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Even at 85, writer Tom Wolfe – Bonfire of the Vanities and literary journalism with devastating insights into social mores – doesn’t seem to have lost his bite. He once said: “If you are not having a fight with somebody then you are not sure whether you are alive when you wake up in the morning.” His latest provocative book, Kingdom of Speech, takes scud-missile-force pot shots at Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and linguist Noam Chomsky. He’s an atheist not a creationist but thinks scientists have a nasty habit of cobbling ideas together and calling them truth, only to find they are not standing on solid ground.

Born 2 March 1931 2.12am Richmond, Virginia (astrotheme), he has a quick-witted 3^rd house Pisces Sun and Mercury in Aquarius also in the 3rd which is the journalistic house. His Sun is trine Jupiter in Cancer and opposition a 9^th house Neptune – so he’s not short of confidence or creativity. He’s from the focal point Uranus in Aries generation, so innovative and destabilising. His Uranus North Node square Jupiter Pluto and widely square Saturn (Venus) in Capricorn. His Pluto is 8^th house conjunct Mars in Cancer – so he’s certainly sitting on a volcano of anger. That Pluto also has the potential to give him great influence.

His writers’ 21^st Harmonic is very strongly aspected – with a Fixed Grand Cross; a Grand Trine formed into two Kites; and a Yod. A great deal of talent and several of his bon motes have made it into currency – radical chic, The Me Decade, the Right Stuff, Master of the Universe, statusphere.

American artistic gymnast Simone Biles won the women’s all-around Olympic gold medal by a rout in “a dazzling display of power, agility and gravity-defying moves”. Only 4ft 8 inches, she’s described as the greatest ever gymnast and the other competitors joke the only question is who gets to be second. She hasn’t lost an all-around competition since the spring of 2013, claiming three world titles and four U.S. crowns in the process.

Yet her start in life was highly inauspicious, to put it mildly, with a drug and alcohol addicted mother whose four children all had to go into care. Simone and one sibling were rescued by her grandparents, who despite their modest circumstances indulged her drive to succeed. The two other siblings were taken in by other relatives.

Born 14 March 1997 in Columbus, Ohio (no birth time) – three days before swimmer Katie Ledecky (see post below) – she’s a Sun Venus Mercury in Pisces opposition Mars Node in Virgo. Mars in Pisces is known for being a dancer’s placing; here she has dynamic Mars tied into her Pisces’ planets. She’s got a tough Saturn in self-reliant Aries trine Pluto, sextiling onto a focal point Jupiter Uranus in Aquarius. Sakoian & Acker describe Jupiter Uranus as the ‘power of positive thinking’.  And she harnesses that ability to create her own luck with driving discipline.

Her Moon is in agile Gemini as opposed to Ledecky’s watery Moon in Cancer. Both have heavily aspected super-star 22^nd Harmonic charts.

Jonathan Cainer, the astrologer has died suddenly of a heart attack, the second attack within a year. He was best known in the UK for his Daily Mail columns and radio and TV appearances, but his columns also went right round the world to an estimated 12 million readers who loved his whimsical style of philosophising.

Born 18 Dec 1957 8am in London he had a powerfully and successfully placed Jupiter in Libra on his midheaven which was on the focal point of a mini Grand Trine to a Sagittarius Sun on his Ascendant trine Pluto. His Pluto was also in an ultra-determined square to Mars in Scorpio with Moon also in Scorpio.

He also had spiritual, creative Neptune in his 10^th on the focal point of a T square to a 2^nd house Venus in Aquarius opposition an 8^th house Uranus – so he would have insight into what lay beyond reality from an 8^th house Uranus and the ability to turn his Neptunian talents into financially beneficial results.

He had a strong, though stressed, get-it-together 5^th Harmonic; an enthusiastic and risk-taking 9^th Harmonic; and a notable ‘actor’s’ 15H.

What was on his chart at the moment shows little indication of illness, except for the March Solar Eclipse being square his 12^th house Saturn. Indeed his Solar Arc Jupiter was within 8 minutes of a degree (less than a tenth of a degree) conjunct his Sun, having just crossed his Ascendant, which would normally indicate a major boost.

His Progressed Moon was in his 1^st inconjunct his Uranus, but that’s mild enough.

On midpoints tr Neptune was square his Sun/Mars midpoint which can bring illness or weakness, but again not a startling influence. Tr Pluto had been squaring his Mars/Pluto midpoint over the recent past and last year tr Uranus was in opposition – and that is a stronger indication of considerable strain, though not exact at the moment.

Quite often when people die with major Jupiter influences it’s almost as if they knew it was the right time.

Tr Saturn was going through his 12^th, aiming to cross his Ascendant early next year so he would be feeling like winding down and perhaps sensing that old ambitions were no longer holding his enthusiasm.  And tr Pluto is hovering on the cusp of his 2^nd house which normally indicates financial matters but can also have associations with physical matters. And now that I look his Solar Arc Mars was also square his natal Jupiter this year. So it’s almost as if there was too much Jupiterian expansion going on and it did rule his Sun and Ascendant.

Seems rather ghoulish to be peering into the astro-reasons but if anyone has any insights do post.

There do seem to be an extraordinary number of celebrities passing on this year. Rather unsettling.

Frank Sinatra Jnr, eldest son of Frank Sinatra and brother of Nancy, has died suddenly while on tour. He followed his father into a singing career which endured but never reached the same heights.

Born 1 January 1944 5.50pm Jersey City, New Jersey,  he had a Capricorn Sun on the cusp of his 7^th house; a musical Pisces conjunct his Midheaven and a charming Venus in Scorpio in his performing 5^th. He also had a tricky mini-Grand Trine of Mars Uranus in Gemini trine a 4^th house Neptune, sextile a 2^nd house Pluto North Node – which would make him slightly obsessed about money, unsure of his identity apart from his family with some frustrations through his life. In fact he had a wide-ish Yod of that Pluto sextile Mars Uranus inconjunct his Sun – so he’d constantly have problems with self-worth and having to prove himself.

His sister Nancy, 8 June 1940 9.01 am Jersey City, had a more ambitious and more creative chart with a stalwart Jupiter Saturn Uranus in Taurus in her 10^th; and Mercury, Venus, Mars, Moon in Cancer in her 12^th.

Frank senior, 12 Dec 1915 3am Hoboken, NJ, was a Sun Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo, square a 5^th house Jupiter with Neptune on his MC; and a bleak Pluto Saturn in Cancer which was opposition his Venus in Capricorn and trine his 5^th house Pisces Moon. So a bundle of energy and confidence, though not emotionally sensitive.

Pa’s Venus was conjunct Junior’s Sun but Pa’s Saturn sat on Junior’s Ascendant and along with his Pluto opposed Jnr’s Sun – so equal measures of affection and esteem-dampening. Pa’s Jupiter was conjunct Jnr’s MC so would help his career along; and Jnr’s Jupiter was conjunct Pa’s Mars, so enthusiasm. Though the relationship chart does indicate fear from a composite Mars Pluto; blocked communication from Saturn opposition Mercury Sun square Uranus.

Frank Jnr had tr Saturn just into his 6^th house of health, conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune; with a truly difficult Solar Arc Saturn square Mars Uranus approaching in coming months.

Merrick Garland, a centrist judge with an impeccable legal reputation and known as bi-partisan has been nominated by Barack Obama as his Supreme Court choice to replace the recently deceased Antonin Scalia. The Republicans are threatening political mayhem in a bid to stall any choice until after the election. And confirmations can in any event be long drawn out affairs.

Born 13 Nov 1952 in Chicago, he’s a Sun Scorpio opposition Jupiter in Taurus square Pluto opposition a North Node in Aquarius. So very Fixed and steady. He’s also got a Cardinal T Square of Mars in Capricorn opposition Uranus square Saturn Neptune in Libra – bubbling over with initiative, focussed on creating a fairer society, both executive and idealistic.

He does have a confident, successful tr Pluto trine Jupiter through this year until early December. Though there’ll be a fair few bumps along the way with tr Uranus in hard aspect to his Cardinal T Square right through till April 2017.

The Supreme Court, 2 Feb 1790, has a Sun Pluto in Aquarius opposition Mars Jupiter in Leo with a Scorpio North Node – so his chart does interlock quite significantly.

He seems a sensible choice but politics being politics it may be a long haul even if Hillary were to be elected.

Otto Warmbier, a 21 year old American has been sentenced to 15 years hard labour in North Korea for stealing a poster with Kim Jong Un’s name on it as a trophy to take home. According to reports of a Western passenger on the flight back, he was part of a group of 18 to 25 year olds who made the North Korean dictatorship their first trip abroad and were drinking vodka till 5 in the morning. There’s stupid and there’s stupid – and in a country that will use any excuse to get back at the Great Satan USA, despite opening their doors to tourism.

Warmbier was born 12 December 1994 and is a Sun Mercury in Sagittarius; though more significantly with a Saturn opposition Mars in Virgo square a Pluto Jupiter conjunction. Jupiter Pluto on the focal point of a T square especially will tend to be over-confident and assume corners can be cut without any retribution. It can – clearly – backfire badly.

His Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct his Sun now creating a major blockage. And the March Pisces Eclipse is square his Sun Mercury bringing a major crisis. The September Virgo Eclipse if anything is worse since it hits on his Saturn and therefore Mars. From late April tr Uranus starts to square his highly-strung Neptune Uranus conjunction in Capricorn, on and off till early 2018. Tr Uranus and or tr Pluto may also be bouncing off his Aries Moon around this time.

The USA authorities will have their work cut out since diplomatic tensions are higher than usual at the moment and the North Koreans will no doubt be using this as political leverage.

Much triumphalism by political world leaders about their historic climate change deal which was gavelled into agreement just before 7.30pm yesterday in Paris. And just as much cold water being poured on its overblown promises by climate sceptics and climate obsessives alike.

The chart has a trail-blazing Uranus in the 10th opposition a domestically-irritable 4th house Mars square an uphill-struggle 6th house Pluto. There’s certainly enough power in that T square though also potential for arguments.

The grandstanding 5th house Sun is in an overly expansive square to Jupiter, sextile Mars and trine Uranus so prone to promising what it can’t or won’t deliver but willing to try. A 5th house organisational Saturn square a 9th Neptune – at best, hopes for a better society, though it’s fairly disconnected.

The one thing which is marginally hopeful is the 17th Harmonic = leaving a legacy for history. It’s strong with planets in all three Earth signs – which, with wide orbs, does make a Grand Trine, formed into a Kite focussing on idealistic Neptune. And a T square of Sun opposition Uranus square Moon. So something may emerge from it.

Bryony Brind, the English ballet dancer who once partnered Nureyev has died at the very young age of 55. She was once supposedly the friend of Prince Michael of Kent and latterly married Ian McCorquodale, son of Barbara Cartland.

Born 27 May 1960 she was a Sun Mercury Moon in Gemini with her Sun conjunct Venus in late Taurus – so airy and elegantly physical at the same time. Ian McCorquodale took a stroke shortly after she married him so she became his carer. That would suggest a Saturn in the 7th where partners involve work and would put Pluto which squared her Sun in her 4th. Plus Neptune in the performing 5th.
Her Saturn in Capricorn squared her Mars in Aries bringing her problems through her life, including possibly a bout of anorexia. Her Uranus in Leo was in an exciting and excitable trine to Mars and inconjunct Saturn – so better suited to a maverick lifestyle with constant change than one of humdrum sameness.

There’s increasing unrest about the situation in Thailand now labouring under a military junta after a 2014 coup. The US ambassador is in hot water for suggesting that long prison sentences given by military courts to civilians under the law forbidding comments about the Thai monarch were a restriction of freedom of speech.
Now Thailand’s most senior police investigator into human trafficking is seeking political asylum in Australia, saying he fears for his life because influential figures in the Thai government, military and police are implicated in trafficking and want him killed.

Martial law was imposed at 3am on 20 May 2014 which puts controlling Pluto conjunct the MC opposition Jupiter square Mars opposition Uranus Venus – so an explosive, pushily-confident, ruthless administration that will face rolling crises.

General Prayuth Chan-ocha, 21 March 1954, is now running the outfit. He’s a Sun Pisces/Aries with a Libra Moon and a fairly untogether chart with one T square onto Neptune as a focal point; and a wedge of Mars opposition Jupiter which is trine/sextile Pluto.

He’ll have his enthusiasm deflated in late 2016 as tr Saturn is conjunct his Mars and opposition his Jupiter. But it’s 2017/18 which are the real risk times for him with a rolling series of hair-raising Solar Arcs – Solar Arc Uranus square Mars, then Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune and Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto; plus tr Pluto opposing his Uranus also in 2017/18.

The Thailand 24 June 1932 chart has tr Uranus square its Pluto and conjunct its Uranus through 2016 so a very unstable year.