The Denmark of Hans Christian Andersen, with the Tivoli amusement park and the iconic “Little Mermaid” statue, redolent of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses has in modern times become a beacon for progressive policies. It was the first country to grant legal recognition to same-sex unions in 1989, has supported women’s rights, minority rights, and LGBT rights. All university and college (tertiary) education in Denmark is free of charges.
So far, so enlightened. Yet it has a draconian approach to asylum seekers aiming for a zero intake. Because of an opt out it is not bound by EU mandates on refugees though it has relented slightly over Ukraine. Last year the Danish parliament passed a law enabling the deportation of asylum seekers to countries outside Europe in the face of heavy criticism from NGOs and the United Nations.
The Denmark chart has always intrigued me since it never squared with its open-minded, libertarian, sedate reputation – 5 June 1849 12.15pm Copenhagen. A prominent, driving-planet Sun in Gemini opposes a Sagittarius Moon which forms one leg of a Fire Grand Trine to Jupiter in Leo trine a hard-edged, unsentimental Mars Saturn In Aries. Fire Grand Trines tend to be attention-seeking, inspirational, entrepreneurial. A Gemini Sun often coincides with a split country – a la South Africa 1910. There’s also a chaotic, contradictory, unsettled Uranus Pluto in Aries in the 8th.
Like New Zealand, founded four years later, it emerged from the ferment of the mid 19th century triple conjunction of Pluto, Uranus, Saturn – in Aries for Denmark and mainly Taurus for New Zealand. And the sober New Zealand image like Denmark doesn’t quite fit its chart. And yet both charts track later events well so seem to be sound.
Much must bubble below the surface in both countries.
Rwanda, site of one of the bloodiest genocides in modern times, presently run by a man described as “an evil genius” and a “despot”, accused of assassinating his opponents, is the surreal choice for a refugee dump of those who arrive on UK shores illegally. Denmark and Israel are also in discussions to follow suit.
Paul Kagame, president since 2000, has improved economic conditions and literacy while at the same time facing accusations of widespread abuses. A recent review by the US State Department cites “significant human rights issues” listing arbitrary killings, forced disappearance, torture and life-threatening prison conditions. There is no free press, the internet is heavily policed and no opposition is brooked.
He does appear to have an uncanny ability to charm the West and was fawned over by Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and more recently President Macron. This deal, if it comes off, will help Rwanda by filling the void left by young African men leaving. Though the country’s track record of humanely managing Congolese refugees already in Rwanda is not reassuring.
Kagame, born 23 October 1957, is either a last degree Libra Sun or zero Scorpio conjunct Neptune and maybe a Scorpio Moon – slippery and intense. He has an enthusiastic Jupiter Mars in Libra sextile a serious Venus Saturn in Sagittarius. His reforming Uranus squares onto his Scorpio NN and Taurus SNode.
Sun Moon Neptune in Scorpio would certainly fit his reputation.
Tr Pluto moving into Aquarius will run him into a swamp of confusion and losses as it heads to square his Sun, Sun/Neptune midpoint and then Neptune between 2023 and 2025.
That would fit with his presidency chart, 22 April 2000, which has a determined, violent and lucky Mars Saturn Jupiter in Taurus square Uranus; and a slippery Sun square Neptune. It looks more than precarious in 2023, with the Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto, which is destabilizing. Tr Uranus will conjunct the Saturn Mars and square Uranus as well – so extremely turbulent; and will be under exceptional pressure to change come 2024 and on.
The Rwanda independence chart, 1 July 1962, hints at confusion and disappointment over coming months with the Solar Arc Neptune opposition the Sun, and mayhem in 2024 with a blocked Solar Arc Sun conjunct Pluto and an explosive, insecure tr Uranus conjunct Mars. So whatever happens life will not run smoothly ahead.
The relationship chart between the UK and Rwanda is fraught at the best of time with a composite Mars, Sun, Mercury opposition Neptune, trine Uranus Pluto – and that is being shaken up considerably over the next four years.
If the scheme goes ahead which may be doubtful, Kagame would find the spotlight shone on his ruthless style of government more than uncomfortable.
What is intriguing is that Boris’s Johnson’s chart relocated to Kigali, Rwanda, puts his politicking Scorpio Moon exactly conjunct the Midheaven with a relaxed-at-home Jupiter in the 4th and a fun-loving Mars Mercury in the 5th. [Maybe we could crowd fund his air fare for an early retirement.) Admittedly it puts his Uranus Pluto in the 8th opposition Saturn in the 2nd, so not all relaxing or good for finances.
Although the scheme was assumed to be a risible ‘dead cat’ strategy to divert attention from Partygate it has been on the cards for eight months.
Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, is gloating over her masterstroke and accusing her critics of having no alternative solutions (which is certainly true), but she is going against the advice of her own civil servants. Born 29 March 1972 6.48am London, her grandparents were Ugandan Asians, so she’ll be familiar with the region. Like Boris she lurches from one PR disaster to the next and although regarded by him as a loyal supporter, has the usual Boris crony oddity of a chart that clashes badly with his.
She has an overwheeningly confident Jupiter square a controlling Aries Sun opposition Pluto Moon in Libra. But it is her sharp-edged, short-tempered and chilly Mars Saturn in Gemini in a slippery opposition to Neptune which is the wonder since it collides with Boris’s afflicted Mars in Gemini. Relocating her chart to Rwanda, gives her a grandstanding platform, moving her Pluto to the 5th but like Boris financial headaches.
Another tinpot scheme that goes toes up at some point.
Turkey is in an unprecedented financial crisis, wilting under hyper-inflation reckoned at 142%, five times higher than other countries. Food prices are rocketing with the Ukraine crisis adding to challenges. A series of policy mistakes and ambitious expansionary projects against the advice of experts, as well as revolving doors at the central bank with four chiefs in three years, have piled on the misery.
The Foreign Minister is pushing hard for EU membership talks to make progress but Turkey still needs to reverse repression of media, civil society and academia and meet five benchmarks – on corruption, EU standards on personal data legislation, an agreement with Europol, cooperate with Member States on criminal matters, and revise terrorism legislation.
On the Turkey country chart, 20 October 1923 8.30pm Ankara, the next two years look discouraging with a downbeat Solar Arc Saturn square Sun in 2023 and a deprived/stuck Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Saturn Mercury in 2024. If the start time is accurate tr Pluto then moves into the 8th financial house from 2024 for fifteen years ahead which can be debt-ridden and trapped economically. It need not be a total calamity but generally isn’t too upbeat.
Recep Erdogan’s 4th Term chart, 9 July 2018 4.30pm never looked inspiring on the financial front with an 8th house Sun opposition a 2nd house Pluto and a 2nd house Saturn. The next three years will be frustrated, blocked, disappointing and high-risk in 2023/24 in particular. But there’s no strong indication of a major change in terms of toppling the head. Despite the economic woes Erdogan still remains popular.
His own chart looks suspiciously upbeat this year and next, perhaps explained by him having planets in all three water signs including a Pisces, Sun, Mercury, Venus giving him an ability to live in his own self-created bubble and avoid facing hard truths.
Though the upcoming Solar Eclipse in Taurus late this month will oppose his Saturn bring a cold dose of reality and responsibility. He will have to face a few mistakes and will be brought further down to earth with a bump from mid 2023 onwards.
A cripplingly shy teenager and school dropout is changing the world of war reporting and espionage using open source videos, maps and pictures and social media for investigations. Eliot Ward Higgins a British citizen journalist and former blogger, founder of Bellingcat, caught media attention when he investigated the chemical weapons used in Syria, then focused on the 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 by Russian separatists, the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal and unmasked Alexei Navalny’s would-be killers. From a sofa in Leicestershire he has revealed some of the world’s dirtiest secrets, notably in Russia.
Bellingcat is named after an Aesop’s fable in which mice put a bell on a cat’s neck as a warning system.
Now he is focused on Ukraine, debunking conspiracist claims that the civilian massacres in Bucha were staged or committed by Ukrainian forces, backed up with video evidence. He says he is “frustrated”, because Russian spokesmen “are still treated as serious people. We know they lie in the most absurd and grotesque ways and we shouldn’t give them a platform to lie without challenging them.”
Bellingcat set up on 15 July 2014, has only a dozen or so full-time staff, and despite criticism that it is an arm of the CIA, or MI6, in reality is funded by grants from the EU to the giant UK trust of billionaire Sigrid Rausing as well as individual donations. The aim is to collect and validate source material of high enough quality for war crimes tribunals and to train other organisations to collect evidence in the same way.
Higgins was born 8 January 1979 (Companies House) in Shrewsbury, England and has a high-octane, ultra-determined and courageous chart with a Sun Mars in Capricorn square Pluto and probably in an Earth Grand Trine to Saturn in Virgo trine a Taurus Moon; formed into a Kite by Moon opposition Uranus. A driving planet Uranus would make sense of his technological and innovative talents which all the practical (and engineering) ability of the earth planets is focused towards. He’s also got a hope-for-a-better-society Saturn square Neptune.
His Mercury in last degree Sagittarius is unaspected, giving him a single-tracked mind and what Bil Tierney describes as “ an extraordinary mental facility in a singular area of life.”
Bellingcat, 15 July 2014, now headquartered in the Netherlands, has a highly Cardinal chart giving it turbo-charged initiative and resourcefulness with a Sun Jupiter in Cancer square Mars North Node in justice-oriented Libra and opposition Uranus with Pluto square in Capricorn. Certainly well-designed to dive into crisis and high-risk situations.
Higgins is on a confident roll this year and next but it is not a lifestyle without danger and there will be one or two disasters lying in his path as well.
Eclipse season is back with the first Solar Eclipse of the year falling on 30 April at 10 degrees Taurus conjunct Uranus; with the Taurus North Node square Saturn, trine Pluto and sextile Jupiter Venus Neptune in Pisces. It’s in a Saros series, around previously in 2004, 1986, 1968, 1950, 1932, 1914 and is associated (according to Bernadette Brady, The Eagle and the Lark) with the relationship to father figures and the need to take responsibility and accept commitments due to another’s indisposition or unreliability.
Uranus will throw up a few surprises, maybe upsets and prompt innovation and change. Jupiter Neptune hints at financial bubbles bursting and delusions or over-optimism leading to disappointments financially and emotionally. Saturn in Aquarius in square is chilly, can be selfish and self-righteous. New Zealand and Australia may be unsettled locations – NZ with an argumentative Mars on the MC; and AU with the New Moon Uranus on the Ascendant.
The Total Lunar Eclipse following on 16 May at 25 degrees Scorpio in many ways is more powerful, as is often the case with Lunars. The Scorpio Moon opposes the Taurus Sun and North Node squaring onto Saturn in Aquarius, trine Pluto and sextile Mars Neptune in Pisces. Stubborn, controlling, attention and publicity seeking, emotionally chilly and intellectually arrogant. Europe and the EU may be more than usually affected along with the UK as forced-change Pluto sits on the Midheaven. Saturn sits on the Midheaven through Kiev which suggests a sobering reality.
The second Solar Eclipse, also a Partial like the first, is on 25 October 2022 with the New Moon at two degrees Scorpio conjunct Venus inconjunct Jupiter; and Mercury trine Mars trine Saturn, square Pluto. It was around before the same years as above and is in an emotionally intense, slightly manic series, affecting relationships and group activities with effects ranging from falling in love to having to make a great effort.
The Venus Jupiter aspects may mellow what looks to be an argumentative, if not dogmatic and intellectually bullying mood. Saturn in Aquarius will be showing its un-empathic and obstinate face. This Eclipse is the final one to be catching the disruptive Uranus Saturn square which bedevilled last year – as Uranus will conjunct the Taurus Node and square Saturn for a final time. Mars Saturn can be violent or accident-prone.
The Total Lunar Eclipse on 8 November 2022 at 16 degrees Taurus conjunct Uranus opposition Venus square Saturn will magnify the Saturn square Uranus effect which can be dictatorial as well as unpredictable and contradictory. There’s also an over-hopeful Jupiter Neptune in Pisces square Mars.
They all look like a mish mash of minuses and pluses with the May Lunar Eclipse being the most difficult.
There is a noticeable shift in the UK zeitgeist around the ‘what is a woman?’ spat. For several years in the political arena it has been non-pc to question gender self-declaration. Finally the push-back from women has begun to gain traction. Stonewall which had a solid reputation in fighting for LGBT rights for two and a half decades has been steadily losing support and money recently over its take-no-hostages policies on transgender rights.
JK Rowling who was declared persona non grata by her ungrateful former movie mates is now emerging as a figurehead for the common sense lobby, giving much a needed public hand to those scapegoated by the fanatics. High profile columnists in the broadsheets arguing along similar lines for some time have been supported by an avalanche of comments.
While the great silent majority aren’t always right, what was always odd about this mystifyingly vicious argument was how a few screamers managed to bully politicians and societies into meekly acceding to ludicrous demands. Girl Guides allowed male teenagers to self-identify into female overnight accommodation. No one checked on the impact of taking self-declared transwomen into female prisons. Only now are sports personalities speaking out about the inequities of allowing bulked-up transwomen to compete in women’s sports.
Edmund Burke, the 18th-century philosopher of liberal conservatism wrote – “Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle, reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak, chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field.”
Stonewall has lost income recently as major organisations like the Department of Health, Channel 4, BBC, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and others have withdrawn from their diversity schemes.
Founded on 24 May 1989, it fought its corner bravely and effectively until it had won concessions and acceptance for its members. The trouble started when it looked around to find a raison-d’etre for the future in 2014 and added transgender to its CV.
One bystander remarked: “Plan A was all about bullying, intimidation and legislation by stealth, because they knew they had no hope of foisting this stuff on the world by honest persuasion.”
Stonewall was born out of the triple conjunction in Capricorn with a Gemini Sun and Capricorn moon – and more significantly a Yod from Jupiter Venus in Gemini inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune Saturn. A Jupiterian Yod can have social influence and a strong impact on the masses, though can have fateful consequences and be undone by overconfidence and arrogance. The chart also indicates a volcanic reservoir of anger at unfairness and ill-treatment with Mars opposition Saturn, Neptune and trine Pluto; which can all too easily turn into ruthless domineering.
At the moment the Solar Arc Sun is opposing the Uranus for an upset this year; with devastating confusion from Solar Arc Neptune square Pluto at the moment as well. Plus an over-pushy Solar Arc Pluto opposition Jupiter this year, moving on to oppose the Venus by 2024 – feelings will run high over the next two years.
I am fascinated by the repeated occurrence of Gemini dictators and bully-boys/persons over the past few years and still in place, hopefully not for long. Maybe Neptune in Pisces moving across the Gemini Solar Midheaven through last decade allowed them to magnify their slippery and fanatical grip; aided and abetted by a string-pulling Pluto in Capricorn moving through their Solar 8th. With luck 2025 will see the end of them.
JK Rowling, 31 July 1965 9.10pm (rectified) Bristol, with her rebellious Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Saturn clashing with Stonewall’s Jupiter Venus she is well-designed to dent their good humour. Plus her Mars in Libra makes a combative square to their Saturn Neptune opposition Mars – not that she has any particular argument with Stonewall, only this latest extremist crusade.
PS I love the “if you don’t respect my sex you won’t get my X” local election campaign which has made Labour leaders tone down their biology-denial.
See previous posts: 12 March 2022 and 23 May 2021.
Dropping in for afternoon tea with the Queen, on the way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, having missed Prince Philip’s memorial, seems curious. And like most actions of the Sussexes is raising questions about ulterior motives. Tom Bower, the biographer, suggested it was to appease the Netflix producers of an upcoming documentary, part of their $100 million deal; a film crew being ready and waiting their presence in Amsterdam.
That may be a touch uncharitable since even Prince Harry must feel twinges of conscience about not being mindful of the grandparents to whom he was devoted and other Royal watchers suggest it would have been the Queen’s doing to try to mend the family rift.
Harry is in a truly difficult year or two with an undermining tr Neptune opposition his Virgo Sun throughout this year; a dead-halt, blocked Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Pluto in Scorpio within six months; and the Eclipses shaking up his Taurus Moon, Pluto and Saturn in Scorpio all year as well. Eclipses on the Moon in particular tend to accompany family crises and emotional upsets, often shaking the foundations of a life. Saturn on an Eclipse brings a sharp reality check, heavier responsibilities and kickback for mistakes. Tr Uranus opposing his Midheaven will bring sharp changes of direction at home and in career direction. 2023/24 look no easier for him.
Part of this will be sadness about his grandparents, with the additional factor of aggravation about his father and Camilla stepping up in prominence (and William). He’s never taken to Camilla whom he regards as complicit in Diana’s unhappiness and there are fears he’ll be grinding axes about this in his forthcoming memoir. His relationship chart with her is ferociously difficult with a composite Mars opposition Uranus Pluto square Jupiter opposition Moon. Tr Saturn in Pisces in 2023 will be pouring cold water and a deepening chill over their connection. Harry’s relationship with his father is limping along and is trickier with William, who is more inclined to vent his anger with ill-feeling dragging on there between the brothers.
I’m still puzzling over why Harry has such a bee in his bonnet about his mother and such an idealised view of her. Admittedly her Cancer Sun sat on Harry’s Descendant and her Venus was conjunct his Taurus Moon so there would be deep affection between them and a sense of partnership. But Diana’s obstreperous Uranus, North Node in Leo and her volcanically angry Mars Pluto in Virgo all fell in Harry’s 8th which must have made for a very uncomfortable mood at times – though all very unconscious on his part since it is 8th house. At some level she provoked and infected him with her burning resentment, vengeance and inability to let go.
Meghan is unlike Diana, astrologically-speaking. Where Diana’s Venus might have rooted Harry in his family, Meghan’s Uranus in his 10th opposition his Moon pulls him sharply away. What is intriguing is that Meghan’s 4th house Pluto is conjunct Diana’s Midheaven and Meghan’s Mars is conjunct Diana’s Sun. That might suggest to me that Meghan is trying, because of her own family dysfunction and need to control her domestic environment, to usurp and overtake Diana’s ambitions. The Sun Mars is certainly a competitive connection which would have led to running arguments had Diana lived.
It may be a stretch but almost as if Meghan wanted to harvest Diana’s image and aura and outdo her (Pluto on MC). And although Meghan appears to get on well with her mother Doria, her chart with a Libra Moon Jupiter Saturn square Mars does not suggest an easy relationship with women and mother figures in general.
The Harry Meghan relationship chart is a classic for externalising problems. Or put it another way, they have managed to create a situation with family rifts on both sides which allow them to avoid facing and sorting the key problems in their relationship. The relationship chart has a composite Moon square Saturn Pluto which has been under heavy pressure since they baled in 2020. Tr Pluto is this year opposing the Moon through till late 2023 which will put both under a great deal of strain. They could move house, which has been suggested, to soak up some of it – again externalising rather than addressing the underlying grievances. Saturn Pluto makes couples feel chained together and resenting it. They blame each other or restrictive circumstances rather than asking what within themselves has landed them in this situation and relationship.
Nothing looks to be easing any time soon in the Royal connection with Meghan and William at loggerheads in 2023/2024; and Meghan and Charles undermined and aggravated in 2024/26.
Meghan is in a different phase of her life to Harry, becoming increasingly ambitious and hard-working ahead where he wants to bury himself in a corner and stay invisible for a while. Though her financial fortunes may contract a touch ahead and she’ll be thrown back on her own resources emotionally as well as financially for a couple of years ahead.
Add On: Additional thoughts on Harry and family tangles. He has a Taurus Moon which is possessive, attached to the past, as is an intense 8th house Sun (hints of more Scorpio). Even more significant may be his Taurus North Node in the 4th. The Taurus NN hangs grimly onto hurts, reacts like a wounded animal when threatened, isn’t initially endowed with much self-awareness, and has a bottomless reservoir of neediness for support and possessions. Learning to live on his own talents and resources is crucial if he is to grow.
Falling in his 4th house suggests his family is his pathway to transformation which means coming off his high horse and sorting out his emotional knots. Parental ties are more important for this placing than any other and the urge to be independent is great, yet soul growth comes through forgetting pride and outer glories and coming to terms with emotional realities.
Prince William who as a New Moon in Cancer with his Venus conjunct Diana’s in Taurus might have been expected to be closer to his mother. But their relationship chart is less affectionate than Harry’s and is riddled with suspicion and doubt. William also has Jupiter on his Midheaven which describes a drama queen mother so maybe he saw through her manipulations more clearly than Harry. He also has his Moon square Mars so he would have been angry about how she blocked his assertiveness.
Viktor Medvedchuk, often named the “dark prince” of Ukrainian politics, a lawyer and business oligarch, and Putin crony has been arrested by Ukrainian Secret Service and his assets seized which include 23 houses, 32 apartments, 26 cars, and one yacht.
Viktor Medvedchuk has been a loyal ally and close friend to Putin for two decades, sharing holidays together and Putin is godfather to his youngest daughter. He headed a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine for years, even after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the beginning of the war in Donbas.
In 2021 he was accused of treason and attempted looting in Russian-occupied Crimea. Putin, who had regarded him as their main man in Ukraine, was enraged by the closure of Medvedchuk’s pro-Russian television stations and some suggest this invasion may in part be motivated by that. Medvedchuk fled house arrest recently and was missing for 48 days.
Born 7 August 1954 in Krasnoyarsk, he has a 14 degree Leo Sun which is a hot-spot degree triggered in many other related charts in this debacle, including the Russia 1917 chart. That is about to be pounded by a transiting Uranus hard aspect from the middle of next week – April 20th on for a few weeks. Indeed if Medvedchuk was an early morning birth tr Uranus may well be squaring his Sun now.
His Progressed Mars has also been hammering away square his Neptune recently and now opposition his Uranus – throwing his life into chaos.
He has a ruthlessly determined Mars in Sagittarius trine Pluto which will catch the undermining, panicky-failure tr Neptune square Mars in 2023 and upending tr Uranus square Pluto in 2024. 2024 looks like a dead-end with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Saturn and Solar Arc Sun conjunct his Neptune plus plus discouraging influences thereafter. He has a few blips of luck and confidence but more of the sinking variety.
He won’t be resurrected to his former illicit glory, for sure.
The Moskva, the Russian flagship sunk by Ukrainian missiles, had the hull laid down on 5 November 1976 and was commissioned on 30 January 1983.
The Laying Down chart had a Uranus square Saturn that year as this; and the North Node in Scorpio – so similarities. Tr Uranus is exactly opposition the Scorpio Sun now for an upset (and then some). The indications are all there of a high-stress phase for the ship this year with the tr Saturn square tr Uranus tugging on the Mars in Scorpio as well – before moving on to square the Mars/Pluto midpoint next year. Often when entities or individuals run into the buffers there are damaging influences just ahead as if they cast a shadow backwards – and the upcoming late April Solar Eclipse would certainly also be having an effect tugging on the Uranus, Mercury, Sun, Mars in Scorpio.
On the commissioning chart, the Solar Arc Pluto is within a degree conjunct the Uranus and about to square the Mars. A destruction would usually involve Mars Pluto.
Battling on at 101, “Hurricane Hazel” McCallion, former mayor of Canada’s seventh largest city for 36 years, has extended her directorship of the Toronto airport authority for another three years and stayed on as adviser at the local university as well.
‘Known for her blunt demeanour and pugilistic style of governing, McCallion has loomed large over Ontario civics for decades, despite her diminutive height.’
She was born 14 February 1921 in Quebec, the youngest of five children, later working for an engineering firm in Montreal and playing professional hockey before loving into local politics.
She is a Sun Aquarius with a practical Jupiter Saturn in Virgo; and a resourceful, courageous and confrontational Mars in Aries opposition Saturn and square Pluto. Her Moon is in steady Taurus.
Her get-it-together 5th harmonic is her strongest, along with her breakthrough 13H. Her tough/enduring 8 and 16H harmonics are also well aspected.
