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 8th 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 8th house Pluto squaring onto Mercury in Virgo in his 10th.
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 8th 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 9th 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 12th trine his even more deeply buried Moon Neptune in the 8th – 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 5th and 7th harmonics are strong as is his writer’s 21st and superstar 22nd 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 1st to October 28th 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 21st 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 5th 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 2nd 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 10th 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 12th 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.
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 8th 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 4th 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 18th – 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 2nd house opposition a mesmerising 8th house Neptune square North Node in Aries. His ambitious Mars Mercury in Cancer are also in his financial 2nd 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 8th 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 8th 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 8th house where it has been for the past decade or so. And tr Saturn has also been moving through his 8th 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 8th 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.
Actor John Travolta has lost his wife Kelly Preston to breast cancer, as he lost his first love Diana Hyland to the same in 1977. He does have a challenging and intensely emotional chart. His deeply buried 8th house Aquarius Sun is in opposition to Pluto giving him a strong need to be in control, stemming in part from his sense that his life is often not under control. With three planets, Sun, Venus and Mercury in the 8th he’ll often feel pulled around by forces he does not understand and in which he has no choice.
He also has a wide-ish Water Grand Trine in the water houses of a 12th house Uranus in Cancer trine his 8th house Mercury in Pisces trine a 4th house Saturn in Scorpio – so he swims in emotional affect finding it difficult, despite his Aquarius Sun, to get detachment and distance from what is going on in his life. He will live in his own bubble, at times divorced from reality.
That Grand Trine forms into a lucky kite with Mercury opposition a 2nd house Virgo Moon which will help him to focus his energy into work and money which will ground him. His Sun also trines a 4th house Neptune in Libra so he’ ll have had to sacrifice a fair amount for his family both in childhood and adult life. His 12th house high-tension and unpredictable 12th house Uranus opposes a Capricorn North Node and Chiron and squares onto his Neptune which will foster strange beliefs and a yearning for a spiritual connection which may be partly why he inclined towards Scientology.
His saving grace comes from an exuberantly flamboyant Mars in Sagittarius in the 5th house of entertainment and a light heartedly friendly Jupiter in Gemini in the 11th – both of which help to pull him away from his immensely deep feelings.
He also lost he and Kelly’s teenage son in 2009 who was epileptic and autistic.
His Black Moon Lilith (BML) in his 4th house of family is exactly conjunct Kelly’s Libra Sun which seems prescient. She also had an emphasised Neptune square her Saturn which opposes her Mars – and was always a committed Scientologist. That’s somewhat similar to Tom Cruise born three months earlier in 1962 who also has a focal point Neptune in Scorpio.
Travolta has said he is more familiar with death than most so will cope though he’s taking time out to grieve. He will get a boost from his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Pluto in late 2021, but there’ll be a fair amount of emotional turmoil before then with tr Uranus opposing his 4th house Saturn and tr Pluto square his Neptune and conjunct his Chiron next year.
Descriptions of the magnificent Jessye Norman’s voice range from “opulent”, through “sumptuous” and “shimmering” to “voluptuous” with one reviewer likening it to a “grand mansion of sound.” Combined with a regal stage presence it took her to the top in the operatic world to become one of the most celebrated singers of the latter part of the 20th Century.
Born on 15 September 1945 (according to obituaries and wiki, though ADB has her at 19 September 1.45 am Augusta, Georgia) she grew up in the racist and segregated south. Her family was musical and she learnt to play the harmonium early on and sang gospel in church from 4 years old. Her earliest successes were in Europe. Having won the Munich International music competition in 1968, she made her operatic debut in Berlin. Her US stage debut did not come until 1982. From the 1990s Norman was increasingly involved in crossover incorporating sacred music by Duke Ellington and jazz combo into her repertoire. She sang at Reagan’s 2nd Inauguration and Bill Clinton’s and at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ funeral as well as at a memorial for victims of the Twin Towers terrorist attacks in 2001.
She died this week due to complications from a 2015 injury.
Assuming 15th September is accurate and the 19th is a typo:
Her Virgo Sun was on the focal point of a T Square to a Sagittarius Moon opposition Uranus in Gemini – so she had a healthy ego, was suited to a constantly changing job, and while more recently she had mentioned being in a relationship doesn’t seem to have married. She has a powerful 2nd house Pluto which is conjunct a flamboyant Venus in Leo and is sextile Uranus and Jupiter Neptune in Libra. Her family was obviously important to her with Jupiter Neptune in her 4th and she said despite the Jim Crow atmosphere of the world in which she grew up, her parents gave her a strong sense of self belief. Her Mars in excitable Cancer was in a confident and showbizzy square to Jupiter Neptune and an outspoken sextile to Mercury; and she also had Saturn in Cancer sextile her Sun for common sense and discipline.
Her Harmonics are notable with an exceptionally strong creative 5H and 7H; as well as the genius/breakthrough 13H; determined 11H; leaving-a-legacy 17H; and especially her superstar 22H.
Heartened by Merkel’s seeming softening about finding a Brexit deal, a jubilant Boris Johnson ran into an immoveable Macron. The pro-Brexit media got over excited and the Germans then insisted they misinterpreted what the German Chancellor had said. 30 days to find a solution just kicks the ball down the road and it’s up to Boris to find the magic formula which has so far eluded everyone. The EU isn’t budging from the Irish backstop or the already negotiated Theresa May deal. The eternal grind goes on.
Boris’s relationship with Leo Varadkar, the Irish premier situated in the centre of the problem, is bad news from the start with a differing-agenda composite Sun opposition Uranus and a bitterly hostile, power-struggling Mars opposition Pluto in their relationship chart. They’d never get on even in the best of circumstances. At the moment relations are worsening considerably with tr Saturn square the composite Sun and Uranus September 9th to 28, running concurrently with a loss-making tr Neptune opposition the composite Jupiter/Saturn; and moving into disaster territory from October 19th to November 15th this year with tr Uranus square Mars/Saturn and opposition Saturn/Pluto, repeating early in 2020.
Boris’s relationship with Merkel is decidedly lacking in enthusiasm and optimism through this October and worsening in November, more so in 2020. With Macron, there’s even less trust and more game playing with a composite Saturn opposition Neptune and a controlling Sun opposition Pluto. Again 2020 looks even trickier than this year between them.
Boris’s relationship with the EU has always been fraught given his history of lying copiously and shamelessly during his time as a journalist – and the resentful, implacably-at-odds composite Mars opposition Pluto is being elbowed at the moment, more so mid November onwards so aggravation is likely to increase.
The UK from the get-go was very much in two minds about whether Boris is a good thing – and more so at the moment. In the Boris/UK relationship chart the composite Mars trine Uranus Mercury is being assaulted from either end by a transiting Pluto trine and a Neptune opposition – which will arouse irritation, anxiety and bring disappointment – from late September onwards with tr Neptune hovering around and that extends into and through 2020.
His own personal chart looks flummoxed throughout with a scattering of Neptune transiting hard aspects to various midpoints from now till early 2020; and the trapped and enraged Pluto opposition his Mars/Pluto returns mid this November to mid December. His over-hopeful Term chart looks no more uplifting now and through 2020 with catastrophes looming from mid November for a few weeks and returning in February.
I can’t for the life of me decide whether all of the above suggests a fall-out on October 31st with disappointment and confusion following; or there’s a cobbled-together form of words that drags it on for another extended period of negotiation. The punishment of Sisyphus – goes on eternally.
The UK chart has tr Saturn square the partnership-signifier Sun/Moon midpoint this October at the same time as being square the 7th house North Node, which could suggest similar; and then proceeds to square the 10th house Moon this December. It all points to a separation of sorts. But since Saturn comes round relatively frequently in hard aspect to these planets it’s hardly conclusive.
The raging force field around Trump caught another victim in Jim Acosta, CNN’s White House correspondent, when he was slapped down for asking awkward questions at the first POTUS post-Mid Terms Press Conference. An intern tried to take the microphone away from Acosta and he was then accused of laying hands on her with a doctored Infowars video then retweeted by Sarah Sanders. His Press pass got revoked.
Acosta, born 17 April 1971, with a Cuban immigrant father, has had a long and successful career in the media in various cities, covered the Iraq War in Baghdad and Hurricane Katrina, worked for CBS and then CNN. He’s a go-getting Sun Aries square Mars in Capricorn, inconjunct Pluto in Virgo – so he’s heavyweight and not scared to get into an argument. His Mars opposes Trump’s Saturn so it is a very scratchy and bad-tempered interface; and that doubles up with Acosta’s Saturn on Trump’s midheaven square Trump’s Mars. With Acosta’s Pluto square Trump’s Sun, which will make the president feel controlled or put down.
Their relationship chart has a volatile and high-octane composite Uranus square Mars Jupiter; with a bitter-debate composite Mercury square Pluto; and the composite Sun conjunct the destructive Fixed Star Algol, which appears to follow Trump like a stalker.
