police are handled will become a testament to the SNP’s ability to govern competently.

There’s been a row rumbling about anti-semitism in the Labour party, the left-wing UK main opposition, which has now erupted with an MP and a prominent senior member suspended as a result. Traditionally Labour has been pro-Palestinian which has led it in the past to share platforms with Hamas and Hezbollah, militant organisations who grew out of the mistreatment of the Palestine people, but are now proscribed terrorist groups. But Labour’s dislike of Israeli government policies has escalated in some quarters into wilder anti-Zionist conspiracy-theory territory and Jeremy Corbyn is now facing calls to stamp on the problem once and for all.

Astrologically it isn’t surprising the Labour Party, 12 Feb 1906, is opposed to Israeli attitudes given that the LP’s Aquarius Sun Venus and indeed Saturn in Pisces all oppose Israel’s Mars in Leo. The LP’s Mercury opposes Israel’s Saturn Pluto and the LP’s Uranus opposition Neptune square Mars in Aries is in hard aspect to Israel’s Venus square Neptune; and the LP’s Pluto is conjunct Israel’s Uranus. So a bad-tempered, hostile and incompatible mix.

The relationship chart has a fight-for-the-upper-hand composite Sun Mercury square Pluto; and a doubt-ridden, suspicious Saturn square Neptune.  The composite Pluto is being assaulted by a tr Pluto opposition this year; and there’s a disappointing tr Neptune conjunct Jupiter from June onwards as well.

Some are suggesting it calls into question Corbyn’s leadership, stirred on by John McDonnell who’s now manoeuvring to stake his claim should a coup occur. Corbyn’s leadership chart, 12 Sept 2015 11.42am London, is certainly looking on a downhill slide this year and insecure from early May onwards. But the real risk for him comes in 2017/18.

The rift between Corbyn and McDonnell will become more obvious from late this June as tr Uranus starts to square the composite Sun.

Ken Livingstone, a close Corbyn ally, who has always been a loose cannon and a motormouth, 17 June 1945, stepped into support the first suspensee and got himself a dose of the same after some ill-chosen remarks about Hitler. He has an overly confident Sun Mercury in Gemini square Jupiter; with an intemperate Pluto square Venus Mars in Taurus. He’s facing one of the worst years of his life with his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Saturn; and Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Jupiter – major setbacks and enthusiasm-dampening. It may see his exit from politics altogether – maybe. Though tr Pluto trine his Jupiter in 2017/18 will probably pull him back into the fray.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Russian oligarch who spent 10 years in a Russian jail after saying he would run against Putin, is now ensconced in London. The invasion of the Crimea made him break his promise to himself and his family not to re-enter politics. He says he is the anti-Putin and wants to replace him with a democracy; and is ready when Putin topples to step into the breach. He has given himself ten years for this to happen. Though the possibility of an assassination must always be an ever present concern.

Born 26 June 1963, he’s a Sun Cancer with Uranus (Moon) Pluto Mars in Virgo so not short of determination or courage. He’s also got a Yod of Mars sextile Neptune inconjunct Jupiter, which if handled well could allow him to pursue ideals which would have a favourable effect on his society. Though over-confidence and foolhardiness could be a downside.

Despite his brave words, he doesn’t look to be making much headway this year with tr Neptune opposition his Mars Pluto with tr Saturn square Mars Pluto; and a sinking Solar Arc Neptune opposition Sun this year into 2017 as well. Mishaps aside, he’ll be pushing on nonetheless with tr Pluto square his focal point Jupiter till the end of 2017.

His Saturn in Aquarius opposes Putin’s controlling Pluto MC – so it will be an unyielding battle of opposing attitudes. MK’s Mars Pluto and Uranus also fall in Putin’s 10^th (9.30am birth time) which would also suggest a tussle for power.

Their relationship chart has an explosive and at cross-purposes Mars Neptune square. There is a definite shift in their relationship this year as Khodorkovsky comes out of the shadows with tr Uranus trine the composite Sun. But it’ll be 2019/2020 when (all being equal) that trouble really brews between them, as tr Uranus then in Taurus starts to oppose the composite Mars Neptune, at the run up to the next Presidential election.

Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, should face corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal, the High Court has ruled. The charges were dropped just weeks before the 2009 election which led to Jacob Zuma becoming president. It’s certainly a blow to Zuma though there is still doubt about whether it will go to trial.

His 2^nd term chart, 24 May 2014 11.35am, has the de-stabilising Solar Arc Pluto square Uranus, exact in just a few weeks’ time. That chart was always descriptive of a term of rolling crises with a Cardinal Grand Cross of Pluto opposition Jupiter square Mars opposition Uranus Moon. It certainly suggest riding roughshod across rules and regulations, bullish over-confidence but also good luck.

His personal chart has tr Uranus conjunct his Aries Sun exactly now and running on and off into 2017. With setbacks from tr Saturn opposition his buccaneering Mars Jupiter in Gemini later this year.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are entirely different personality types.

Hillary is very Fixed with Sun plus Venus Mercury in intense, secretive Scorpio; magnified by having Mercury Venus square a formidable Mars Pluto Saturn in Leo. So die-or-die determined, unbudgeable, built for the long haul, good in crises, a forceful speaker both on a platform and at close quarters. She’ll certainly be very defensive and controlling with all that Pluto and Scorpio. My impression – from a distance – was that she gained a fair few credits for her time as Secretary of State (apart from Benghazi) when she seemed tireless and not a publicity-seeker. One commentator described her as ‘more of a workhorse than a show pony.’

She’s a Water/Fire type – so more passionate and excitable than is allowed to show.

She’s certainly got a strong 9^th Harmonic which often goes with a lust for money; as well as the obsessive-dream 11H; and leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17H. Europeans weren’t as fussed as Americans about the whole Bill/Monica and why-didn’t-Hillary-leave-him thing. In France it wouldn’t even have made the papers let alone an indictment.

Bernie Sanders on the other hand is fairly Mutable – with a Virgo Sun and Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus in Gemini – so more flexible but also more inclined to blow around in the prevailing breeze. His chart is Earth, Fire, Air and lacking in Water which is strange since he puts himself across as the compassionate one.

He’s also got a sociable and charming Venus in Libra trine Jupiter and opposition Mars Moon in Aries. That might make me wonder about a) superficiality (Venus Jupiter); and b) insensitivity (Moon Mars opp Venus). It’s not that I think Hillary is remotely sensitive but although she’s deeply secretive, in some ways she is what she is. While with him I might wonder whether there’s more hidden behind the reasonable facade than appears. He can certainly talk well with Mercury in Libra trine Uranus, sextile Pluto – but is also quite controlling. He’s also got a strong 11H and 17H.

Politicians (generalising wildly) are all flawed one way or another and you generally can’t tell till they are in office how they’ll cope.

May, and indeed June, will shake a few things out of the tree for Sanders and Trump, so be interesting to see what transpires.

Please post below ……………