Rupert Murdoch is not only earning the ire of the Trump camp because of Fox news USA calling Arizona first for the opposing team, he’s also in the crosshairs of an Australian petition with a record 500,000 signatures complaining about Murdoch media dominance.
News Corp Australia controls 70% of local newspaper circulation. Among recent controversies, its titles have been accused of minimising the role of climate change in reporting last summer’s bushfires, and publishing some misleading reports about the spread of coronavirus and the effect of lockdowns in Australia.
Murdoch senior is knocking on at a few months off ninety, 11 March 1931 23h55, Melbourne, AU. And isn’t enjoying what lies ahead. Tr Saturn will oppose his Mars from the 14th of this month to the 25th for an anger-provoking setback and possibly a minor accident. Then he’s got a couple of catastrophic tr Pluto hard aspects to his Mars/Pluto and then Mars/Saturn midpoints from late this month to late January; and then a stuck and discouraging Solar Arc Saturn square his Pluto, exact in four months. Just to round it all off he’s got tr Neptune moving to the lacklustre conjunction with his Pisces Sun from late February, on and off for a year. And additionally tr Saturn is moving through his low profile, less successful 1st quadrant about to hit the nadir from this New Year on with perhaps financial strictures for the next two years.
Son Lachlan, now co-chair of NewsCorp, 8 September 1971, will also be feeling the strain now and into 2021 with tr Neptune opposition his Venus till late January for disappointments, financial and other; a discouraging uphill slog from late January. And worse his Mars in Aquarius which is tied into an Air Grand Trine and a Kite is catching the ratchety, tension-erupting tr Uranus square tr Saturn from late March onwards through 2021. The economic ups and downs always accompanying Saturn Uranus will hit him hard. He’ll get his mojo back from 2023 onwards but it’ll be a long haul before then.
Rupert Murdoch’s relationship with Joe Biden is a power-struggle at the best of times with a composite Sun opposition Pluto – and their connection will be moving through turbulent times in 2021 in particular but on through till 2023 as well.
The Inauguration of January 2021 (assuming all runs to plan and time) does look a mix of successful and explosive. There’s Pluto on the Midheaven which is marginally surprising, more often turning up in dictator’s administrations given its tendency to over-control. There’s a successful and confident Jupiter in the 10th. But it is tied into a conjunction with Saturn and both square a disruptive Mars Uranus in the 12th – so there could be all manner of mayhem.
Looking back on past Inaugurations where momentous events happened in the aftermath:
George W Bush First term, 20 January 2001, which oversaw 9/11 and the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan had a warlike Mars opposition Saturn square Uranus; a directionless Neptune in the 10th; and a financial dirty-dealing Moon Pluto in the 8th.
JFK Inauguration, 20 January 1961 12.45, wasn’t overly descriptive, though it had a Yod of Mars sextile Node (Pluto) inconjunct Sun and Jupiter conjunct Saturn.
Franklin D Roosevelt 4th Term, 20 January 1941, had a brutal Jupiter Saturn in Taurus square Pluto in Leo opposition Mercury, with Pluto trine Mars – descriptive of Pearl Harbour the following December and the USA entry into WW11 that followed.
Herbert Hoover, 4 March 1929 – a setback Mars opposition Saturn, sextile/trine Neptune in last degree Leo (the end of the Roaring twenties) – the Wall Street Crash and Great Depression kicked off in October 1929.
Woodrow Wyatt. 4 March 1913, had a Mars Uranus conjunction – WW1 followed.
Abraham Lincoln, 4 May 1861, also had a brutal Mars Pluto in Taurus trine Saturn with a high-tension Saturn square Uranus – the Civil War broke out one month later.
The inaugurations of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan – neither of the charts were that remarkable despite an attempted assassination and a near impeachment/resignation.
The one with some striking similarities is the Inauguration of Andrew Jackson, 4 March 1829, which had a Mars in Taurus square Uranus with Uranus opposition Saturn.
Wiki: ‘Jackson’s name has been associated with the shift and expansion of democracy with the passing of some political power from established elites to ordinary voters based in political parties. “The Age of Jackson” shaped the national agenda and American politics. He feared that monied and business interests would corrupt republican values. He rejected the view of a powerful and independent Supreme Court and thought Supreme Court justices should be made to stand for election. He called for the abolition of the Electoral College.’
Though he has also been heavily criticised for his Indian Removal policies which exacerbated tensions with the Native American tribes and caused great hardship.
If Biden pushed through some of Jackson’s ideas on changing the political system, that would be real progress.
Some of the Inauguration charts are descriptive, in particular those leading into a war but others are less so.
‘Tis the time’s plague when madmen lead the blind.” Shakespeare, King Lear.
Boris blunders and bungles along making a total bollix of the pandemic response, sparing the odd moment to cast a glance towards the Brexit negotiations. Today he’ll talk directly to the EU President Ursula von Leyen, pushing his standard line of – there’s a deal to be done but we don’t care if it isn’t.
If the UK leaves the transition period on 31 December without an agreed trade deal, tariffs would be imposed, which would cause damage to the UK economy. The National Audit Office has warned of “significant disruption” when the Brexit transition period ends. Moody’s has downgraded the UK’s credit rating, pointing to a “weakening in the UK’s institutions and governance”. Since the start of the year, the FTSE 100 is down 22 per cent, more than comparable European equity indices.
The election of Joe Biden would also shift the dynamic since he has said he would not allow peace in Northern Ireland to become a “casualty of Brexit” and that any USA/UK trade deal must be contingent on respect for the Good Friday Agreement and preventing the return of the hard border. And that is a conundrum without a solution if a No Deal happens.
As ever the astrology is as clear as a pea-soup fog about any breach. All that is showing on the UK chart is an exceptionally bad-tempered 3rd house Solar Arc Mars conjunct Mercury, exact in ten weeks though in effect now, which may be more to do with Covid restrictions. Though 70-mile lorry tailbacks in Kent border areas at New Year might well spark up a belated yowl from the electorate who will waken up to the implications of what the Brexiteer mob and the Boris bodge have done.
In 2021 there will be significant pressure on the financial UK 8th house Mars from late March as the tr Saturn square tr Uranus collides in hard aspect. The economic hangover from the pandemic plus perhaps Brexit miscalculations will cause major havoc – and that runs off and on into early 2022. Into 2022 the UK Solar Arc Pluto squares the UK Sun for a grind-to-a-halt year with more financial panics and major upsets as tr Uranus squares the 5th house speculative Venus and then opposes the 2nd house Neptune in 2022/23. By 2023 tr Uranus will be square the UK 11th house Saturn for sudden changes to the legislature (parliament). And there will be a jolting Solar Arc Saturn opposition Uranus on top. And by 2024 the Solar Arc Uranus will be conjunct the 8th house Mars for more crises and perhaps national disasters, since that Mars is very accident prone in terms of trains crashes/ferry sinkings etc.
There’s nothing much of cheer to indicate a sudden get-a-grip ability emerging from the Boris Government, 13 December 2019, with catastrophic panics running now till late January 2021; with added frustrations through this December and brain-mush from late January through February 2021. From late March tr Neptune squares the Government Sun for a year long phase of dither and indecision.
Boris’s own chart is bedevilled by Eclipses with the Lunar late this month shaking up his Pluto Uranus and Saturn; and the mid December Sagittarius Solar Eclipse opposing his Mercury, Sun, Venus which will be mentally stressful with several crises running over the months thereafter. His Solar Arc Uranus is moving towards the exact conjunction to his Moon, in 10 weeks’ time, but undoubtedly triggering early – that could be health-connected or personal financial upsets. He’ll get a minor lift late this month to late December from tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter midpoint but that’s a mild influence.
On his relationship chart with Ursula von Leyen, there’s not much of note instantly barring a mild indication of change from later this month for a few weeks; with more showing into spring of 2021. The same timeline is true of Boris’s toxic Mars Pluto relationship chart with the EU.
Joe Biden was never going to be an easy fit with Boris since his Saturn Uranus in Gemini clashes mightily with Boris’s scattergun Mars in Gemini and Uranus, Pluto and Saturn. Indeed Biden’s Sun Venus in late Scorpio opposes Boris’s focal point Mars – for arguments all the way. Biden’s controlling/influential Pluto fall in Boris’s 10th which may help to push him onto a different track; and Biden’s Jupiter falls in his 10th as well for a positive effect.
Their relationship chart is very heavy duty with a hostile power-struggling composite Mars Pluto conjunction in the middle of a Half Grand Sextile from a suspicious Neptune opposition Saturn sextile Jupiter – some good, much more truly difficult. Not much hand holding ahead if Boris stays the course – and Biden wins.
Win or lose Trump seems destined to hog and haunt the limelight for the foreseeable future. His increasingly frenzied claims of fraud and having his rightful title nicked from under his nose aren’t just driven by his narcissistic need to be top dog but from a realistic fear about what comes next.
Out of the White House, he loses immunity from trial on criminal charges. A Manhattan grand jury is looking into suspected bank, insurance, tax and other fraud; and the New York state attorney general’s civil investigation has dropped legal hints that it is building a case against Trump, some of his children and The Trump Organisation for allegedly running a racketeering enterprise. Indictment on racketeering charges would allow prosecutors to immediately seize his assets, including Trump Tower, his golf courses and Mar-a-Lago, as the fruits of criminal enterprise. On top of this, a handful of women are suing Trump for sexual assault, slander and other civil offences. And he has an estimated $900 million in loans due in the next four years.
All of the above will contribute to his agitation. That plus his lifelong, driving philosophy of revenge, outlined in his book Thinking Big. Over 16 pages, he describes his desire to commit violence against those who challenge him; and what gives him pleasure is destroying the life of anyone who refuses his demands.
Deutsche Bank are rumoured to be trying to cut him (and his debts) loose. The relationship chart between both DB January 1870 and DB March 1870 and Trump hint at a widening gulf through this December with a catastrophic patch from late February on and off till January 2022.
Even Fox and owner Rupert Murdoch appear to be drifting away from their once revered Supreme Leader. His relationship chart with Murdoch indicates major disruptions late this December to early February 2021 – and worse from May onwards; with a further downhill slide in 2022.
Similarly his trusty bagman Mitch McConnell appears to be jumping ship with chills between them after the middle of this month and consternation from June 2021 onwards.
What’s intriguing me is Trump’s relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell which was inherently fraught from the start with a composite Saturn opposition Neptune Mars square Uranus. Their connection is being battered every which way from late this December extending right through 2021 to 2023 by tr Pluto in hard aspect.
And the same is true of the Bill Clinton/Ghislaine Maxwell interface with tr Pluto square their composite Mercury, Neptune Sun square Uranus from late this month and on for several years ahead. And ditto Hillary.
Trump’s feelings towards Audrey Strauss, Acting New York US Attorney, responsible for the Maxwell case amongst others, will intensify from late this December and reach def-con hostility through 2021/22 with tr Uranus square their composite Saturn, then Pluto, Mars, Sun.
There are moves afoot evidently by the Maxwell family to have Ghislaine released on bail from prison pending trial which won’t be till fall 2021. But by the looks of her Solar Return from this December she looks excessively stuck. At the moment she’s heading for her Second Saturn Return this December hitting on her Saturn in the legal 9th, which fits. Her arrogant Jupiter on her Midheaven opposition Moon square Neptune will be rattled by the tr Uranus square tr Saturn from spring 2021 onwards which will be a rollercoaster ride with a few lucky breaks but mainly emotional upsets and health pressures. 2022/23 always looked to be her worst patches.
Jacinda Ardern’s Second Term New Zealand government was sworn in just after 11 am this morning. That gives an uncompromising, innovative, trailblazing though unsettled Scorpio Sun opposition Uranus which is the driving rod of a Water Grand Trine of Sun trine Neptune trine a Cancer Moon. It’ll be compassionate and caring though fairly inward looking as well as intent on rocking a few boats. There’s also an argumentative Mercury square Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter; and an enthusiastic though not always sensitive or sensible Venus opposition Mars square a Cancer Moon.
There’ll be ups and downs from the tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the Government Sun from May onwards for a year which is likely to be at least in part economic woes. But the bullishly confident and usually successful Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct Pluto, exact in late 2021 should offset early problems.
Jacinda Ardern’s own chart (rectified to 1.59pm by Graham Ibell) has tr Neptune opposition the Saturn from late May 2021 on and off till late 2022 which will be uncertain and panicky. Plus a major-setback Solar Arc Saturn square her Sun, exact in late 2021. She will have some successes along the way and upbeat phases but she will be guiding New Zealand through a turbulent few years ahead.
See previous posts: Ardern – 16 October 2020; and NZ 5 May 2020.
(Thanks to Christian Adams cartoon, Evening Standard.)
Memo for astro-election watchers: never ever get distracted by polls. They are invariably off.
Following on from the previous November 1 post below and earlier thoughts on the Supreme Court, there does look to be considerable upheavals, disruptions and excitement in the Supreme Court from November 18th till December 20th with tr Uranus square the SCOTUS Uranus. That timeline is also highlighted on Associate Justice Elena Kagan’s chart with her Taurus Sun opposing Neptune at 7 degrees Scorpio; and Sonia Sotomayor’s, Stephen Breyer’s and Samuel Alito’s. So several of the SCOTUS team will be on red alert.
Chief Justice John Roberts has more conspicuous movement on his chart from late December through January; as does Amy Coney Barratt. But one way or another SCOTUS will be moving through stormy seas with mainly Uranian pressure bearing down on the institution itself as well as those serving it right through until after the standard Inauguration date of January 20th.
The next flare up point will be April/May 2021 with major stress showing on various of the Associate Justices’ charts.
Grayson Perry, the talented ceramicist and art documentary presenter, has caused a stir by suggesting the pandemic will clear the arts scene of ‘dead wood’. Given that hundreds of gallery and museum staff face losing their job, his remarks were deemed ‘out of touch and unempathetic’ as well as ‘disgraceful’. Outrage and provocation always were his metier since he was as well known for his transvestite alter-ego Claire, as for his creative achievements.
He was born 24 March 1960 at 6.50am Chelmsford, England, and as expected has a contrarian Mars in Aquarius quadrupled in strength by being conjunct an Aquarius Moon in the 11th and opposition Uranus in the 5th. He also has grandstanding Pluto in his 5th which can be creative and attention grabbing.
His 12th house Aries Sun is in an expansive square to Jupiter and on the focal point of a Yod to Pluto sextile Neptune which will foster an ambitious streak though his sense of self-worth will teeter from too little to too much frequently. He does have a talented Half Grand Sextile of Venus Mercury in Pisces in a passionate opposition to Pluto sextile Neptune and Jupiter in Capricorn – so he has been blessed with ability and luck. Though he’s also always been under a fair amount of strain – he has another quincunx of Uranus to a 10th house Saturn.
He had a tough childhood, with his parents splitting when he was 7 because of his mother’s adultery and he inherited a violent stepfather. He hasn’t spoken to his mother in two decades and is now married to a psychotherapist with a daughter. Much of his work has an explicit sexual content, some of it sadomasochistic and abusive.
The Moon Mars opposition Uranus does explain his ruptured relationship with his unpredictable and angry mother which is what stokes his need to be maverick and shock. He has described her as mentally ill and refused to reconcile with her even when she was dying.
He is married to psychotherapist Philippa Perry, 1 November 1957, who is a Sun, Neptune and Mercury in Scorpio with a Pisces/Aquarius Moon. It’s an odd mix but they’ve been together for two decades so obviously it works. Her Sun Neptune falls in his 7th close to his Neptune so arguably his artistic and her healing careers soak up the non-committal Neptune. Her Moon may conjunct his Venus if she’s a late day baby and her Venus falls in his 9th for an intellectual and affectionate connection.
The infamous Princess Diana television interview in 1995 which rocked the monarchy just got more scandalous 25 years later as BBC reporter Martin Bashir is accused of falsifying evidence to gain access to her. Her brother the Earl Spencer says bank accounts were forged to appear to show courtiers were being paid to give information on Diana to the security services; and tales were spun about the young princes’ nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke, hinting she was having an affair with Charles. All of which would feed into Diana’s paranoia. She agreed to do the interview since she thought it would concentrate on her charity work but she was seduced/provoked into making inflammatory comments about her marriage and Charles’ unfitness to be king.
Bashir, born 19 January 1963 12.30pm London (time from astrotheme), has had a chequered career here and in the USA with several slips and mishaps along the way but has finally, bizarrely, ended up as BBC Religious Affairs correspondent. He is at present unwell with coronavirus. He has a late Capricorn Sun with an intense and elusive Moon Neptune in Scorpio squaring onto Saturn in his 10th opposition Mars in Leo – he’ll be attracted to glamour and publicity and be tricky to pin down with such a Neptune. He also has a pushily-confident Jupiter opposition Pluto Uranus square Venus in Sagittarius – has great charm though lacks emotional depth, can be superficial.
His Saturn in the 10th is interesting – Sakoian & Acker remark: “Those with Saturn in this house must exercise extreme caution concerning principles, or disgrace and heavy karmic debts may be incurred. A great price must be paid for infraction of the universal law.” In shorthand, cutting corners always comes back to bite.
Diana’s synastry with Bashir was explosive with his Mars conjunct her Uranus and his Uranus conjunct her Mars – they spurred each other on to an unhealthy level of excitement and risk. His Capricorn Sun conjunct her Saturn were both being rattled by the highly strung tr Uranus in Capricorn (conjunct tr Neptune). Tr Neptune was also square Princess Diana’s Midheaven hinting at her confusion about her life’s direction. The transiting Jupiter Venus Mars in Sagittarius was also just over her Ascendant moving through her 1st giving her a rush of confidence.
The other Royals were less enlivened. The Queen had the tr Uranus Neptune crossing her Capricorn Ascendant and tr Pluto at zero degrees Sagittarius in her 10th inconjunct her Sun – it put immense strain on her and damaged her image. Prince Charles had tr Pluto inconjunct his 10th house Moon, which would rattle his career path considerably. Prince William also had the quincunx stress factor with tr Pluto inconjunct his Cancer Sun, and moving to conjunct his Uranus; and tr Neptune Uranus square his Pluto and trine his Venus. For Harry it was less of a career-defining moment and more of an emotional setback with tr Saturn in Pisces square his Mars and moving to oppose his Sun. With tr Neptune trine his Sun and tr Pluto inconjunct his Pluto.
The BBC is now in the frame for whitewashing the affair. Bashir always was a gritty fit since his Saturn in Aquarius is conjunct the BBC’s Mars and his Mars and Uranus Pluto fall in the BBC’s 4th – but his confident Jupiter falls in the BBC 10th so maybe they reckoned his pluses outweighed his minuses, until now. The BBC doesn’t have its troubles to seek at the moment, a great many of them self-inflicted and the Bashir interview may loom as significant problem next year with tr Uranus square tr Saturn hitting on the BBC Mars as well as Bashir’s Saturn.
After she died Ann Leslie, the Daily Mail journalist remarked that Diana had signed a pact with the devil when she used the media to gain attention and pursue her vendettas about feeling badly treated. It’s never a deal that ends well.
Years ago I made documentaries for the BBC for four years after 11 years in commercial television and the biggest cowboys I ever worked with were in the BBC. Coming from what was supposedly the vulgarian younger cousin it was quite a culture shock having to grapple with the arrogant amour propre that pervaded Broadcasting House and all corners. The BBC does engender extraordinary loyalty but there was every bit as much wrong as right in the hallowed corridors and no DG has ever really managed to sort out the core problems.
The astro-signposts to look out for in what is undoubtedly going to be an acutely muddled and aggravated few weeks after the USA election. Even if Trump loses by a landslide he’s still got almost three months of the graveyard shift to cause havoc. If it is a closer result in key states, he’ll flail around, spraying lies about fraudulent ballots in all directions.
The Lunar Eclipse on 30 November at 8 degrees Gemini Moon/Sagittarius Sun will collide with the USA’s Uranus in Gemini which may spring a few surprises, spark off a few rebellions and wild claims. Mishandled Uranus on an Eclipse can limit freedom, though there is the potential for taking a new road. That Lunar Eclipse in addition to having the see-saw Full Moon also has a Uranus opposition Venus and a frustrated Mars square Pluto – so the divisiveness of recent times won’t have settled much.
The Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on 14th December, the day when the Electoral Collage convenes, is in opposition to the USA Mars in Gemini and conjunct Trump’s Moon opposition his Sun. It will bring a combative mood so arguments will flare and compromise won’t be the mood of the country or the states involved.
Where Trump is concerned, an Eclipse conjunct his Moon will test the foundations on which his life has been built with his public image coming under scrutiny. If he’s not standing on solid ground and if he insists on hanging on to old habit patterns it could all crumble to dust. An Eclipse opposition his Sun indicates a major turning point and crisis, which will force him to face that he is not always right. If he fights the need for change it will leave him kicking and screaming.
The December Eclipse is in a Saros Series that Bernadette Brady says has a strong emotional intensity and acute frustration, a sense of fatedness and not being in control. Avoid rash action until it settles down.
December does look extremely fraught and bad-tempered up in the heavens with the final Mars in Aries square Pluto running to the 23rd, which won’t be fun. Mars moves out of its long stint in Aries where it has been causing havoc for some months on January 6th. But just to be un-useful it moves into Taurus and immediately rattles up Mercury in Aquarius, squares Saturn and is conjunct Uranus so January won’t be a peaceful month.
The USA chart apart from the Eclipses – has a blocked tr Saturn conjunct Pluto November 14th to 26th which will be discouraging. Tr Uranus square the Leo Node 21 December to 8 February 2021, which may be more significant than it sounds since the US ‘leadership’ Leo Node does get rattled easily, viz tr Neptune in opposition for 9/11.
There’s also a return of the toxic-rhetoric and hostile-debate tr Pluto opposition the USA Mercury 26 December to 27 January 2021 (repeating later in the year).
Trump’s chart has tr Neptune in an undermining opposition to his Progressed Moon exactly now; a mildly upbeat tr Pluto trine his Mars/Jupiter until November 20th and then a raft of difficulties. Tr Pluto from November 20th till December 26th will oppose his Mars/Node for enraging setbacks, with the discouraging uphill-slog of tr Pluto opposing his Saturn at the same time. Then 26 December to 27 January he has more tantrum-inducing frustrations from tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Mars midpoint; his poisonous-rhetoric and opposition his lying Mercury/Pluto midpoint; and opposition his wounded Venus/Saturn midpoint. He’ll be like a cornered cobra. His Solar Arc Saturn will also within weeks from now be on the degree of the conjunction to his 2nd house Neptune, a harbinger of the financial meltdown to come later in 2021.
Joe Biden, birth time being accurate, has two panicked Neptune transits to separate Mars midpoints at the moment. Part of which could be campaign uncertainties and also the realization of the responsibility he has to face if he gets in. One of them lifts from November 20th onwards, the other trails on until 26th January. He’ll experience an upheaval from tr Uranus square his Pluto from 18th November to 19 December which can go either way – as with Netanyahu into power – or it will bring a rocky ride. He looks marginally upbeat from tr Pluto trine his Mercury/Jupiter midpoint November 20th to December 26th. And is very definitely looking enthusiastic and confident from January 26th to late February with tr Pluto opposition his Jupiter. That successful phase rolls on through till August with tr Pluto trine his Sun/Jupiter and Venus/Jupiter, plus tr Uranus square his Jupiter/Node across mid year and on. Whatever happens he looks in better spirits in 2021/22 with the exception of an insecure tr Uranus opposition his Mars late May on and off for a year.
Trump and Failure: Past experience of how Trump faces losing battles are scary and instructive. Chicago Trump Hotel ran into huge debts in 2008, which for most would have meant ruin. But he counter-sued the lender Deutsche Bank for “predatory lending practices” and sought $3 billion in damages. He was then forgiven $270 million worth of debt.
In 1973 he slammed back at the US government over its charges that Trump’s rental properties had racial discriminatory practices and counter-sued them for $100 million. Two years later it was settled in private with an agreement that the Trump properties change their practices.
He follows Roy Cohn, his early mentor’s diktat – Attack, Don’t Settle, Never Apologize.
“You cannot disgrace a disgraceful man; you cannot make a shameless man feel ashamed; you cannot make a cockroach a cockroach, because it is already a cockroach.” Mehmet Murat Ildan
