not categorised

Julie Andrews, is an amazing 90 today – ‘crisply accented, sweetly tuneful and girlish in her most famous movie musicals, but always with a sense of humour about her angelic image.’

 She won the 1965 Oscar for playing a “practically perfect” English nanny for Walt Disney and mischievously drove around Los Angeles with a “Mary Poppins Was a Junkie” bumper sticker on her car. Her Hollywood nickname was “the nun with the switchblade”.

  Forever associated with The Sound of Music, her childhood during the London blitz was when her extraordinary vocal talent was discovered. At the age of eight, she had an adult larynx, and a clear soprano voice with a four-octave range. She started out in music hall, and did the Royal Variety Performance aged 13, and ended up on Broadway while still a teenager, in The Boy Friend and then in Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady.

 Her second husband director Blake Edwards, expanded her range in movies in the 1970s in The Tamarind Seed, a romantic spy thriller and 10, a sex comedy with Dudley Moore; thence onto Victor/Victoria, a queer musical farce about a singer who masquerades as a man.

In 1997, botched surgery on her vocal cords more or less ended Andrews’ singing voice and she would rarely sing on screen again. Though indefatigable as ever she starred in The Princess Diaries with voiceovers for the Shrek and Despicable Me films. Most recently she has narrated Netflix’s raunchy regency drama Bridgerton – ‘every consonant of Lady Whistledown’s wicked whispers impeccably articulated.’

 Born 1 October 1935, 6 am Walton-on-Thames England (biography) She is not surprisingly an ice-cool Sun Libra with a hard-working and heavily aspected creative Venus in Virgo conjunct Neptune, sextile Mercury in Scorpio, square Mars, opposition Saturn and trine Uranus. Her Jupiter (Moon) in Scorpio trine Pluto will give her confidence and attract success while her Mars in Sagittarius in her communicative 3^rd  will give her clarity and strength in projecting her voice.

 She also has two yods of Uranus sextile Saturn inconjunct Sun and Sun sextile Mars inconjunct Uranus which would out her on a singular path in life though not without the need for adjustments in how she directed her will and her zanier streak. A definite one off.

 When a botched throat operation in 1997 damaged her vocal chords, for which she sued the hospital – tr Pluto was square her 6^th house Saturn putting immense pressure on her health, with ensuing depression; her Solar Arc Sun was approaching the conjunct in to her 3^rd house Mars for a shocking event; tr Neptune was square her Mercury, undermining her voice. And her Progressed Mars was in a dead-halt, enraging, frustrated opposition to her Pluto as was tr Neptune for a devastating time.  

Emma Watson, Hermione in the Harry Potter films, and more recently in Beauty and the Beast and Little Women, has caused some merriment by taking to the public airwaves to announce she was giving up acting because she disliked the attention it attracted. Shades of Prince Harry.

  She has also been getting skewered by J.K. Rowling for publicly attacking her over trans rights especially in a Bafta speech at a time when “the death, rape and torture threats” were being aimed at Rowling. Despite which  Emma passed on a handwritten note saying ‘I’m so sorry for what you’re going through’. On Twitter X Rowling wrote. “Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames, yet thought a one-line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy.”

  Emma Watson, 15 April 1990 6pm Paris. France, has an intense 8^th house Aries Sun trine a Sagittarius Moon on her IC sextile Mars in Aquarius with her Sun square Saturn  – so not short of Fire and a forthright approach. Her equally intense 8^th house Mercury in stubborn Taurus is amped up in opposition to Pluto and square an activist Aquarius North Node so she will be opinionated, dogmatic and sure of her beliefs.

  She is also of the Uranus Neptune in Capricorn generation who can get entangled with ideas and attitudes that are not open to scrutiny. Her Jupiter in her 10^th will bring her luck and career success. Her Jupiter opposing Uranus can be idealistic and well-intentioned but can lead to eccentric viewpoints and be overly blunt.

  J. K. Rowling, 31 July 1965 9.10 pm Bristol, England, has a hard-working 6^th house Leo Sun with a Virgo Moon in her 7^th at the far end of a stellium of Pluto, Uranus, Venus conjunct and Mercury. Her Pluto opposes Saturn in Pisces squaring onto a 4^th house Jupiter. Communicative with all that Virgo, keen on pushing ahead with changes from Uranus Pluto and stubborn with Saturn involved. Her focal point Jupiter will soften the rough edges of the tough experiences aroused by Pluto Saturn. Her Jupiter is also square her Moon for a softer view of mother/women. With an angry 8^th house Mars in Libra trine her Jupiter for passionate action.

  Emma’s obdurate Mercury in Taurus forms one leg of a yod sextile Rowling’s Saturn inconjunct Rowling’s Mars – so she would spark off deep seated reactions. On Emma’s chart, Rowling’s Jupiter is conjunct her Midheaven bringing her success. But Rowling’s intense Mars square’s Emma’s Uranus Neptune for a considerable clash.  Emma’s uncompromising Pluto (opposition Mercury) is conjunct Rowling’s 9^th house Neptune for a divergence of outlooks/philosophies.

 Their relationship chart has an intertwined Grand Trine (in Air)  of Pluto Sun and Saturn hinting at a relationship sensitive to ideological differences, formed into two Kites by Sun opposition an argumentative Mars and Pluto opposition the composite North Node – which is an almost perfect example of a twosome at loggerheads over a current cultural obsession.

  Apart from a few ripples there is nothing much ahead between them as Emma presumably sinks into obscurity (maybe) and the argument anyway recedes in the rear-view mirror.  

  Emma’s Ascendant in late Virgo did catch the recent Solar Eclipse for an image crisis and need for a rebrand. By next year tr Saturn Neptune will square her 10^th house Jupiter for a confidence dent and career slump.

 J.K.Rowling was also in the line of the September Lunar Eclipse keying up her Uranus Pluto and Saturn; with the Solar Eclipse rattling her Moon – perhaps why she has let fly now.

Nicole Kidman and her husband musician Keith Urban are to split as their marriage heads for the 20 year mark. They have been kept apart recently with her back-to-back filming and his touring schedules; with some speculation about her recent daring roles ‘with some of the kinkiest sex scenes of her career’ perhaps causing problems on home base.

  Their wedding on 25 June 2006 was immediately followed by a stint for him in rehab with alcohol and cocaine problems so was hardly an auspicious start but it had seemed a surprisingly strong match thereafter until this.

 She  was born 20 June 1967 3.15 pm Honolulu (from memory) and he 26 October 1967 12.05 am (unverified) Whangarei, New Zealand.

 She is a final degree Gemini Sun widely square Uranus (Pluto in Virgo) with a showy, charming Jupiter Venus in Leo in Sun; and a hard-edged Mars in Libras opposition Saturn in self-reliant Aries.

 Born only four months apart they have the same outer planet placings; with his Scorpio Sun sitting on her Ascendant square her Jupiter for good feels and a good look for her; and his Cancer Moon trines her Neptune for an idealistic, sympathetic connection.  His passionate Venus in Virgo conjunct Pluto is close to her Pluto which would also give a sizzle of attraction.

 Their relationship chart has an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction though that has been upended by tr Uranus in square earlier this year and on into 2026.  There is a cool, too-much-work Moon opposition Saturn; and a Jupiter square Neptune Mars  = over hopeful and not always mutually supportive of each other’s career dreams.

 Her personal chart hints at a career high ahead as transiting Jupiter heads for her midheaven in 2026 into 2027; and a confident push for success as tr Pluto opposes her Jupiter in 2026/27. But she also has a raft of tricky Solar Arcs in 2026/27 which hint at sadness and angst-ridden moments. If her birth time is accurate tr Pluto is heading to cross her IC into her 4^th from 2027/28 onwards pointing to a reorganisation at home.

 He looks relieved in a way with tr Uranus square his Jupiter now and into 2026 though there will be ups and downs with a pressured and challenging tr Pluto square his Sun continuing through 2026 as well as tr Neptune Saturn square his Mars in Capricorn. Plus a collision-type SA Sun conjunct his Mars in 2026 and a confused SA Pluto conjunct his Neptune in 2028 at the same time as SA Jupiter conjunct his Sun. It’ll be a long haul but may end well for him.

 Their wedding chart from 25 June 2006 has a Cancer Sun opposition Pluto which has been under strain in the past two years and more so as the separation takes place through 2026; with emotional upsets from tr Uranus conjunct the Venus. There was also a destructive, self-defeating Mars Saturn conjunction then which was an omen of a one sided match to come.

 Her previous marriage to Tom Cruise lasted ten years and perhaps her choice of partners can in part be attributed to her Sun/Moon midpoint being conjunct her Uranus attracting her to unconventional mates – though the first would be more restrictive than would sit comfortably with her free spirit.

Larry Ellison, a giant of the tech world, co-founder of Oracle, now doubling his fortune via AI, is expanding in a worrisome fashion along with his son David into buying vast expanses of the US media – from TikTok’s US assets, to Paramount, preparing bid for Warner Brothers Discovery as well as HBO and CNN, a combination that would create one of the biggest media giants in the US. All backed by Trump and his regulatory loyalist Brendan Carr.

“The Ellison duo taking over both CBS and CNN, as well as controlling a major social media network like TikTok, would be dangerous for democracy. And given their closeness to the Trump regime, that seems to be the point,” the media watch group FAIR warned recently.

  An erstwhile supporter of Bill Clinton, Ellison senior has been moving rightwards politically over recent years. Trump praised the elder Ellison earlier this year as “an amazing man and amazing business person”.

  In addition Ellison Snr is one of the largest donors to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI); £52 million in 2023 with promise of another £163 million, according to the Guardian. ‘Matched with interviews, they revealed an organisation unusually close to the British government, holding regular meetings with ministers in which they push policy recommendations that serve Oracle’s interests.’

  Oracle appears to be in line for the new digital ID cards and has expressed interest in data from the NHS.

Multiple staff working for TBI during the Ellison cash injection speak of a sea change in culture towards pushing aggressive tech solutions which caused unrest amongst staff from humanitarian and development backgrounds.  “It’s hard to get across just how deeply connected the two [organisations] are,” a former TBI staffer said.

 Ellison Snr in 2017 donated $16.6 million to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and his contribution to funding an archaeological excavation project in East Jerusalem has attracted criticism from Palestinians and Israeli peace activists and some archaeologists. A 2019 lawsuit accusing Ellison and others of conspiring to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Israeli-occupied territories, committing war crimes, and funding genocide  was dismissed in early 2024. He appears to be close to Netanyahu.

 Born 17 August 1944, New York, Larry Ellison is a Sun and Moon in Leo with a stellium in Virgo ranging from a Jupiter Venus conjunction to Mercury Mars conjunction at the other end. His Uranus in Gemini is trine Neptune sextile Pluto; and squares Jupiter Venus. It’s a chart that needs a birth time to make sense. But one of the key factors will be his Jupiter in Virgo which is conjunct his Neptune/Pluto midpoint. Neptune Pluto can have supernatural overtones but it is also associated with megalomania = inordinate ambition.

 His Solar Arc Jupiter is square his Sun now; tr Uranus will square his Jupiter in 26/27; and his Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct his Jupiter by 2027; with a lucky tr Uranus square his Sun/Jupiter across this winter – so he’s on a roll. Not everything ahead is plain sailing since his midpoints and a couple of Solar Arcs do indicate some calamities, career setbacks and the like moving into 2026/27 but his pluses almost certainly outweigh his minuses.

 His relationship chart with the USA is an eye-opener with a composite Sun, Jupiter, Venus, Mars square Pluto conjunction, hinting at great enthusiasm which will be tested in coming years with tr Pluto opposing the composite Sun, Jupiter, Venus, Mars. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that will result in.

  Ellison’s relationship with the UK has a tussle-for-the-upper-hand composite Jupiter square Pluto which can start as a ‘together-we-can-be-successful’ push but often ends in rancour. With a defensive composite Sun square Saturn which will be under pressure in the next few years.

 Ellison Snr’s relationship with Blair will be less than harmonious moving ahead with a high-tension tr Uranus quare the composite Saturn over this winter plus tr Saturn square the composite Uranus Venus. And worse a disappointing tr Saturn Neptune square the composite Sun in 2026/27. So not all happy campers together.

ADD ON: Oracle, founded 16 June 1977, has a communicative, multi-tasking Gemini stellium of New Moon, Jupiter, Mercury trine Pluto plus an enthusiastic, ultra-determined and can-be-autocratic Mars Venus in Taurus opposition Uranus square Saturn in Leo.

  There are hints that 2027 will be a crunch year with setbacks from Solar Arc Sun conjunct its Saturn; a collision type feeling from Solar Arc Mars conjunct its Sun; sudden changes from Solar Arc Uranus opposition its Sun and a road-blocked tr Pluto square the Mars in 2027/28.

Selena Gomez, actress, singer, owner of a $2 billion cosmetics company and the most-followed woman on Instagram, married record producer Benny Blanco yesterday in California.

 Born 22 July 1992 7.19 am Grand Prairie, Texas, she has had it tough with split parents, a poor childhood and multiple health problems in her adult life ranging from lupus and a kidney transplant as well as depression, anxiety and a bipolar diagnosis. Last year she revealed her inability to have children naturally due to her health issues and said she wanted to explore either surrogacy or adoption in the future.

  Her final degree Cancer Sun falls in her creative, hidden 12^th house square her 9^th house Aries Moon, hinting at her incompatible parents. She also has a can-be-fearful 4^th house Pluto which will make her controlling in her domestic life. It opposes a super-ambitious 10^th house Mars in Taurus conjunct Algol and squares a 7^th house Saturn in Aquarius, which in turn is opposition Venus Mercury in Leo.  Her Saturn in the 7^th suggests a marriage later in life than some and one which either requires hard work or in which work gets in the way of togetherness.

 Venus Mercury in Leo on her Ascendant will help to give her a charming and showy appearance.

 Her 6^th house of health has a highly-strung Uranus Neptune in Capricorn square her Aries Moon which hints both at family disruptions and emotional sensitivity.

  Not an easy life or temperament but she pulled herself up to shine in her career. Her lucky Jupiter in Virgo in her 2^nd would help when it came to money making schemes.

 Her husband, Benny Blanco, 8 March 1988, Reston, VA, no birth time, has a Pisces Sun and Scorpio Moon which will suit her Cancer Sun though less so her Aries Moon. His Sun falls in her 8^th for a deep connection. His charming, sociable Venus Jupiter sits on her Midheaven which will be an asset to her career. He has the triple conjunction in Capricorn of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune and Mars so is a high-vitality, excitable and scattered personality.  His Moon Pluto in Scorpio fall in her 4^th close to her Pluto which at best means they will understand each other’s emotional conditioning as far as home and family are concerned. Though it may lead to a few domestic tensons.

  Their relationship chart has a sensible, workmanlike composite Sun Mercury trine Saturn, sextile Mars. Saturn gives longevity and Mars adds self-discipline. The composite Pluto opposes the Sun Mercury and trines Mars which looks pressured but in such a high-profile match it may not be surprising. The composite Jupiter opposes Uranus for luck and an adventurous and impulsive streak.

 The wedding chart (time unknown) has a musical though perhaps unrealistic Sun opposition Neptune; which is luckily balanced by a steady Jupiter trine Saturn. Though the yod of Neptune sextile Uranus inconjunct Mars in Scorpio may cause a few teething troubles through 2026 as tr Pluto squares the Mars.

   Her own personal chart hints at a quiet, private year ahead with her Jupiter and Progressed Moon moving through her 12^th. With her Pluto in her 4^th house of domestic and family matters  being unsettled in 2026/27 by Solar Arc Neptune Uranus in square to Pluto.

 She’ll bounce out in good spirits when Jupiter crosses her Ascendant from August 2026 onwards.

Sir Tony Blair wants to run Gaza once the war between Israel and Hamas is over – runs a surreal headline which evidently has the backing of the White House. He has the support of several powerful figures, including Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff, the US president’s special envoy. He would head an interim government in Gaza with a UN mandate as the “supreme political and legal authority” for five years, on the proviso that power eventually would be handed over to the Palestinian Authority. He would not support any proposal that displaced the people of Gaza.

 After his departure from Westminster in 2007 post the Iraq debacle from which he has never recovered, he became Middle East envoy for eight years and resigned with little progress made.

 Relocating his chart to Gaza/Israel does little that looks effective with his exuberant Mars Jupiter pushed deeper into his 12^th and nothing much notable on his relocated Midheaven, bar a Mars square – which will be exacerbated by tr Uranus conjunct Mars and square the Midheaven in 2026/27 = explosive, insecure, rattled. He has his Progressed Mars square his Saturn now and into 2026 which indicate setbacks; with emotional and career discouragement in 2027/28 with his 10^th house Moon in its Solar Arc position opposing his Neptune and Saturn.

 His relationship with Trump has a friendly composite Sun, Venus, Mercury conjunction though that squares Saturn  – and all will be jolted and jangled by tr Uranus in hard aspect from now till 2028; with a nerve-stretched tr Saturn Neptune square his Uranus now and into 2026.

 Blair’s relationship with Netanyahu which is explosive and distrusting at best will be sagging badly with tr Neptune Saturn opposition the composite Saturn in 2026. His relationship with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestine Authority, leader is not much better.

 Cuckoos flying, clockwork orange – in this post-reality world anything is possible but Blair’s ego trip/messiah complex is startling to behold.

James Comey, former FBI director, has been indicted on one count of making false statements and another of obstruction of justice, which is widely believed to be the latest example of Trump targeting critics based on a sense of personal grievance and retribution. He called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute not just the former FBI director but also New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Senator Adam Schiff – figures he has accused of conspiring against him. The federal prosecutor who had been investigating Comey and James resigned amid the pressure, and was replaced by a former personal lawyer to Trump.

“This is unprecedented, to have the president basically direct his people to indict a specific individual because he’s angry at that person,” Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, told the BBC.

Comey maintains he is innocent and will prove that in court. Both counts relate to his video appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2020, being questioned about his handling of the Clinton email case and another investigation on pro-Trump election interference by Russia.

 Comey, born 14 December 1960, no birth time, New York, has his Sagittarius Sun conjunct Trump’s Moon and South Node opposition DT’s Sun which might suggest an overly emotional interaction and one which pulls Trump back into his less evolved self. But the real problem comes from Comey’s Uranus conjunct DT’s Mars in Leo for an explosive interface; and Comey’s Pluto falling in DT’s 1^st house giving him the ability to control or damage Trump’s image.

 Their relationship chart hints – perhaps – at some relief of tension over the winter with tr Uranus opposition the composite Jupiter – in December and mid March for three weeks. Though thereafter it heats up into a no-win standoff with an enraged frustrated tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars from spring 2026 till late 2027.

 Comey’s personal chart with its disciplined, tough-minded, short-tempered, can-be-unlucky Saturn opposition Mars having moved by Solar Arc to clash with his Sun from the election last year and through till 2027. His Solar Arc Neptune will conjunct his Saturn for a time of high uncertainty also late 2026/27.

 Comey will not be relaxing any time soon.

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Menzies Campbell, a prominent Liberal Democrat, whose expertise in foreign affairs brought clashes with Tony Blair over Iraq and helped his party secure a surge of seats in the aftermath, has died.

 Born 22 May 1941 at 1.40 am Glasgow, he read law at Glasgow university at the same time as John Smith, the future Labour leader, Donald Dewar, later the first minister in the Scottish government and Derry Irvine, later Lord Chancellor. He was also a top class sprinter, representing GB in the 200 metres and the 100-metre relay team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In 1967, he twice ran 100 metres in 10.2 seconds — a record which legend says led to him being termed the “fastest white man on the planet”.

  He was well regarded in politics as an elder statesmen but proved less capable as party leader. He served as MP for North-East Fife in Scotland for 28 years from 1987. His wife of 53 years, Elspeth died in 2023.

 He had a communicative 4^th house Gemini Sun conjunct Jupiter Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune in Virgo in the 8^th – lucky but not obviously an ambitious high flyer. His sociable Venus in Gemini in his entertaining and sporting 5^th house ruled his 9^th house of international affairs.

  His Mars in Pisces was inconjunct Pluto sextile his Libra North Node – which would help with his competitive athletic career but proved less able to handle the cut and thrust of political leadership.

  When he was was elected head of the LibDems his Solar Arc Neptune was opposition his Uranus, moving on to oppose his Uranus/Jupiter midpoint, which would be undermining; with a pressured SA Sun square his Pluto on one leg of his Martian yod. When he resigned 22 months later tr Saturn was opposition his focal point Mars.

 It was an unfortunate blip in an otherwise exemplary career.

France is in disarray with its final degree Virgo Sun in crisis as it reels from the shade cast by this week’s Solar Eclipse with yet another cross to bear as former president Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to five years in jail – the first ever for a former French president. He has been found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Gaddafi. The ruling means he will spend time in jail even if he launches an appeal.

  Since losing his re-election bid in 2012, Sarkozy has been targeted by several criminal investigations including overspending on his 2012 re-election campaign; and trying to bribe a judge.

  Born 28 January 1955 10 pm Paris, he has an entertaining 5^th house Aquarius Sun; a pro-active and argumentative Mars Moon in Aries in his 7^th; a lucky though can be opportunistic Jupiter Uranus conjunct in his career 10^th; and a beyond-obstinate and self-willed Pluto opposition Mercury square Saturn. His evasive Neptune square Uranus Jupiter, trine Mercury, falls in his 2^nd house of finances.

 At the moment the Solar Eclipse is conjunct his Descendant and tr Neptune Saturn are moving just above it unsettling his relationships (and social standing). His Solar Arc Neptune is square his Mars at the moment for a sense of sinking failure and dashed hopes. With heavy pressures in 2027 from SA Pluto square his Sun.

 His wife Carla Bruni, 23 December 1967 6.10pm Turin, Italy, a singer and former fashion model, is also under judicial supervision after being charged with putting pressure on a witness.

 She has a 6^th house Capricorn Sun square a 10^th house Saturn in Aries opposition a 4^th house Uranus in final degree Virgo – which last is being elbowed by this week’s Solar Eclipse.  Her Progressed Mars is square her Sun, her Solar Arc Midheaven is opposition her Neptune; the Solar Eclipse is conjunct her IC for a domestic upheaval; and she is heading for her Second Saturn Return in early 2026. A calamity and catastrophe requiring a serious revisioning of her life ahead.