not categorised

A mega-million dollar deal with Netflix should set Meghan and Prince Harry on the road to solvency as well as giving them a purpose in life. But no sooner had the hyped-up news been announced than cynical insiders started raising questions about the pair’s lack of experience and the uncertainties of a ruthless business. What hasn’t helped is the Obama’s foray into this market which kicked off with an Oscar winning documentary, which may have given them an inflated notion of what’s possible.

 On both their charts they have the conflicted Progressed Moon moving through their respective 8^th house of joint finances for another year. That does bring anguished questioning about values and life ambitions, but often also throws up financial headaches in particular to do with loans and credit or joint ventures.

  They were both always due an uptick financially before restrictions kick in. In Harry’s case Jupiter goes into his 2^nd from February 2021 for fifteen months which is generally good for attracting money though it tends also to be spendthrift. Tr Saturn moves into his 2^nd briefly from March to July 2021 and then digs in for a three year haul from January 2022 to 2025 which is usually shorter of money than before, necessitating a reorganisation and a time of belt-tightening.  

  Meghan has relatively similar on the opposite side of her chart. Tr Jupiter through her 8^th March 2021 to March 2022 is usually favourable for joint and business finances. But tr Saturn from March 2022 till early 2025 through her 8^th suggests that credit and loans or generosity won’t be forthcoming and she’ll be thrown back on her own resources.

  It’ll be a bumpy ride for both next year with the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting off Harry’s Pluto in Scorpio and then his Midheaven; and Meghan’s Leo Sun. Both their charts look frustrated and bad tempered and Harry’s Virgo Sun will be catching the undermining tr Neptune opposition from April 2021, on and off till late 2022.

  The financial consequences of their bolt from Britain haven’t impinged greatly since Prince Charles has evidently been footing some of the bill. But between them they have little sense of the realities of life. Meghan has no Earth planets and Harry has no experience of life outside a protected Royal enclave. Their relationship chart has Neptune in the financial 8^th conjunct the South Node which does not bode well for a hard-headed approach.

  Their relationship chart will be under severe challenges and stress emotionally through the near future until tr Pluto clears the composite Moon opposition by early 2024.

  While the figure being bandied around sounds enormous – $150 million – there’s no saying how many years this will cover. It will have to fund staffing, development and film production costs which don’t come cheap; plus their domestic running costs with security for a millionaire-row house, plus mortgage payments plus repayments for Frogmore in the UK – all of which will add up to an eye-watering sum.

  The Obamas are not a good comparison for them since Michelle evidently made $36 million from her book; and they, in any event, have a good deal behind them in terms of career achievements, previous books and other strings to their bow.

Add On: Latest media slant is that the big boss of Netflix, Reed Hastings, known for his aggressive management style, described by some as North Korean, will be an unforgiving overseer – so the Royal couple will not be handed unfettered creative control and likely only paid when they deliver on acceptable ideas.

  Born 8 October 1960, Hastings has a Libra Sun on the focal point of a Cardinal T Square to a hard-edged Saturn in Capricorn opposition Mars in Cancer; with his Saturn in an unyielding trine to Pluto sextile Neptune Mercury Venus in Scorpio. Meghan in particular will find his strictures aggravating since her 12^th house Mars in Cancer square Saturn Jupiter Moon in Libra collides with his Mars Saturn Sun. Their relationship chart has a combustible composite Mars square Uranus.

  Harry also will find the relationship with Hastings disruptive, since RH’s Uranus Pluto fall in Harry’s financial 8^th; ReedH’s Saturn is conjunct Harry’s Ascendant, having a dampening effect on his image; and ReedH’s Neptune, Mercury, Venus are conjunct Harry’s Pluto and Saturn in Scorpio. That relationship chart has a controlling composite Sun Pluto in a power-struggling square to Jupiter.

  It’s not that is couldn’t work but it’ll be exceptionally fraught and require cooler heads, thicker skin as well as more humility and hard pragmatism than either of them appear to possess.  They really do seem like babes in the wood who’ve fallen gleefully into a shark pond.     

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, once Melania Trump’s senior adviser and best buddy until she was summarily fired, gets payback in her book ‘Melania and Me’, described by one reviewer as ‘a spectacular exercise in icy revenge.’

 Wolkoff was a fashion and entertainment executive prior to the White House job, producing the Met Gala and being founding fashion director for Lincoln Center; and had known Melania for 14 years. The ill-fated and under-attended 2017 Inauguration which she arranged, the most expensive in history, was the bone of contention for which she was blamed, though she says she was stitched up and didn’t see a good deal of the money that she was supposed to have spent or pocketed. 

  Melania comes across as cold, in control, fully aware of the marriage which gave her a gilded lifestyle, and uncaring about what anyone thought of her actions. Though she did appear to get heated about Ivanka’s efforts to upstage her and went out of her way to sideline her from photo ops.

 Wolkoff portrays all the Trump family in particular Ivanka as ‘scheming, manipulative and deeply unpleasant people’; though Wolkoff herself also comes across as thoroughly unlikable as well.

  Born 21 January 1971, Wolkoff is a Sun Aquarius in a controlling and influential trine to Pluto, sextile a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter Neptune in Sagittarius. She shares Saturn in Taurus with Melania, so both are money-minded; and Wolkoff also has a Mars in unforgiving Scorpio probably conjunct a Scorpio Moon so forgiving and forgetting won’t be in her nature.

  Her relationship chart with Melania has a composite Sun trine Jupiter, which would make them enthusiastic about joint ventures; with a passionately enthusiastic though not always sensitive composite Venus opposition Mars in a publicity-attracting though not mutually supportive square to Neptune. Plus an up and down Saturn opposition Jupiter.

   Wolkoff’s relationship chart with Donald Trump is more obviously competitive and argumentative with a composite Sun opposition Mars. And her interface with Ivanka is worst of all with a composite Mars Pluto hinting at extreme dislike and a power struggle.

  It may well be that her exit in February 2018 was not just orchestrated by Melania who as I recollect was barely there in the early stages so it seems more likely that it was another of the vipers in the White House den that decided to kill two birds with one stone – shuffling awkward financial questions her way and leaving Melania without a senior adviser.    And now that I look at it Melania’s relationship chart with Ivanka was the one most stressed and aggravated at the point of Wolkoff’s departure – so the First Lady attempting to sideline ‘the princess’ may well have earned a kickback.  

Brad Pitt has been romancing his latest amour in the south of France recently. German model Nicole Poturalski, from reports, appears to be in an open marriage to a 68 year old restaurateur husband, whom she’s been with for eight years with a seven year old son. Born 2 January 1993 (net sources) she’s a highly strung, uncompromising Sun, Uranus, Neptune in Capricorn in a volatile opposition to Mars in Cancer square a confident Jupiter; with Saturn and Venus in Aquarius both square Pluto.

  I might have been inclined to assume her birth date was wrong or the affair was a publicity stunt since the astro-crossovers are hardly enticing. But considering his past choices – Jennifer Aniston with Mars Neptune in Scorpio square an Aquarius Sun and Sun inconjunct Saturn and Pluto – and Angelina Jolie with her Moon Mars opposition Pluto square Saturn – he clearly likes complicated women.

  Nicole’s three Capricorn planets clash and mix with his Mars, Mercury, Moon, Venus in Capricorn with her Mars in opposition. Mars contacts can initially give a spark of passion and hot blood but long term tend to be competitive and argumentative. And her independent-minded and elusive Uranus Neptune may perplex his Moon Venus.

  Their relationship chart is tricky to put it mildly. There is on the plus side an enthusiastic, supportive Sun, Mercury, Jupiter conjunction. But that trines a dominating composite Mars Pluto which won’t be easy to handle after a while; and more so since it trines Saturn Venus. So hot it could turn toxic all too easily. And the composite Venus Saturn is in an unstable square to Uranus. Interesting to see how it rolls. But unlikely.

Japan is facing the upheaval of a new prime minister in the midst of the pandemic crisis with the resignation for health reasons of Shinzo Abe, the country’s longest serving PM. His replacement will be voted in by mid September. The powerful chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga is the frontrunner.

  Shinzo Abe, 21 September 1954, has suffered for many years from ulcerative colitis. He has a Virgo Sun sextile a lucky Uranus Jupiter in Cancer which in turn squares Neptune. He’s also got an obsessively conscientious Saturn Venus in Scorpio in a hard-edged trine to Mars North Node in Capricorn. He had a dead-halt blockage from Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars in recent months as well as tr Saturn opposition his Jupiter Uranus more recently sapping his enthusiasm. Plus a jolting tr Uranus opposition his Saturn. Not a good year for him.

  The new prime minister will face a raft of challenges from coronavirus to a tanking economy.

  Yoshihide Suga, 6 December 1948, has no indications on his chart (without a birth time) of an immediate triumph though it will be a daunting prospect ahead if he does get it. He’s an ambitious and influential Sun Mercury in Sagittarius trine Pluto, sextile Neptune – with perhaps a Half Grand Sextile from an Aquarius Moon opposition Pluto trine Neptune and sextile Sun. He’s also got a business-like and capable Earth Grand Trine of a go-ahead Mars Jupiter in Capricorn trine Saturn in workaholic Virgo trine a Taurus Node, with Jupiter opposition Uranus, making innovative Uranus the driving planet.

  His life is certainly in the midst of an upheaval exactly now and once through a fairly disastrous few weeks over New Year, he’s into a more confident patch from late January onwards. Though it’ll be an uphill struggle at the same time for two years thereafter. He looks knocked sideways in 2022.

  The Bank of Japan chart,10 October 1882, has – like most countries – got a run of obstacles to overcome with panics at the moment into 2021, setbacks and discouragement in 2022 and a general slog until Pluto changes sign, and even after, until Uranus changes sign in 2026.

   The Japan country chart will equally bump along a rough road with tr Uranus square the Saturn and then Sun in 2022/23 into 2024. With 2022 being a singularly undermining year from tr Neptune conjunct the Mars as well.

Graham Greene, the celebrated writer and journalist regarded as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century – Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, The End of the Affair, The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana amongst others focussing on Catholic religious themes and the intrigues of international politics and espionage – has a new biography chronicling his chaotic and talented life.

  Born 2 October 1904 10.20am Berkhamsted, England, he was a depressive child, bullied at school, suicidal on occasion and diagnosed later as bi-polar, which was a family affliction. He said he used the Russian roulette game as a metaphor prompting his “absurd and reckless” trips to war zones, where “the fear of ambush served me just as effectively as the revolver” and claimed the danger fought off terminal boredom.

 The Times review remarks “His life was a ‘merry-go-round of travel, writing, drink, religion, adultery, self-loathing, intrigue and betrayal. Greene was a mass of contradictions: the devoutly Catholic promiscuous adulterer, the seedy confidant of popes and presidents, the danger-seeker racked with fear, the connoisseur of combat zones who disliked party politics.”

  He had a Libra Sun square an 8^th house Moon Neptune in Cancer and trine Saturn in Aquarius, which flags up one set of contradictions with the sensible Sun Saturn in conflict with his Neptunian otherworldly streak. He also had a disruptive, rebellious Uranus in Sagittarius opposition an 8^th house Pluto squaring onto Mercury in Virgo in his 10^th.

  A Mutable T Square especially with Mercury as a focal point would make him extremely highly strung and he’d be constantly pulled between his need to be free and his realisation that at a fundamental level with Pluto in his 8^th he was trapped by forces outwith his control. He found an outlet through Mercury in the 10th house and channelled this ambivalence into his writing career.

His mixed element Fire Earth Grand Trine of Mars in Virgo in the much-travelled and communicative/opinionated 9^th trine an adventurous Uranus trine Jupiter in upfront Aries – would give him an overdose of high energy and constant restlessness.

  His emotional planets – a sensual Venus in Scorpio was in his hidden 12^th trine his even more deeply buried Moon Neptune in the 8^th – so no surprises his romantic life was complicated. He remained married to his first Catholic wife, though appeared to have been unfaithful throughout including with prostitutes.

  He died aged 91 after an extraordinary life.

  His creative 5^th and 7^th harmonics are strong as is his writer’s 21^st and superstar 22^nd harmonics.

Russian Roulette: The Life and Times of Graham Greene by Richard Greene

Muddle and mayhem is the gift to the USA from Pluto in transit trine the US Neptune in Virgo from late this August to late November. Add in Saturn square the Mercury/Pluto midpoint from September 1^st to October 28^th which fosters bitter, quarrelsome attacks and it’ll be, as expected, a more fraught run up to an election even than usual.

  The USA Solar Arc Sun will also be square the explosively opinionated Mars/Uranus midpoint around now (timing dependent on start time).

  Late this December the stressed tr Pluto opposition the USA Mercury returns to stay across the Inauguration (assuming January 20). Plus there is a panicky tr Uranus square the USA Mars/Neptune midpoint from December 21^st to early February 2021, which is associated with lack of energy, crises, weakness, illness, accident.

  The USA Uranus catches the late November Lunar Eclipse in Gemini and the December Sagittarius Solar Eclipse opposes the USA Mars in Gemini – which also suggest humps, bumps and an excessively combative mood. That will run through 2021 since the June 2021 Solar Eclipse will conjunct the USA Mars and the Lunar Eclipse oppose the USA Uranus.

  There will be some respite and an enthusiastic, morale-boosting Solar Arc Jupiter square the USA Uranus which usually brings relief from tension. It’ll be exact in six months but may trigger early.

  The USA Mercury opposition Pluto will continue to dominate the political and social scene through 2021 to early 2024 from tr Pluto square the Mercury/Pluto midpoint in 2021/22, returning to oppose the USA Mercury in 2021; and then moving on to the Pluto Return in 2022/23. Ebertin associates Mercury Pluto with demagogues; Wiki – ‘A demagogue or rabble-rouser is a leader who gains popularity in a democracy by exploiting emotions, prejudice, and ignorance to arouse some against others, whipping up the passions of the crowd and shutting down reasoned deliberation.”

   So it’ll be a long haul of hostile, divisive debate and nervous strain. Tr Neptune opposes the USA Mars from late March 2021 till January 2022 – which is panicky failure and could be associated with any number of problems including the economic fallout from covid.

 For previous post on Pluto Returns which only occur every 250 years or so see November 18 2018. From the few examples available of other countries it does coincide with a definite shift in the form of government.

 None of the above means that Trump will win and Biden lose or vice versa – merely that the rancour will run on.  It may be significant that Biden looks a good deal more cheerful in 2021 than Trump. Though you can argue that both ways – Biden just happy to be out of the gladiatorial arena and Trump is left with a mountain of problems, many of them self-created, which he handles badly. Though I’d have expected to see some uplift on Trump’s chart from a win to indicate his narcissism had been fed and there isn’t any.

Trump timeline:

From 5^th July he picks up the catastrophic tr Uranus square his Mars/Saturn midpoint, to which Ebertin ascribes accidents, illness or tests of nervous strength. At the same time he has the disruptive tr Uranus square his Pluto. Both keep running till late September, and return in April 2021 along with a blocked tr Saturn in opposition to both his Pluto and Mars/Saturn, and those run on and off till early 2022.

   July 6 to August 18 he has the discouraging tr Pluto opposition his Saturn, returning late November till late December.

   He will get some uplift mid August to late November from tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint though that’s minor and it won’t outweigh the fraught tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus running at the same time which will bring a struggle for survival and a real test of nerves, and the other influences.

  He’s got an extended run ahead of Neptune transits which tend to lower energy and undermine ego-driven ambitions, and can also indicate underhand and deceptive tactics. He’s nerve-stretched at the moment and not thinking clearly with tr Neptune square his Sun/Uranus midpoint late April to late August. Tr Neptune squares Uranus/Node through September; and opposes his Progressed Moon over the election.

  Into 2021 from late March 2021 tr Neptune squares his Moon and then his Sun, on and off till early 2023.

  The June Lunar Eclipse this year will be opposition his Uranus for a shake up; and more significantly the December 23 Sagittarius Eclipse will conjunct his Moon and oppose his Sun.

  A Solar Eclipse opposition a natal Sun usually brings a realisation of not always being right and needing to acquire a fresh perspective. A Solar Eclipse conjunct the Moon brings up the past and tests the foundations of life in a major way. It can bring public image under scrutiny. Robert Jansky says: ‘If society considers you a valuable person it will let you know.

Add On: I’ve been so focussed on the election and immediate aftermath I completely overlooked the cataclysmic state of Trump’s chart moving ahead.

  In addition to the Neptunian low energy/low confidence swamp he moves into courtesy of transiting Neptune from next spring for two years he has a run of disastrous Solar Arcs. Mid to late 2021 his Solar Arc Saturn is conjunct his 2^nd house Neptune which will bring a significant panic and rising neurosis possibly around his personal finances. In addition he has Solar Arc Neptune opposition his 10^th house Uranus which may have a dissolving action on one of the planks of his career – and could also have a neurological component. Worse by far is Solar Arc Mars square his 12^th house Pluto from mid 2022, followed swiftly by Solar Arc Pluto square his Saturn, both of which are likely to run him into a dead-halt meltdown. These Solar Arcs are not dependent on his birth time – but what it does mean in the unlikely event of his re-election that he would almost certainly not see out the term.

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Tim Davie, the new broom Director General at the BBC, is picking up the reins this Tuesday with a rolling series of crises to handle – rows over funding, journalistic bias, audience loss to streaming giants. He evidently has bold plans to scythe through the corporation’s over weighty and expensive management, which has been a bone of contention for years, to unpick the metropolitan London mindset by connecting to audiences outside the capital – and last but not least is rumoured to be about to reinstate the words of Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia at the Proms.   

    Born 25 April 1967, he’s a Sun Taurus with Uranus Pluto in Virgo sextile Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio inconjunct Mercury in Aries which in turn opposes Mars in Libra. He’ll be determined, innovative, argumentative, not always easy to relate to. His Saturn in Aries will make him self-reliant and his Jupiter in Cancer squaring his Mars will give him confidence and enthusiasm.

  He’ll start his new job at 8am in Glasgow which gives a crisis-ridden Saturn Pluto opposition Venus square an 8^th house Mars in Aries – so he won’t go short on drama and high-stress, with money being a key issue. What may help on his DG term chart is an Earth Grand Trine of a Virgo Sun trine Uranus trine Jupiter which should lead to sound business ideas. But it will be a rough ride – with internal resistance given Saturn Pluto in the 4^th as well as external pressure and setbacks with joint finances being a hot spot.   

  His relationship chart with the BBC has a volatile Mars Uranus trine Pluto and Pluto opposition Sun – so there will be a few if not constant running tugs of war and outbursts.

  However his personal chart does have some go-ahead, upbeat influences through 2021/22 from tr Pluto opposition his Jupiter; and his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Pluto and then Uranus between now and 2023 so he will have more than a few successes with his radical overhaul plans.

  The BBC is in an insecure and quarrelsome few months with tr Uranus square the Mars in unyielding Aquarius. And no sooner will that have moved on than after mid 2021 than a sharp-shock Solar Arc Mars opposition Sun will hit. So running collisions for a while. Assuming the start time is accurate of 6pm then there may be a minor easing of some financial pressures from this New Year. Though it’ll be 2025/26 before it’s out of the woods as far as funding is concerned.

  The protests in Kenosha which started with understandable outrage about a white police officer shooting a black man seven times in the back, leaving him paralysed, has escalated to the point where it could damage the Democrats chance of election. Parts of Kenosha are described as being like a war-zone Syria and protests are now spreading to Portland. All of which allows Trump to go heavy on a Law and order ticket, condemning violent protests though ignoring the underlying trigger; and traps Joe Biden, who has been supporting Black Lives Matter protests, between a rock and a hard place.

   Biden’s chart picked up the first of his undermining Neptunian influences from August 18^th – tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune midpoint and this particular one runs till late November. His second less-than-helpful Neptune transit to his Mars/Jupiter midpoint picks up early October and runs till late January 2021. Neither of which make it certain he’ll lose but they will certainly not help his cause.

  Kenosha, 5 June 1835, has a Sun Jupiter in Gemini sextile Mars in Leo and trine Saturn in Libra with Saturn opposition Pluto – a mix of chatty, confident and tough-minded. The Kenosha Jupiter falls on the USA Mars in Gemini arguably making it a catalyst for the country’s argumentative streak.  The relationship chart has an explosive Uranus Mars Saturn T Square and the composite Sun is triggered by this December’s Sagittarius Solar Eclipse – so events there could be central to the election result.

  It was always the fear with the USA chart’s Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto in Capricorn being triggered by the tr Pluto hard aspects until 2023 – that the USA would be riven by bitter and hostile debate. As is happening now in Portland with BLM supporters fighting pro-Trumpers. And it was also likely that his coming election was too soon to expect all the rancour and divisiveness stoked up by Trump to be stamped out.

   Black Lives Matter started out on July 13 2013 as a non-violent civil disobedience movement to protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against Black people. But like all protest movements was at risk of infiltration by violent, anarchic elements – and indeed justifiable anger at a dismissive government and callous police action.

  BLM has a powerful chart with a Cancer Sun and more significantly a Water Grand Trine of Saturn in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces trine Mars Jupiter in Cancer, formed into a Kite by Mars Jupiter opposition Pluto, making Pluto the driving planet. And that opposition also squares onto a revolutionary Uranus in Aries. The seeds of disruption are inherent in the chart with the enthusiasm of Mars Jupiter all too easily bubbling up to explosive levels.

  The relationship chart between BLM and the USA is under severe stress through 2020/2021/22 so not settling any time soon. 

  And the relationship chart between BLM and Joe Biden is equally under strain right through until after the Inauguration.

Lionel Messi, reputed to be the best football player of all time, has shocked fans by announcing he wants to leave Barcelona after 20 seasons at Barcelona. At 32 he is nearing retiring age but everyone thought he would see his days out in the place he called home. The club’s performance has been deteriorating in the past five years so it’s assumed he wanted one last shot at greatness before hanging up his boots. There’ll be a vicious legal wrangle before he goes and it’s not clear he’ll be able to reverse out of his contract.

  Born 24 June 1987 6am Rosario, Argentina, he’s a Sun Cancer in the financial 2^nd house opposition a mesmerising 8^th house Neptune square North Node in Aries. His ambitious Mars Mercury in Cancer are also in his financial 2^nd house in a risk-taking square to Jupiter. He has a confidently enthusiastic Jupiter in Aries in an adventurous trine to Uranus and a well-balanced trine to Saturn.

 He has had tax authority problems with fraud charges being laid which he blamed on his father who handled his business affairs. That is interesting in terms of his 8^th house Neptune, which Sean Connery also has – and his wife Micheline was embroiled in a major Spanish tax tangle recently over the sale of a house. The 8^th house rules joint and business finances and Neptune there can indicate evasiveness where authority figures are concerned. Which being Neptune usually comes out into the open at some point.

   Messi does have tr Pluto opposition his Mars trailing on from last year until late this November which is acutely frustrating so he won’t have been contented. Especially with tr Pluto still moving through his trapped 8^th house where it has been for the past decade or so. And tr Saturn has also been moving through his 8^th since late 2017 which won’t have improved his spirits either.  I wouldn’t be surprised if there hadn’t been more financial headaches although the main tax charges were theoretically tied up in 2016.

  It’ll be easier on him from the New Year with tr Saturn moving out of his 8^th and the tr Pluto Mars aspect being finished. But he’s still got tr Neptune trailing along for a couple more years square his Saturn/Uranus midpoint and then his Uranus. But he’ll be energised with tr Pluto square his Jupiter over the New year and on and off through 2021.

  Barcelona FC was founded 29 November 1899 and has a lively Sun Uranus in sporting Sagittarius, with Mars Node, Mercury, Saturn, Venus also in Sagittarius and Neptune Pluto in Gemini. Messi’s Jupiter in Aries trines most of the Barcelona Sagittarius planets and the Barca Jupiter in money-magnet Scorpio is trine his Mars Mercury. But there would always have been rough edges with Messi’s Saturn Uranus conjunct the Barca Mars, Mercury, Saturn.

  The relationship chart has an friendly, business-like and innovative composite Sun opposition Venus square Uranus Saturn with a go-getting Jupiter trine Mars.

  The club is labouring under the same swampy Neptune transits over the next three years as Messi is, so it won’t be a progressive time for them.

Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов