Astrology of Today’s News

  The US has attacked Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.  Attorney General Pam Bondi says he has been indicted in New York on drugs and weapons charges and  Secretary of State Marco Rubio anticipates no further action against Venezuela. Reports say that Maduro earlier this week wanted to reach a deal with Trump, which would have given him immunity from prosecution, allowed him to keep his vast wealth and significantly would allow the US to access Venezuela’s oil. No deal was made.

This morning, air strikes were finally launched.

Many share the fear that the attack and Maduro’s departure could trigger even greater destabilisation in a country already battered by years of political, economic and social crisis.

 There is not a great deal to add to previous posts except that the Venezuela 22 September 1830 chart appears to work better than the 1811 one which is in general use. It marks the second independence of the country from the Spanish. It has a final degree Virgo Sun (like France) which is being opposed and undermined by tr Neptune exactly now into February 2026; with maybe an early Sagittarius Moon in line for the tr Uranus opposition in 2026 or further on.

 Trump has a visceral dislike of Maduro with a composite Mars Pluto trine Saturn trine Jupiter with Saturn opposition Neptune. Though there is nothing too dramatic showing up on Maduro’s chart which might make me wonder if it is accurate.

  Trump does not interface well with the Venezuela 1830 chart either with a composite Uranus trine Saturn Sun sextile Mars Pluto.  His birth chart relocated to Venezuela puts his Mars closer to the Ascendant with tr Uranus square the Mars/Ascendant midpoint now and moving to square the relocated Ascendant by mid March 2026.  

 The Venezuela, 5 July 1911 chart would indicate turbulence ahead with the Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto in 2026 so a people’s revolt or a coup might be in the offing.

 The attack described by Trump as “brilliant” happened around 2am this morning in Caracas with the pro-active Sun, Venus, Mars in Capricorn in the 3rd and the Saturn Neptune Scheat conjunction along with Nessus in the attention-seeking 5^th house – and divisive Uranus in the 7^th.

  It reminded me slightly of the Iraq Attack chart of 20 March 2003 which when relocated from Baghdad to Washington DC had the final degree Pisces Sun Mercury in the grandstanding 5^th , Mars in Capricorn in the 3^rd and Jupiter in the 9^th. Some similarities. And that did not end well.

 It is also exactly 36 years since Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega surrendered on January 3 1990 after the US invasion under President George H Bush and spent decades later in prison for drug trafficking and racketeering offences despite his previous longstanding ties with American intelligence agencies.

[See previous posts in Search: Venezuela – in Trump’s crosshairs 6th December 2025

Venezuela – a narco-terrorism target 17th September 2025]

Add On: Have put up chart for first oil strike. Will try to check it against highs and lows later.

In death as in life and the aftermath Jeffrey Epstein has/had an intriguing way of casting a sinister and lingering smokescreen over events. His misdeeds earned him a brief holiday-camp prison sentence. His legacy has left a swirling cloud of suspicion but as yet only the hapless (and unpleasant) Ghislaine has been nailed. And his death in odd circumstances has led to myriad conspiracy theories – was it suicide or murder or is he not dead at all?

 I am allergic to conspiracy theories, tending to lean towards incompetence and coincidence as a way of discounting them. But to have him taken off for suicide watch in prison, have his cellmate removed and the guards fall asleep, with the cameras down, does seem a stretch too far.

  Astrology is not a proof of anything but it seemed worth looking to see what was on his chart which I did not do at the time.

 What stands out is his Solar Arc Mars square his 8^th house Pluto exactly. That could be expected to turn up for either murder or suicide. Tr Uranus was exactly conjunct his IC suggesting an emotional upheaval and perhaps change of residence. Tr Pluto was exactly opposition his Mercury, pulling on his Cardinal T square of Mercury opposition Uranus square Saturn Neptune – and that certainly could suggest immense mental strain.

 Tr Saturn was just across his Ascendant pushing him gradually into a low profile few years, soon to form a bleak conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn also in his 1^st. And at the point of his exit tr Saturn was exactly conjunct his Chiron and opposition his Uranus which would produce tensions, perhaps at being closeted in a prison. His Solar Arc Sun was exactly conjunct his Moon (and Eris, star of discord) which would suggest a coming-together in his life and, leaving Eris aside, would not be depressing.

  I might have expected to see more flagged up on his Solar Return or his Lunar Return for that month. But apart from Saturn and Pluto in the 12^th in both there is nothing much to point definitively to any of the three scenarios.

  What does strike me, given that there was a reasonable possibility he could have got off in a trial because of an immunity agreement from earlier deal in Florida, was there might have been more at play in the background. He was not facing a hopeless situation of a long prison sentence ahead. But the murkiness around the origins of his money might well have brought other players into the scenario so he could have been in jeopardy for other reasons and decided to bale. Or the decision was taken out of his hands.  With the Solar Arc Mars square an 8^th house Pluto it would look likely to have been suicide or murder rather than an airlift a la Lord Lucan off elsewhere. But no doubt it’ll be fifty years before it all becomes clear.

China having pushed the Trump-tariff offensive to one side without blinking, is surrounding Taiwan in a simulation blockade and talking up China’s future role in global governance. Xi’s third five-year term of office expires in 2027 and he has given no hint that he has any intention to step down.

 The policy ahead seems to be relying on its export-led growth model in steel making and toy manufacturing and also future technologies, such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

But even as trade surplus hit $1tn in 2025 there are vulnerabilities in the domestic economy. ‘A prolonged property market slowdown has undermined local government finances, household sentiment and domestic demand, leading to deflation and falling wages. Policymakers are trying to balance keeping the country’s export machine running while issuing ever more debt to prop up the weakening domestic economy.’ The IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said that such a large country cannot survive on exports alone.

 The aim of the leadership is to build “an economic fortress”,  achieving self-reliance in everything from food to tech but keeping trade open for Chinese exports and to absorb foreign technology. It also plans to fortify its export machine by setting up factories in other countries. Its main focus is tackling the USA, on the assumption the EU will fall in behind.

     In addition to rare earths, another of China’s supply chain chokeholds from a western perspective are active pharmaceutical ingredients used to make medicines.

  Of all the relevant charts the most striking is the Bank of China, 1 December 1948, which has worked well in the past. It has a bubble-bursting tr Saturn Neptune square the Mars Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn this year and next (for Neptune) with the Solar Arc Neptune also rapidly approaching a conjunction to Mars Jupiter. All of that suggests a financial meltdown from over confidence or an unsustainable debt burden hitting crunch point. At the moment tr Neptune is in a nerve-stretched square to the Uranus so the cracks are beginning to show; with tensions erupting in a major way after mid 2026 into 2027.

 The China 1 January 1912 chart, no time, shows late 2027 into 2028 as fairly calamitous as the Solar Arc Uranus makes an explosive conjunction to the Mars in Taurus (so could be finance related or a conflict). Before then tr Uranus opposition the Jupiter mid 2026 into 2027 will provide a dash of luck.

 Relations with the USA this year will be edgy but the real friction will come in 2027/8 with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Mars. The EU is never on good terms with China and vice versa with a composite Mars Saturn at zero/one degree Pisces which is being rattled this year – so there will be flare ups. With Russia there will be moments of aggravation as Uranus moves into Gemini in April and continuing upheavals for several years ahead.

 Xi Jinping’s 3^rd Term, 23 October 2022 5.08pm Beijing, for all his trumpet blowing does look stuck with the Solar Arc Pluto closing the square to the Sun to exact within months – which could ramp up his need to be in control, but usually does not end well. Tr Saturn Neptune will also oppose the 6^th house Moon through 2026, hinting at a discontented populace and government workers, perhaps health issues.  

 His original presidency chart from 14 March 2013 11.51 am, hints at an unstable 2027 with sudden surprises sending him off course.   

His own personal chart, 15 June 1953, with his Mars at zero degrees Cancer assailed by tr Saturn Neptune in square and his Solar Arc Saturn Neptune in opposition to his Mars throughout 2026 does not look progressive and successful, anything but.

 A stray thought – the China 1912 chart and the EU and UK all have a 9 degree Capricorn Sun which will not appreciate the tr Neptune square in 2029. No great conclusions and not warlike, just droopy.  

The Switzerland night club fire has claimed at least 40 lives with over a hundred injured, many with third degree burns, though it could take days or even weeks to be sure of the numbers.

  It broke out at 1.30am in Crans, Switzerland, on January 2026 with Jupiter in Cancer conjunct the Midheaven (as was the case for 9/11) indicating the expansive planet’s propensity for turning up at disasters as well as successes. There was a high vitality Sun, Mars, Venus in Capricorn which suited an entertaining night out for the young; with the unfortunate and worrisome Saturn Neptune Scheat in the 6^th house of health; and a shattering Uranus Algol as well as a Gemini Moon in the 8^th all in an unsettling trine to Pluto in the 4^th – the last hinting at a trapped environment.

 The Switzerland 12 September 1848 12.55pm Bern chart has a yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars Venus in Libra on the apex which will be undermined soon by tr Saturn in opposition and then tr Neptune, but not exactly at the moment. So either the repercussions will take time to sink in, or this is one of these events which presages major events to come for Switzerland which will put it on a new trajectory.  The Switzerland Solar Arc Mars in final degree Pisces is catching the tr Neptune Scheat in opposition exactly now which does hint at disasters; and Nessus is square the SA Sun exactly as well. Three accident-prone Mars midpoints are being triggered.

 The recent September solar eclipse at 29 degrees Virgo was highlighted for Switzerland – with Pluto on the Midheaven and Uranus on the Ascendant, and being triggered at the moment by tr Neptune Scheat in opposition to the eclipsed New Moon. So that fits regrettably. What a horror.

Tiger Woods has turned 50 still recovering from multiple injuries sustained in two car crashes, and a recently  ruptured Achilles tendon plus his seventh back surgery last year to replace a disk in his lower back that caused pain and mobility issues. He hasn’t said whether he intends to play on the Senior PGA Tour. Last month he said he had only recently started putting and chipping and wasn’t close to being able to take full swings.

 In the 2021 car crash, he had multiple “open fractures” to his lower right leg, with a rod placed, screws and pins inserted during emergency surgery. He later said that surgeons nearly had to amputate his right leg.

  Born 30 December 1975 10.50pm Long Beach, California, he has a 4^th house Capricorn Sun square a super-confident Pluto in his 1^st opposition Jupiter in Aries so there is no doubting his ambition,  He has Mercury in Capricorn in his sporting 5^th house opposition Saturn in wannabe-important Leo with his Saturn in a can-be-autocratic square to Uranus and trine a charming Venus in Scorpio.

  His Sagittarius Moon on his IC (opposition Mars) was triggered at both his car crashes. In February 2021 his Solar Arc Uranus was conjunct his Moon exactly with his Midheaven and SA MC being assailed by tr Neptune and tr Uranus. The November 2009 crash occurred when tr Uranus was square his moon and IC.

  At the moment he has tr Jupiter crossing his 10^th to boost his confidence, though his Solar Arc Sun into his 6^th and his SA Uranus into his 4^th since the last crash will have changed his perspective. Tr Pluto now moving through his 5^th will give him a desire to be still seen as a ‘player’ in whatever scene he choose to perform. But a slow moving yod of SA Sun sextile SA Uranus inconjunct his Saturn over the next four years may leave him in a quandary about what his strategy and gameplan should be.

 A Scorpio North Node which he has. brings tough lessons about leaving the past behind.

Timothee Chalamet, the French-American actor is omnipresent starting the year with a well-reviewed Bob Dylan biopic and finishing up with an Oscar-worthy Marty Supreme based in the life of Marty Mauser, a showman in the high-octane world of competitive table tennis. The character is described as ‘a shameless, entitled, arrogant, selfish and juvenile Wheaties box aspirant’ which the film director says is close to Chalamet’s personality. Currently squiring Kylie Jenner, he has also gone full Kardashian in his marketing campaign.

 Born 26 December 1995 9.16pm New York, with a former Broadway dancer mother and a journalist father, he is considered one of the most popular actors of his generation, with several award winning performances to his credit. He is seen as a fashion icon, with his androgynous looks highlighted as his trademarks. Vogue named credits him for continuing “to ply the boundary between traditional masculinity and femininity.”

  He has a full-on entertaining 5^th house – Leo’s natural home –  containing an ambitious Capricorn Sun (conjunct a lucky Jupiter in his late 4^th) and a high vitality, publicity-attracting and highly strung Mars, Neptune, Uranus, Mercury in Capricorn. Not designed to be a self-effacing backroom type, for sure.

  His controlling 4^th house Pluto is sextile a 6^th house Venus; and his Pisces Moon is damped down in a conjunction to  Saturn in his 7^th house. Not an easy chart for emotional connections. Kylie Jenner, 10 August 1997 5.25pm Los Angeles, is an odd match with her Mars square his Uranus and her Uranus conjunct his Venus – they each need a good deal of space from the other. Her Saturn in Aries falls in his 8^th square his Mars, Mercury, Neptune which will block deeper feelings and cause friction. Her Leo Sun opposition Jupiter square a Scorpio Moon, falling in his 12^th, 6^th and 3^rd may help him in communication where work matters are concerned but won’t overcome problems elsewhere.

  Despite outer success he is undergoing a fair amount of soul-searching with his Progressed Moon going through his 8^th for another ten months; as well as tr Uranus conjunct his Midheaven and Algol at the moment hinting at fairly dramatic changes.

 Saturn Neptune moving through his 8^th in the coming years (Saturn two and Neptune many) will also throw him back on himself so he may feel under supported and uncommitted. In 2026 tr Neptune will make an undermining square to his Sun from June 2026 onwards and throughout 2027 at the same time as it is conjunct the composite Saturn in his relationship chart with Kylie which will give rise to uncertainty. Tr Uranus will also oppose his Pluto and Kylie’s in 2026 for a fair few upheavals.

  His lucky Jupiter in late Sagittarius will stand him in good stead being close to his Sun but his attention-demanding, tornado-force 5^th house personality may rub a few workmates the wrong way.

  The endless turmoil of the Middle East rolls on as Iran escalates tensions with threats of nuclear responses and Israel maintains conflicts on several fronts with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, and Hamas in Gaza – and allows/promotes 19 new West Bank settlements. Netanyahu is in Mar-a-Lago for Trump talks as the US administration is becoming increasingly frustrated with slow progress towards Phase 11 of the Gaza peacefire which involves disarming Hamas and putting in an international stabilization force.

  Keeping this simple since there are too many charts:  Israel’s relationship with the Iran 1 February 1979 chart is under pressure across 2026, more fractious and explosive in 2027. Much the same for the relationship with the Iran 7 October 1906 chart with high tension at the moment, disappointment in 2026 and aggravation come 2027. Both Iran charts hints at a confident push in the near future but loss of confidence and outright failure by 2027/28.

 Hamas, 14 December 1987, looks to be running into the buffers in 2026/27 so will, in its present form, not be operational after that for a few years – though as ever a hundred-headed-hydra it may reconstitute in later years. Relations with Israel are on a further downward slide in 2026 and further ruptured in 2027.

 Hezbollah, 16 February 1985, is staying bullishly confident through 2026 but running into a calamitous setbacks in 2027/28. Relations with Israel will worsen towards the end of the decade.

 Other Middle Eastern countries hints at ructions and turbulence in 2027/28/29 either in their own charts or in relation to Israel – Qatar, Turkey, UAE. Saudi Arabia looks in rolling turmoil from 2028 for several years thereafter, within itself but also in relation to Israel.

 The shifting sands won’t settle anytime soon.  Especially for Israel. Tr Pluto will start to oppose the Israel 10^th house Moon from February 2026 for two years for emotional and governmental challenges and that is followed by tr Pluto crossing the midpoints and then opposing the 10^th house Pluto and Saturn in the early 2030s for years of hardship, perhaps war, certainly a monumental struggle. That worsens as tr Pluto continues onwards to hit the midpoints between Mars and Moon, Pluto and Saturn in the later 2030s to reach a calamitous peak in the early 2040s or rather a total dead halt with tr Pluto opposition the Israel Mars. Along the way the Solar Arc Sun will conjunct the Pluto and Saturn at the turn of this decade into the early 2030s and after.

 Netanyahu, 21 October 1949 10.15 am Tel Aviv, Israel, won’t be around for ever. His is facing a nerve stretched 2026 as an election on which everything hinges for him looms for him. There are hints of a change of direction with Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Midheaven; and an explosive Progressed Mars square his Uranus which will be in place between 2026 and 2028. His relationship with Israel is edgy at the moment and high tension through 2026. His 2022 Term chart is sagging this year from low confidence.

 His relationship with Trump is fairly chained together at an underlying level and will have peaks and troughs this year, nothing too definitive.

 The Middle Eastern volcano will continue to spew lava for the foreseeable future.

France is in mourning as the legendary Brigitte Bardot dies  at 91. With eerie timing she leaves the stage as Neptune slides out of Pisces, as many female icons have done before at the changing of the sign. France with a final degree Virgo Sun is also dissolving under tr Neptune and Scheat in opposition to its Sun exactly now.

  Bardot brought raw sexuality to the screen and her life with multiple well publicised affairs. Paris Match described her as “immoral, from head to toe” after the release of Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman. But at 39 she retired from acting and public life to open an animal sanctuary in St Tropez, saying “I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals.”

    Although reclusive she still manged to cause a stir with her outspoken anti-Muslim views on the Islamisation of France for which she had been fined several times; and questioning the motives behind #MeToo allegations. Even earlier she caused outrage by announcing that marriage was a sham. “It’s better to be unfaithful than to be faithful without wanting to be.” She openly stated she wasn’t made to be a mother. In her autobiography, she admitted to viewing her pregnancy with only son Nicolas (from her second husband, actor Jacques Charrier) as a “tumour”, even attempting to induce an abortion by repeatedly punching herself in the stomach. She subsequently regretted her words and the two later reconciled.

  Born 28 September 1934 1.15pm Paris, France, she had a strict, even abusive upbringing and broke free in her early adult life into a roller coaster of passionate liaisons (see previous post Brigitte Bardot. 5th December 2025.)

  She had a 9^th house Sun Libra with a Gemini Moon in her 6^th house of work, health and small animals. Venus in animal-lover Virgo was the ruler of her 6^th as well. 

  Two aspects are notable- one is an outspoken Mars in Leo in the opinionated 9^th opposition Saturn, hinting at anger from her repressive childhood finding an outlet in making comments which shock conventional morality.

  The other is her maverick, rebellious Uranus on the cusp of her romantic and entertaining 5^th opposition Jupiter Mercury in Libra and square an 8^th house Pluto. Uranus in hard aspect to Pluto mirrors the France chart, born out of a revolution with a Uranus opposition Pluto. A focal point Pluto can bring penetrating insights which are ahead of their time and arouse hostility but are eventually proved right. Her views were deemed offensive and outrageous at the time but some have proved to have a smidgeon of sense about them.  She once remarked, “I am greatly misunderstood by politically correct idiots.” 

 Neptune was present as she passed with her Solar Arc Moon less than one degree passed the conjunction to her natal Neptune and her Solar Arc Neptune conjunct her Ascendant, having recently opposed her Moon.

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When Neptune changes sign (every 15 years or so) an iconic female figure dies – Princess Diana, Grace Kelly, Nathalie Wood, Sharon Tate, Judy Garland in previous transitional times of Neptune leaving a sign.

1901: Neptune leaving Gemini – Queen Victoria dies.

1915: Neptune leaving Cancer – Mary Baker Eddy and Emily Davidson (suffragette who suicided by horse at the Derby). Florence Nightingale also died with Neptune in late Cancer (1911)

1929: Neptune leaving Leo – Emmeline Pankhurst (the great suffragette), Ellen Terry, Isadora Duncan.

1943 – Neptune leaving Virgo – aviator Amy Johnson, writer Beatrix Potter.

1957 – Neptune leaving Libra – Laura Wilder (Little House on the Prairie), scientist Irene Curie

1968 – Neptune leaving Scorpio – Helen Keller, Enid Blyton, Dorothy Parker, Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Little Mo, Sonja Henie, Gypsy Rose Lee, Sharon Tate.

1983 – Neptune leaving Sagittarius – Nathalie Wood, Anita Loos (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Anna Freud, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Gloria Swanson, Ethel Merman, Lillian Hellman, Indira Gandhi.

1998 – Neptune leaving Capricorn – Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Ella Fitzgerald, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Evelyn Laye, Dorothy Lamour, Claudette Colbert, Marguerite Duras, Patricia Highsmith, Mary Leakey.

2011 – Liz Taylor, Amy Winehouse, Jane Russell, Whitney Houston, Lauren Bacall, Esther Williams, Zsa Zsa Gabor.

2025 Jane Goodall, Virginia Giuffre, Cecile Richards, Diane Keaton, Marianne Faithfull, June Lockhart, Roberta Flack.

***

Her son Nicholas Charrier, 11 June 1960 2.10 am Paris, was largely bought up by his paternal grandparents after his father gained custody. Bardot in her autobiography said she was not adult enough to take care of a child amongst other revelations; and was sued by her son and his father for invasion of privacy for which she was heavily fined. After which she agreed not to talk about him.

  He has a charming, communicative 3^rd house Sun Venus in Gemini on one leg of a yod sextile Uranus inconjunct Saturn Moon in Capricorn. He would feel the separation from an unloving mother deeply with a Moon Saturn in Capricorn; and his hard-done-by Saturn square Mars on his Ascendant mirrors Bardot’s Mars opposition Saturn. But he was spared her roller coaster Uranus Pluto and weighted 8^th house.

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“History does not repeat itself but often rhymes.”

Actually it can repeat , though on occasion it provides a new slant on old patterns. Russia on the verge of a Saturn Neptune conjunction which oversaw the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 (in first half Leo) and again when Stalin died in 1953 with Saturn Neptune conjunct in late Libra (and Karl Marx’s death in 1883 in Taurus) shows no obviously signs of an imminent convulsion. But hopes are running high of a shift in direction.

 The Russia 8 December 1991 7.45pm chart does point to a high risk year ahead with Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Uranus, exact mid 2026, which will bring insecurity, perhaps violence, certainly an explosive shock. This is followed by confusion if not outright devastation from SA Neptune square Pluto late 2026 into 2027. In the background hardship and deprivation from tr Pluto conjunct the Saturn all year. 2027/28 has more insecurity and possible violence from tr Uranus opposition the Mars. Outright revolution by 2029, certainly turmoil and massive changes with SA Uranus square the Pluto.

 The Russia 8 November 1917 2.12am chart also has insecurity/possible violence as tr Uranus squares the Mars from June 2026 into early 2027; at the same time tr Neptune will square the Pluto for an undermining of influence and power. With confusion/devastation from tr Pluto opposition the Neptune in 2027/28.

  Not an easy path ahead, for sure.

 Putin’s 5^th term chart, 7 May 2024, also has tr Neptune bringing panic, failure and dissolving plans from mid 2026 onwards as it is conjunct the Term Mars in Aries.

 His original Presidency chart from 31 December 1999 points to a grind-to-a-halt moment with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the Sun in 2027. Though it also looks rattled at the moment until mid March 2027 with tr Uranus square the Mars.

 Interesting to contemplate that the 1917 chart saw its Mars go retrograde by progression late in 2005 as Putin’s clamp-down began in earnest and won’t go direct again until late this century.

 Donald Trump’s chart relocated to Moscow hints at money being the main draw as well as secrets with his Sun Uranus North Node falling in the joint financial 8^th and his Moon in the personal finances 2^nd.

 Relations between the USA and both Russia charts look unsettled for the next few months, chilly and distrustful. Though the main antagonist for Russia would appear to be the EU with pressures mounting through 2026 and flare ups in 2027.