Astrology of Today’s News

  Clues to the effect of the upcoming two decades of Pluto in Aquarius may lie – in part – in the types of individuals who carried this signature in their charts.

  Looking back over 1778 to 1797 what stand out are inventors and social reformers born during these years who had an impact on knowledge and culture in later years.

  Michael Faraday, 1791, one of the greatest scientific discoverers of all time with his studies into electromagnetism was born in 1791, the same year as Charles Babbage, father of the computer; and Samuel Morse, co-developer of Morse code and the commercial use of telegraphy. Admittedly there was also a Uranus opposition Pluto that year which would help to promote a leading-edge mentality.

Fanny Wright, 1795, a Scottish-born freethinker, feminist, utopian socialist, abolitionist, social reformer, and Epicurean philosopher advocated universal education, the emancipation of slaves, birth control, equal rights, sexual freedom, legal rights for married women, and liberal divorce laws. She was also vocal in her opposition to organized religion and capital punishment.

Sarah Grimke, 1792, American abolitionist, widely held to be the mother of the women’s suffrage movement.

Lucretia Mott, 1793, an American Quaker, abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and social reformer.

Elizabeth Fry, 1780, prison reformer and Quaker.

Robert Peel, 1788, founded the Metropolitan Police.

Thomas L. Jennings, 1791, an African-American inventor, and abolitionist.

  There were also influential thinkers like the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, and explorers, as well as creative types like Lord Byron, Percy Shelley (also an activist and radical), Rossini, John Keats and painter William Turner, whose skyscapes have a fittingly Aquarian feel.

  Not much stands out from the previous Pluto in Aquarius, 1532 to 1552, apart from the French essayist Michael de Montaigne. Also Hieronymous Fabricius, 20th May, 1533, father of Embryology, a pioneering Italian anatomist who designed an orthopedic exo-skeleton. And Queen Elizabeth 1, 1533.

  Those who shaped the culture of the Pluto in Aquarius years would, of course, have been born during Pluto in Sagittarius, in Scorpio, Libra or even Virgo. But still faint hints of how the energy plays out from the above.  

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Alex Murdaugh, the villain of a true-crime twisted family tale worthy of a gothic melodrama has been found guilty of murdering his wife and son. Documentaries on Netflix and HBO scrutinized the powerful South Carolina dynasty that ran the state’s legal system for nearly a century with the present patriarch brought low, having squandered millions of clients and law partners’ money as he fed a pill addiction. He faces 30 years to life in prison.

  Even before the deaths of his wife and son, there were other criminal scandals in recent years with Murdaugh’s youngest son allegedly crashing a boat while drunk, killing a teenage girl. The death triggered lawsuits and investigations that threatened to unravel senior’s web of lies and so he shot his wife and one son to cover up his misdeeds. There were other deaths allegedly tied to the family: their housekeeper died suddenly as did an openly gay young man, reportedly in a relationship with another son.

 Alex Murdaugh was born 27 May 1968 (net sources) and has a stellium in Gemini with a New Moon conjunct Venus and Mars as well as Mercury. His Mercury is square Uranus Pluto in Virgo, but more pointedly he has a tricky karmic Yod of Uranus Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn. That brings with it heavy Saturnine lessons about not transgressing moral codes.  When the murders took place on June 7 2021, there was a brutal/ruthless tr Pluto opposition tr Mars in Cancer. At that point his Solar Arc Saturn was moving to conjunct his Mars; with his Solar Arc Neptune square his North Node  – which is quite a collision of fated influences, covering the deed and subsequent trial.

  Margaret Murdaugh, 15 September 1968, (obituary) was a Sun, Pluto, Jupiter in Virgo so attracted to a powerful, wealthy, pushy husband. She also had that difficult Saturnine Yod with Saturn opposition Mercury in Libra. When she was shot her Solar Arc Mars was conjunct her Mercury with her Solar Arc Neptune square.

  Paul Murdaugh, 14 April 1999, who died alongside her, was a Sun Jupiter in Aries with a hard-edged, unfairly-treated Mars in Scorpio opposition Saturn square Neptune (Uranus) – all of which suggest a less-than-ideal father – cruel, bad-tempered, evasive.  His relationship chart with his father echoes that, with an unpleasant composite Grand Trine of Saturn, Neptune, Mars. Paul’s Sun fell close to his father’s focal point Saturn for a cold and critical interface.

    I would say it is a very American story which isn’t to say there are not instances of abuses of power by the influential and wealthy elsewhere in the world. But even the unravelling of it has been turned into a streaming extravaganza with accusations hurled around even before the jury returned a verdict.  

ADD ON: There are problems over pinning down his accurate birth date. So not worth pursuing until someone digs out proper records.

A hapless politician seeks to rehabilitate his damaged reputation by writing a puff memoir of his days overseeing the UK pandemic response. The journalist he picked as co-writer has form for pulling deep, dark secrets out of the closet (see wiki) and despite a confidentiality contract has released 100,000 of his What’s App messages to the Daily Telegraph, claiming a public interest defence.  Oops. Mistake. It has raked up again all the anger about the lockdown and given a peep into government thinking or the lack of it at the time.

  Isabel Oakeshott, 12 June 1974, has had a high profile journalistic career with the Sunday Times and then Daily Mail, writing an unauthorized biography of David Cameron which contained the infamous ‘sex with a dead pig’ story which could not be substantiated. She is a Brexiteer, co-wrote a book with Aaron Banks and is reportedly close to the Reform Party leader.

 She has a communicative Gemini Sun trine Uranus and in an over-confident square to Jupiter. Her Mars in flamboyant Leo is trine Neptune and sextile Pluto – attracting her to publicity and giving her exalted ambition as well as fierce determination. Her Mercury in Cancer conjunct Saturn is also square Pluto and trine Jupiter – Mercury Pluto and Saturn is good for research though there will be a tendency to dig for dirt and be dogmatic.

   Matt Hancock was Health Secretary overseeing amongst other things the controversial procurement of PPE until his passionate office affair was shown to have breached distancing regulations and he departed. He was born 2 October 1978 and is a New Moon, Mercury, Pluto in Libra with a clutch of Mars, Uranus, Venus in Scorpio which is an uneasy combination of light and shade, Air and Water.

  Tr Uranus is opposing his Uranus and soon Venus as all of his Covid muddle and mayhem is exposed – dragging others in the Boris government into jeopardy as well. He’s yowling foul but the damage is done. His midpoints are lining up to provide more whirlpools, swamps and sinkholes throughout this year.

  Isabel Oakeshott’s Pluto is conjunct his Sun, Mercury giving her the urge to control him. Her Sun opposes his Neptune as she pins down his evasions. Her Mars in fiery Leo is conjunct his Jupiter and squares his Mars in Scorpio – so his secrets did not stay that way for long.

     The whole thing is tawdry but at least it has pulled back the veil and dragged political incompetence out into the open.

[An Astro-oddity which I have not explored at all but is intriguing – Matt Hancock’s 10th harmonic, prominent in individuals with a habit of shooting themselves in the foot and sabotaging their good fortune – bears remarkable similarities to Isabel Oakeshott’s chart. Almost as if his unconscious need to reverse himself picked exactly the right person to do it.]

  I’m sure the Greeks had a word for it – tragic flaw hardly connects to Matt Hancock since he is not exactly heroic. But the fates and karma were surely hard at work in this entanglement.  

Prince Harry out and Prince Andrew in – Frogxit or Frogmarch. That is a surprise as King Charles shows a steely determination in pushing through his slimmed-down monarchy plans. Yowls of victimised outrage have emerged from the Harry camp who appeared to think they could get away with mud-slinging and trash-talking their family without any kickback. They can give it but not take it.

   Prince Andrew, minus a chatty PR and biographer, is said to be sulking and resisting mightily any prospect of being dislodged from his 30 room Royal Lodge abode into a five bedroom ‘cottage’.

  Both he and Harry have 4^th house Moons in Fixed signs so they are more firmly rooted than most. Prince Andrew in particular with a Scorpio Moon is likely to hang on tenaciously and that is in addition to a controlling, possessive Sun opposition Pluto; with his socially ambitious Venus Mars in Capricorn feeling the humiliation of a possible downsize keenly.

  His Scorpio Moon was always due for an upheaval from June 2024 onwards with tr Uranus moving into opposition which is a classic move-house transit. Though it could come sooner. With tr Uranus opposition Mars/Pluto mid this March to early April he’ll be facing a disastrous crisis. Then tr Uranus is square his Yod focal point Uranus in late April/early May which will flip or jolt his life onto a different track. With a downbeat tr Saturn conjunct his Sun later this month and opposition his Pluto in late April as well across the Coronation. He’ll respond with his usually bull-necked confidence till late March and later in the year but he looks hemmed in all ways. His Venus Mars in Capricorn are trapped by a tr Pluto conjunction all year and his financial 8^th house is not in good shape. Tr Saturn moving through his 8^th throughout 2024 will throw him back on his own resources financially and emotionally, making him feel the world is a less generous place for him.  Plus he has Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his 4th house Neptune in 2024 which will feel devastating where domestic matters are concerned.

  His North Node is, of course, in his 2^nd house, which is a hint that his preferred method of taking the easy way out and depending on others isn’t good for his spiritual development. Standing on his own two feet is required.

  His not-quite-ex-wife Sarah of York who presently lives at the Royal Lodge in a platonic, separate-wing arrangement we are led to believe, will have to move but her children, both with rich husbands, helpfully appear to have bought her a multi-million pound London pad. If her birth time of 9.03am is sound then she will be due to move in early 2024 with tr Saturn moving into her 4^th. She’s running into a financially fraught few years with her Solar Arc Mars about to conjunct her 2^nd house Saturn later this year into 2024. And she’s also head for a nervy, agitated, major jolt from Solar Arc Uranus conjunct her Mars in late 2024/25.

  Prince Harry has a 4^th house Taurus Moon which is up there with Scorpio in not being inclined to budge easily.  Tr Uranus will be conjunct his Moon from the middle of this June onwards to jolt him into a change, like it or not; and before then will cross his IC into his 4^th from April which is another classic house-relocation transit.

He also has an 8^th house Sun which has a Scorpio feel and is not inclined to let go. Plus a Taurus North Node which most often involves individuals in long running wrangles over money and property until they acquire a Buddha-like detachment.  He does look emotionally upset at the moment with his Solar Arc Uranus square his Venus and a trapped/stuck Progressed Moon conjunct his Pluto mid June onwards for a few weeks; with his Progressed Sun also conjunct his Pluto this year. He’s stuck every which several ways.

  Tr Neptune square his Midheaven this year hints at a lack of direction and undermining circumstances around career matter; with radical changes of future plans come late 2024 as his Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct his 11^th house Uranus.

  Poor soul. He has brought it all down on his own head but I do feel sorry for him. He was doing magnificently with Invictus before he stumbled into this flustercluck.

  Andrew needs despatched to outer Uzbekistan and told not to come back.

Saturn, bringer of the harvest and a reckoning for past mistakes, is poised to move into Pisces for the first time in 29 years next week. It shifts sign every two years plus for a notable change of mood, heightened this year with the anticipation of the even more momentous move of Pluto into Aquarius two weeks later.

  Pisces, planet of the boundaryless ocean, is not a sign in which structured Saturn, the builder, the organizer and rule-maker, sits comfortably. Most interpretations for individuals lean towards regret for the past, paranoia, excessive worry, self-pity, the need for quiet and solitude – and also a deep understanding of those less fortunate.

  Looking back over the last century’s occurrences, there are the usual problems of extrapolating what belongs to Saturn in Pisces and what is likely to be the result of other aspects.

Saturn in Pisces: 13 April 1905 to 19 March 1908.

14 February 1935 to 25 April 1937

24 March 1964 to 3 March 1967

21 May 1993 to 7 April 1996

7 March 2023 to 25 May 2025

 Both the 1993/1996 Saturn in Pisces and the 1905/06 one also had strong Uranus Neptune aspects – a conjunction and an opposition respectively – which is probably why the major 1994 Los Angeles and in 1906 San Francisco earthquakes occurred. Although the Alaska 9.2 earthquake happened under Saturn in Pisces in 1964 not with Uranus Neptune but with Uranus Pluto. This time round in 2025/2026 there is a Uranus sextile Neptune which is not as strong. The mid 1960s had Saturn in Pisces opposition Uranus Pluto in Virgo – which is a whole lot of chaos and hardship.

What repeats through all of the instances is massive unrest in Russia. 1905 Russian Revolution against the Tsar with reforms following. Russo-Japanese War – Russians losing.  1936/37 – Stalin’s Great Purge and the Trotskyite plot to overthrow him, ending in a show trial. 1993/4 Russia withdraws troops from Lithuania, Poland and Germany. 1995 First Chechen War with Russia.

  There did seem to be a surprising number of independence movements – in the sense that it doesn’t sound like Saturn in Pisces. 1905 Norway got full independence. In Persia in 1906 there was a constitutional revolution leading to a new national assembly – and changes its name to Iran on the next Saturn in Pisces.

In 1935 there were moves to give a Federation of India autonomy from the UK. There was an Arab Revolt in Palestine against the Brits. The Spanish Civil War. Ireland pulls further away from the UK.

1964 – Singapore becomes independent. Rhodesia declares unilateral independence. Protests in Cuba against Castro. The Bosnian Serb war was ongoing in the 1990s.

  Nelson Mandela becomes President of South Africa in 1994, having been imprisoned for life one Saturn in Pisces before in 1964, having made his ‘I am prepared to die’ speech against apartheid. In 1906 Mahatma Gandhi starts his non-violence campaign.

Other Saturn in Pisces events:

1906 – Finland becomes first country to allow women to stand as candidates with universal suffrage. Boy Scout movement starts.

1935 – Alcoholics Anonymous founded.

1994 – NAFTA.  Channel Tunnel opens. Maastricht in effect.   

   No great conclusions except that certain countries – Russia, Iran, China appear to be sensitive to Saturn in Pisces. And that the unrest and push for democracy and freedom may be part of the underdog’s mutiny against ill treatment.

Actress Sally Field was given the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) lifetime award at their recent annual gig to add to her shelf-full of two Oscars, two Golden Globes, three Emmys, a Tony and two BAFTAs. She is known as talented, meticulous and not always easy to work with. But her comment that ‘easy is overrated’ when accepting this recent gong gave a hint about her approach – as well as reflecting a harsh truth about her life.

  She was born 6 November 1946 4.23am Pasadena, California to a father who left when he discovered his wife was pregnant by another man. Her mother was an actress with a drink problem who in later years knowingly allowed her stepfather to abuse her for years. Sally started in television roles at 20 and, as with Jane Fonda, found her stride after meeting the acting coach Lee Strasberg.

  Her much publicized relationship with actor Burt Reynolds was a nightmare – he took hysterical fits if she tried to talk about herself, refused to allow her to pick up her Emmy for Sybil and tried to prevent her playing Norma Rae for which she won an Oscar.

  She is a Sun Jupiter in Scorpio square Saturn Pluto in her 10^th, fitting her for tortured and bleak roles like Sybil. Her Aries Moon opposes Neptune and trines Mars in last degree Scorpio, Venus, Mercury in Sagittarius – which is a hugely complex relationship to her mother – Neptune addictive, Mars angry, Venus affectionate. Her Sun square Pluto and Saturn would attract her to controlling partners who suppressed her self-worth. Just as well she had Jupiter on hand to give her some buoyancy or she’d have sunk.

  Her Uranus is unaspected which so she would have difficulty finding an outlet for her rebellious spirit, or it would surface sporadically then disappear.

  Burt Reynolds always was a monstrously bad fit for her, although with her history of childhood abuse, not too surprising, 11 February 1936 12.10pm Lansing, MI – a Sun Aquarius like her abusive stepfather.

  His controlling Pluto was conjunct Sally’s midheaven so he would want to dominate; with his Mars in trine giving him a ruthless streak. Their relationship chart has a horrific composite Mars trine Saturn Uranus trine Neptune, with Saturn Uranus opposition Jupiter. Showbizzy from Mars Neptune, looked successful from a driving Jupiter, autocratic and high-tension from Saturn Uranus, cruel from Mars Saturn Uranus.

  Her relationship with her mother, born 10 May 1922 2 am Houston, Texas, a Sun Taurus square Neptune with a controlling 5^th house Pluto was another kind of bad with her mother’s evasive Neptune conjunct Sally’s Saturn Pluto; and her mother’s Saturn Jupiter in Libra square Pluto in hard aspect to Sally’s Moon and Neptune – cold, rejecting, sugary-sweet at times, possessive/controlling and very very confusing. Their relationship chart also has a cruel, cold composite Mars square Saturn, Mercury, Venus, Neptune.

   Poor kid, it’s a miracle she emerged with any sanity intact.

 Her creative, get-it-together 5^th harmonic is strong; as is her artistic 7H; and her actresses’ 15H.

   What intrigues me – at the risk of setting off a firestorm – is her Saturn Pluto in her 10^th. I know a couple of people with this personally and it is not easy to handle or reflective of a harmonious mother relationship. It also appears in Archie Mountbatten Windsor’s chart, Harry and Meghan’s son. And was one of the things which set off alarm bells in my head about the sugary sweet Meghan. A Saturn Pluto mother is cold, hard, controlling – certainly induces a strong work ethic in the child who is landed with it, which is no bad thing, but at the cost of emotional nurturing.  

Madonna has lost a brother to alcoholism which has drawn media criticism about the contrast between her extraordinary wealth and his long spells of homelessness, living on the streets. Though he does appear to have rejected offers of rehab from her and other help from his family along the way, refusing to admit he had a problem. In the past he said there was intense sibling rivalry between himself and Madonna as children. Another brother, Christopher, in a scathing memoir, described Madonna as machiavellian, dominating, a tyrant, selfish, bossy and mean.

  Run-of-the-mill fraught family relations multiplied ten fold with lopsided success rates amongst siblings. Though additionally the Ciccone family have been blessed or the opposite with extraordinarily Fixed charts so cooperation would not come easily.

  Madonna has her Sun and Uranus in Leo squaring onto a stubborn Mars in Taurus. Her brother Anthony had his Taurus Sun conjunct her Mars and his Jupiter Pluto in Leo conjunct her Sun – so a competitive, power-struggling chemistry from square one. Her birth time is questionable but on this one adjusted slightly it would put Neptune in her 3^rd house which rules siblings which might make sense.

 Father Silvio ‘Tony’ Ciccone, 2 June 1931, is a Sun Gemini with his flamboyant and attention demanding Mars in Leo conjunct Madonna’s Sun and his Venus in Taurus conjunct her Mars.  Like his son he has a pushily-confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction though he appeared to have used it more constructively.

  Another brother Martin is like Madonna a Sun Uranus in Leo with Pluto also in Leo. And brother Christopher has his Uranus in Leo.

  Mother, also called Madonna, who died young of cancer, had her Venus Mercury in Leo opposition Saturn in Aquarius. She would be fairly battened down with her Cancer Sun also conjunct Pluto. Her relationship with her daughter was close and affectionate with a composite Sun, Venus, Pluto conjunction in their relationship chart – and Madonna has always said it was her mother’s early death which spurred her on to become a success.

  What a volatile family.   Flexibility not a strong feature amongst them.

Born to be king was always said not to be in Charles’ stars. It is certainly true that George V1 and V and Victoria had Jupiter in their 10^th or close to their Midheaven. Queen Elizabeth did not but she did have a strong 1^st house Jupiter. One the other hand Edward V11 had his Jupiter in the 12^th – so it is hardly a hard and fast rule for a transcendent Jupiter to be a prerequisite for a Royal birth.

  Charles’ chart with a 10^th house Moon suits him for a public career even a political one and his enthusiastic Mars Jupiter in the 5^th inclines him to enjoy the spotlight. He’s also private with a 4^th house Sun and a defensive 1^st house Pluto, and keen on house design with his creative Venus in the 4^th.

  What sits over his Coronation on May 6^th, picking up from late March, is tr Pluto square his Moon which will be emotionally intense and challenging both for family relationships as well, in his case, as for career progress. It can bring up power struggles and crises as well as cathartic moments where the past is let go. At his age it could also bring physical stress.

  He will obviously be in a phase of considerable upheaval as he moves into his new role and tr Uranus making the final square to his Pluto from mid March to early April will bring either some disruption or an inner urge to throw out the old ways.

  His Solar Arc Neptune is conjunct his Jupiter and opposition his Uranus for a few months ahead which will bring a mix of euphoria and worry. Where his chart indicates a slow down is in two years’ time when his Solar Arc Saturn is conjunct his Sun, which timeline is also indicated on Camilla’s chart.

  One point which repeats in several of the charts (and it is beginning to haunt me) is 18 degrees fixed which tr Uranus gets to from late April across the Coronation. Tr Uranus will square Charles’ Progressed Mars then, as well as Camilla’s Uranus/MC midpoint and one of William’s midpoints. Which may in their cases just be heightened anxiety around a momentous event. But it also repeats around other global charts.

   Prince William has tr Pluto square his Jupiter across the Midheaven, moving to square his MC in 2024/25 – so a time of high confidence but also major challenges.

 It is thought that Prince George will be visible for the event, being now heir to the heir. He has quite a reclusive chart with an 8^th house Mars Jupiter in Cancer trine a 12^th house Saturn in Scorpio trine Neptune – and his Mars Jupiter is also opposition Pluto and square an inventive and rebellious 5^th house Uranus. Despite his defensive personality he’ll go his own way certainly on the romantic scene.

  His final degree and final minute 9^th house Cancer Sun hints at an inclination to travel and be well-educated but it also opposes a Capricorn Moon.  Usually Full Moon types have very different kinds of parents, almost incompatible, and often divorced. Though there is no sign of that in his case – but what it leaves behind is an ambivalence about making decisions since the Sun (head/duty) pulls one way and the Moon (heart/want) the other. So he will be conflicted about his Royal responsibilities as well as everything else, particularly relationships.  Prince William has a New Moon in Cancer and Kate, another Full Moon, has a Capricorn Sun opposition a Cancer Moon – and her parents are still hitched. Princess Charlotte has her Moon inconjunct her Sun and Louis has a Moon square Sun.

  Prince George is undergoing massive changes at the moment with tr Pluto conjunct his Moon and opposition his Sun – as he moves house, school and steps into a higher profile life, not all to his choosing by the look of it.

Down on the range there is high tension over Paramount Network’s Yellowstone and whether the massively successful show with an 8 million viewership will make it to a sixth season. Kevin Costner, the star, having just won a Golden Globe for season five, is reportedly keen to exit which as one reviewer said would be ‘as bad as if James Gandolfini prematurely exited The Sopranos.’ The rumour is that Costner demanded over $1 million per episode for the fifth season with an increase for the sixth. Though on those ratings he’ll be worth it.

  He was born 18 January 1955 9.40 pm Lynwood, CA, and came to fame with Dances with Wolves and The Bodyguard in the early 1990s but then hit a downer with the massively expensive flop Waterworld in 1995. He has worked constantly since then though not quite at superstar level until this.

  He has a powerful, stubborn, ego-centric and talented chart with an ambitious Capricorn Sun in his performing 5^th house which is on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Pluto and the Midheaven, as well as opposing a lucky Jupiter Uranus in Cancer square Neptune. He’s custom-built to be in the movie spotlight. His Saturn in obsessively conscientious Scorpio is in an unyielding square to Pluto on one side and a 5^th house Mercury on the other. With Mars in Aries in his 7^th he is well-designed for assertive, macho-roles. His Mars is also trine an adventurous Sagittarius Moon and Venus.

  A larger than life personality and not always easy to get on with he will certainly make his presence felt.

  This year as last he has tr Pluto conjunct his Sun and square his Neptune with his Solar Arc Saturn sitting on his Sun and square his Neptune as well – so he is in a high-stress phase of his life in the path of sweeping changes whether he opts for them or not. 

  Tr Neptune is also square his Midheaven through this year which can be career-undermining and indecisive.  He will continue to be jolted onto a new track when tr Uranus squares his Pluto in 2024, pulling on the third end of his Yod. When yods are triggered life usually moves force majeure onto a new track, which in retrospect will seem meant.

  He has a good deal ahead of him with tr Saturn heading upwards in his chart rising above his Descendant after 2024 for a decade and a half; and tr Pluto staying in his creative, attention-demanding 5^th for many years to come as well.