not categorised

Keir Starmer’s Cabinet comprises a record 11 women as befits a chart with a 10^th house Moon – reflecting the UK’s 10^th house Cancer Moon with its history of notable female monarchs Elizabeth 1 & 11, and Victoria.

 Rachel Reeves, 13 February 1979, comes in as Chancellor, with her Jupiter in Leo getting a boost now and until late 2025 from tr Pluto in opposition. Her Aquarius Sun, Mercury and Mars trine Pluto, sextile Neptune make her super-ambitious and very determined. She will have her hands full with the economy in a precarious state and difficult options lying ahead including tax increases to pay for improved social services. Her Aquarius Sun and Mercury will be rattled by tr Uranus in square this year and next; with a nervy slog through this year from tr Pluto leaning on two Saturn midpoints; and worse after Uranus moves into Gemini from mid 2025 onwards.

 Her relationship to Starmer is up and down at the best of times and more stressed over this New Year into early 2025 and seriously jangled from mid 2025 thereafter. They are very tied together so their respective fates will be fairly intertwined.

Wes Streeting, 21 January 1983, Health, is a Sun Aquarius square Saturn in Scorpio conjunct Pluto in final degree Libra, sextile Neptune; with his Saturn Pluto trine Mars. Hugely determined, ambitious – with a strong Neptune. He will bring an enthusiastic optimism to the NHS though with a few setbacks along the way. His relationship with Starmer is, like Reeves, tied together with a composite yod – and will be OK bar a few blips until 2026 when it runs into major headaches.

David Lammy, 19 July 1972, Foreign Secretary, is a Sun Cancer trine Neptune, sextile Pluto; with Venus Saturn in Gemini trine Uranus and an outspoken Mars Mercury in Leo. The September Lunar Eclipse will catch his Pluto for a test of his influence. His confidence will be undermined as tr Neptune Saturn in Aries squares his Jupiter through 2025/26; with major frustrations 2026/27 as tr Pluto catches two of his Mars midpoints. His relationship with Starmer will be marginally distanced with a minor tug of war in 2025/26.

Yvette Cooper, 20 March 1969, Home Secretary, a final degree Sun Pisces (or Aries)  opposition Pluto and trine Neptune with Venus Saturn in Aries on the focal point of a yod. Plus an adventurous Jupiter Uranus in Libra. A toughie, not always empathetic.  Upbeat with the changes in her life this year and next; though tr Neptune conjunct her Sun will make for a swampy start. On edge in 2025 with tr Uranus opposition her Neptune with her confidence sagging as tr Neptune Saturn square her Sun/Jupiter midpoints; more road-blocked in 2026.

Angela Rayner, 28 March 1980, Deputy Prime Minister, is an Aries Sun with a Fixed Grand Cross of Mars in Leo North Node opposition South Node square Venus opposition Uranus – an odd mix of overly excitable and incredibly fixed. Her Uranus, Mars and Venus will be rattled by tr Uranus in hard aspect until early 2026. Her relationship with Starmer will be frustrating this year and next with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars; with more irritations mid 2025 onwards. Not the happiest combination.

  This is only a quick skip through and my impression is that after mid 2025 the problems and tensions start to rise with 2026/27 being high stress and blocked.

Keir Starmer received the Royal invitation to govern at 12.19 pm this morning after a landslide Labour victory though on a low turnout with only support from a third of the voters. The UK chart with tr Pluto trine the Uranus exactly now was clearly in the mood for a change.

  The Starmer Term chart has a New Moon and Venus in Cancer in the 10^th for a charm-offensive and family-oriented administration. There will be confidence (and luck) from Pluto trine Jupiter in the 9^th, especially with foreign affairs and education. What is more ominous is Mars and Uranus in Taurus in the 8^th on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Neptune on final degree Pisces trine Venus, hinting at a) financial/economic disruptions with international implications or causes; 2) violent disruptions/natural or man made disasters. Neptune hovering on the cusp of the 7^th suggests lack of commitment to partnerships and agreements. Saturn and maybe Neptune in the 6th house of health will focus attention on the problems of the health service.

  (Oddly enough Blair came to power after a landslide when Neptune was on the final degree of Capricorn.)  

 Pluto opposition Mercury hints at hostile and bitter debates with intransigent opponents. Jeremy Corbyn is in as an independent MP as is Reform Nigel Farage whose nationalist right party took 14 percent of the vote. Under proportional representation Reform would have won 93 seats. So far left and far right have gained ground. Pro-Palestinian candidates also made inroads into Labour vote. The SNP collapsed.

Additional numbers to ponder: Labour secured just over 700,000 more votes than Mr Corbyn in 2019, one percentage point more, but managed to pick up more than 200 additional seats. Starmer’s vote share is below even the 35.2 per cent which Blair achieved in the 2005 election, when his majority fell to 66 seats. Nigel Farage’s Reform party secured 4.1 million votes but only four seats. The Greens won four seats with 1.9 million votes. By contrast the Liberal Democrats won 71 seats despite with only 3.5 million votes. Combined Reform and the Conservatives gained 37.9 per cent of the vote, but collectively have just 17 per cent of seats. Left-wing parties gained 44.1 per cent of the vote but took up 67 per cent of seats.

  Not only has the UK chart tr Pluto trine the Uranus for a definite change, exact at the moment and returning on and off till late 2025, it also has an upbeat tr Pluto opposition the 10^th house Jupiter for a surge of confidence at the same time.  As one commentator remarked: “For the first time in more than a decade, the UK has a stable, centre-left government led by an understated but patently serious premier. After the chaos of recent years, it may take some time for everyone to adjust.” Not quite the wholehearted high that came for six months after Blair was elected (which soon faded) but there will be uplift.

 Not that everything ahead will be down to Starmer’s competence since black swan events are always lurking and on the UK chart with the Solar Arc Uranus drawing closer to a conjunction with the troubled 8^th house Mars – same degree within weeks and on the exact aspect in nine months – it will need a steady hand on the tiller to cope with the fallout, financial and otherwise. And by 2026 tr Uranus in Gemini will be poised to square the UK Pluto for another almighty upheaval of a different variety.

Starmer’s own chart does have tr Jupiter conjunct his Sun Pluto in Virgo which are the driving planets of a Kite exactly now for this win.  But ahead is less cheerful with a devastating and confused Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Neptune within a few months and a confidence slump from his SA Sun conjunct his Neptune probably into 2025. What will be much worse is his SA Mars conjunct his Sun and then Pluto in 2026/27 hinting at a dead halt. 2026/27 is also when tr Pluto is in a discouraging (and then some) conjunction to his Saturn on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Mars sextile Pluto Sun – so he will not have a long run of progressive reform.  

  This is just for starters. More no doubt tomorrow and tomorrow ……..

Please add below. Older posts under News on top bar or in Search

As a highlight of the Tories swansong, one of the UK national treasures the Royal Mail has been allowed to fall into private hands for the first time in its 508-year history. Even more ominous is that the deal by Czech Daniel Kretinsky has been financed on loans so the future of Royal Mail is set to be hamstrung by surging interest payments. The worry is that the Royal Mail modernisation and investment plans will be jeopardised by its ballooning debt burden, and that its service obligations could be affected as well.

  Who thought this was a good idea??

  Daniel Kretinsky, 9 July 1975, born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, known as the ‘Czech sphinx’ with an estimated $7.2bn (£5.8bn) fortune, is notoriously private. He trained as a lawyer before turning to finance, and grew his business, EP Group, by snapping up unfashionable fossil fuel assets from companies looking to retreat from oil and gas, which paid off handsomely after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More recently he has branched out into everything from newspapers, football clubs and groceries – Sparta Prague football club, a stake in West Ham United as well as investment in Sainsbury’s, French supermarket chain Casino and Dutch delivery service PostNL and until last year a stake in Le Monde.

 He has a New Moon and Saturn in Cancer square a Jupiter in pro-active Aries opposition Uranus – a risk-taker from Jupiter Uranus, with executive ability from a focal point Saturn and an overdose of initiative from so much Cardinal – with a nose for public trends. He will dislike sharing the driving seat – and with his Mars in determined Taurus on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Pluto sextile Neptune he will be super-aggressive in his approach.

 He’s heading into  muddles and mayhem with his Solar Arc Saturn square his Neptune late this year/into 2025; and hitting major, infuriating, blocked setbacks when tr Pluto squares his Mars in 2026/27. Also in 2026/27 the tr Neptune Saturn in Aries will oppose his Pluto which will produce obstacles from a different angle.  All of which will throw him completely off track as his yod is given an almighty shove sideways.

  There are various charts for the Royal Mail, the earliest being 31 July 1635 JC which makes it a Sun Jupiter in Leo with Pluto conjunct Algol in Taurus inconjunct Saturn in Sagittarius. Tr Uranus is conjunct the Pluto for an almighty upheaval at the moment with an uncertain tr Neptune square the Saturn.  

  The relationship chart with Kretinsky looks jangled this year with tr Uranus opposition the composite Neptune and exceedingly stressed over the next four years with tr Pluto opposition the composite Sun, Pluto, Mercury, Venus

  The reorganized Royal Mail, 25 July 1969 and 26 March 2001 both have planets connecting to Algol with Neptune in Scorpio in the first and Saturn in Taurus in the second. They also both look strained vis a vis Kretinsky for some years ahead.

  Going the way of water. Sigh.

It seems appropriate that Andy Murray’s competitive tennis career should come to a sad and agonising end as the transiting Mars Uranus Algol crosses over his Taurus Sun and natal Algol.

 From an unlikely background, he won three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals, pushing himself to the limit; and in recent years against constant injuries.  One sports commentator described his career as “a triumph against the odds. The perseverance, the determination, the white-hot raging against the dying of the light.”

  Having withdrawn from the Wimbledon singles he hopes to play alongside Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles and with his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles; and maybe make it to the Paris Olympics.

  Born 15 May 1987 2.10pm Glasgow, Scotland,  his Taurus Sun and Algol are in the much-travelled 9^th house in a strained inconjunct to a 4^th house Uranus Moon (Saturn) in Sagittarius. He never looked a man comfortable in his own skin which is partly the result of that quincunx causing him to constantly be making internal adjustments to find a sense of emotional balance.  He also has a volatile, uncompromising and highly ambitious 10^th house Mars in Gemini opposition Uranus, Moon and Saturn.   He would constantly be pushing himself in pursuit of risk, excitement, his competitive streak and as a way of channelling his anger.

  His Pluto is also on the focal point of a yod inconjunct his North Node sextile Midheaven – which is obscure but would add to his exceedingly will-driven approach. His saving grace in terms of uplift and optimism is Jupiter in his 8^th which will give him sustenance both financially and spiritually/emotionally.

  He does not have the easiest chart in terms of relationships with such a scratchy Moon Saturn Uranus opposition Mars and a 7^th house North Node. But he seems to have found a good match in Kim Sears, 10 December 1987, who is not unlike him with a Sagittarius Sun conjunct Saturn and Uranus. Her Leo Moon may be square a staggeringly determined Mars Pluto conjunction in Scorpio which is also sextile her Venus – so she’s used to a high-pressure emotional life and relationships.

 Their relationship chart is affectionate, sparky and close with a composite Sun, Venus, Mercury trine Pluto and opposition Mars. It will be a high-octane bond but seems to work.

 When he was nine he was present along with his brother at the Dunblane school massacre when Thomas Hamilton shot 16 children and a teacher before killing himself. It occurred when tr Pluto was opposition Andy Murray’s Mercury and his Solar Arc Sun so would leave a mark on his temperament and development.

 Hamilton, 10 May 1952 8.50am Glasgow, Scotland, had a Scorpio Moon opposition Algol and Taurus Sun square Pluto. All of which ties into Murray’s Sun and Algol. So facing up to suffering and the least pleasant side of life has been part of Andy Murray’s journey.

  Looking ahead he does have Jupiter moving through his 10^th house until September 2025 so sad though his retirement may be he will be in the headlines and getting a boost. With an additional stroke of luck and success from his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Sun in late 2025/26. It won’t be an easy transition since it never is but with his Progressed Moon about to exit his 8^th he will feel a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

Hurricane Beryl hit land on Monday as a category four hurricane, with sustained winds of 150mph (240km/h). It reduced Union Island in the St Vincent group to rubble with hardly any buildings left standing and almost all residents left homeless.

  St Vincent & Grenadines, 27 October 1979, Kingstown, Saint Vincent, has startlingly clear astro-indicators. The Solar Arc Sun is conjunct the St Vincent Neptune and SA Neptune is square the St Vincent Sun as the monster from the sea landed. Plus SA Pluto is square the St Vincent Jupiter and SA Jupiter conjunct the St Vincent Pluto to magnify the force.

  The St Vincent Pluto also caught an exact conjunction from the April Aries Solar Eclipse New Moon and Chiron, which was ominous.  And the 8 April Eclipse chart set for St Vincent had a disruptive Uranus on the Midheaven.

  It is not often the astrology is so precise – in this case tragically so.

Marine Le Pen’s far-right RN is on course to win 33.2% of the vote in the first round of the snap French election, with a left-wing alliance behind on 28.1%, and the Macron alliance on 21%. What she wants from round two this coming weekend is an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly but projections suggest they may fall short. If Macron fails in his hope that the electorate will come to their senses and vote for centre-ground candidates he will be left as lame duck for the next three years alongside the first hard-Right government since the Second World War.

 Much of this was covered in the previous post, copied below, apart from the leftist Jean Luc Melanchon, 19 August 1951 8.20 am Tangier, Morocco.  He has a determined Sun Pluto conjunction in Leo with a rebellious Uranus in his 10^th square an over-hopeful Neptune opposition Jupiter. He does have his Solar Arc Jupiter almost conjunct his Midheaven and transiting Jupiter aiming to cross into his 10^th from May 2025 for a year thereafter which looks successful if not now then soon. He looks deflated now and stuck from July 17^th onwards.  But he is in better shape from mid 2025 onwards with a lucky break coming his way.

  Although Le Pen and her protégé Jordan Bardella have glimmerings of cheer this year alongside admittedly huge frustrations and a few disasters, nothing that follows looks anything but catastrophic for several years ahead.  Macron may be proved right if his assumption was to allow them a seat in the power circle if only to prove what a failure they would be.  

Post June 10 2024.

France was always due for an almighty upheaval this year running alongside panic and disappointment as Emmanuel Macron calls a surprise election in the face of considerable losses in the French sector to the far-right in the EU election (overall the centre-right was the winner). All of which coincides with high-stress turbulence on Macron’s Presidency charts – with the astrology being satisfyingly precise, even if all else looks like chaos.

 Neptune is opposing France’s final degree Virgo Sun and square Emmanuel Macron’s final degree Sagittarius Sun from May 3^rd to early this September, then on and off until January 2026 – leading to a sinking feeling and a fair amount of confusion. In addition France’s revolutionary Uranus opposition Pluto square Mars in Scorpio is taking a fair pounding from tr Uranus opposition the France Mars running into and over the 30 June/7 July election; with the Solar Arc Sun square the Pluto and Uranus over coming months into early 2025.

  It will be a roller coaster ride for France and elsewhere. Early July is already on red alert for the Trump trial sentence and the GOP Convention with the approaching Uranus Mars Algol conjunction on the 15^th. And the Paris Olympics opening on July 26^th.

  Macron’s initial Presidency chart, 14 May 2017, has a destabilising Solar Arc Pluto exactly square the Uranus to within four minutes of a degree as he made his shock decision. And his 2^nd Term chart, 13 May 2022 has tr Uranus conjunct the Sun and square Saturn now for another massive jolt.

 He will remain president until 2027 but lost his party’s parliamentary majority in the 2022 elections. His dramatic move is seen as a huge gamble, which could result in more losses and potentially hand right-wing Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella more power. The president has presented it as an existential choice for French voters: do you really want to be governed by the far right? Most analysts predict that the far-right party may emerge with more MPs, but will probably not win enough seats to give it a majority, meaning the next parliament may be even more ineffective than the current one.

 One analysts suggested “It could be that he is looking at a neutralising “cohabitation effect”. If – for example, Bardella were offered the job of prime minister, two and a half years in government may be just enough time to render the far right unpopular too.”

  Macron never did look the right man at the right time for the last election with tr Saturn heading downwards through his lower-profile, less successful First Quadrant – and presently sitting at the nadir. Plus tr Neptune square his Sun and Mercury now into early 2026 will be confused, indecisive, not winning.

 Marine Le Pen, 5 August 1968 11.20am Neuilly Sur Seine, who has cleaned up her party’s image in recent years, pulling away from its former racist, anti-Semitic slant, looks seriously rattled at the moment and jubilant from 8^th July onwards with tr Uranus square her Sun/Jupiter midpoint into early August, repeating success in October and disaster in November and both pluses and minuses in spring 2025. September to late November she has the trapped, frustrating tr Pluto opposition her Mars – so not everything going her way. She has a hard, challenging chart with a Keo Sun and a Saturnine yod inconjunct Pluto Uranus in Virgo sextile Neptune and her Saturn square Mars in final degree Cancer. Her 2026/27 look like disruptive, nerve-stretching, grind-to-a-halt years.

France does not look overly enamoured with her this year through till February 2025 with tr Neptune opposition the composite Mars.

  Her young protege Jordan Bardella, 13 September 1995 3.42pm Drancy, France, a Sun Venus in late Virgo opposition Saturn, sextile Pluto and trine Uranus Neptune in Capricorn is rapidly rising in prominence despite being 28.  He has the same mix of positive and negative as Le Pen this year with extreme frustration mid July to early September with tr Puto square his Mars/Node midpoint; and both successful and tripping over setbacks September to late November this year.

 Much has been made of the supposed alliance between Le Pen and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, 15 January 1977 6.30pm Rome. But Meloni’s Capricorn Sun clashes badly with Le Pen’s yod apex Saturn and her Mars in Cancer; and Meloni’s Saturn is conjunct Le Pen’s Sun. 2026/27 look splitting apart years.

 Le Pen’s relationship with Bardella has a super-successful (when pulling together) composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction. But their togetherness will hit a few bumps on the road ahead from July 8^th on and off into early 2025; with moments of chill as tr Saturn opposes the composite Sun on and off into January 2025 – with considerable upheavals and maybe a parting of the ways come 2026/27.

  The media are in no doubt that Joe Biden needs to throw in the towel and retire from the presidential race. The FT called the debate “a sad spectacle for America, and for the world.” Polling has suggested a generic Democratic opponent would be better placed to win than Biden. But the indications to date from the Biden camp don’t suggest a willingness to do the statesmanlike thing. “Behind the scenes is a team whose arrogance, stubbornness and lethargy have walked America into a crisis.”

  Biden’s Term chart, 20 January 2021, has survived the disruptive Solar Arcs of Saturn square Mars Uranus which looked ominous in prospect; but has a morale-dampening Solar Arc Saturn conjunct the Jupiter exactly now, as questions loom large about his competency. Plus tr Pluto is heading to conjunct the Aquarius Sun from 17^th July till early September as more challenges mount.

  Heat is being turned on Jill Biden as the one to get the message across but whether she is open to persuasion seems to be in doubt. Born 3 June 1951 8.50, Hammonton, NJ, she has a hard working 6^th house Sun, Mars, Moon in Gemini with her Sun trine a 10^th house Neptune and sextile an 8^th house Pluto = super-ambitious.  Her 10 degree Libra Midheaven is exactly conjunct this October’s Libra Solar Eclipse for a crisis of direction.  She looks discouraged at the moment with her SA Saturn opposition her Moon. Tr Pluto is opposition her Moon/Saturn midpoint from July 17^th till early September which will make her feel alone and having to struggle to make progress under her own steam. Tr Uranus will also square her Venus/Saturn midpoint July 9^th to early August, and again through October, which is equally downbeat emotionally, hinting at relationship problems.

   She will get a boost from two Jupiter midpoints in September/October and another New Year to March 2025 – but whether that is relief at being out of the fray or a chance of winning??

 What is clear is that the grandees of the Democratic Party are on red alert over the next few weeks.  Barack Obama has tr Uranus square his Uranus and North Node at 25 and 27 degrees Leo. Bill Clinton has tr Uranus square his 26 degree Leo Sun; and Nancy Pelosi has tr Uranus conjunct her 26 degree Taurus Mars plus tr Pluto opposition her Pluto and square her Saturn. Maximum agitation and stress all round. Michelle Obama looks both relieved and pressured through July and September and less than jubilant across the election and result.

Kamala Harris, the VP, 20 October 1964, 9.28pm Oakland, California, has one Jupiter boost and nine less helpful midpoints causing upsets and discouragement between now and early 2025. Her Jupiter in Taurus could bring her some hope but since it is tied into a Neptune opposition it could pull on the other end and bring a setback.

 Trump’s Mars is also at 26 Leo so July will find him in fighting fettle as well.

 The Democrat Convention opens on 19 August on a Leo/Aquarius Full Moon with an exact square to Uranus at 27 degree Fixed signs so does hint at an all-systems-change moment.

  Of the two top possibilities for a Biden replacement, Gretchen Wilmer, 23 August 1971 8.50 pm looks most upbeat across the Democratic Convention in August with tr Uranus opposition her Jupiter till late September; with her Solar Arc Moon conjunct her Jupiter around election time which would be a plus point for public favourability. 

 Gavin Newsom, 10 October 1967 5.13 am San Francisco, does have tr Jupiter conjunct his Midheaven at the election; but that apart has the September Lunar Eclipse rattling up his Uranus, Pluto, Ascendant conjunction and the October Solar Eclipse opposition his Saturn – neither of which look too upbeat.

 Even more of a swamp than usual.  

  Two extra thoughts: The USA chart has the Solar Arc Saturn  conjunct the Mars at the moment and moving to exact exact over July/August which is an aggravated influence hinting at major setbacks and panics running over the next fifteen months as it moves to form a nerve-stretched, panicky square to the USA Neptune in 2025.

Joe Biden’s chart is staggeringly stubborn with Sun, Venus, Mercury, Mars in Scorpio with Mars square Pluto and a Taurus Moon also square Pluto. The possibility of him letting go voluntarily is negligible. But August does see tr Uranus opposition his Sun which will make an effort to shift him onto a different track.

See previous post 2nd July 2023: Joe Biden – ignoring the shipwreck of age

KING LEAR: SHAKESPEARE

“Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.”

“Men must endure

Their going hence, even as their coming hither.

Ripeness is all.”

“I am a very foolish, fond old man,

Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;

And to deal plainly,

I fear I am not in my perfect mind.”

Add on:

  Biden’s closest advisers are also hanging onto the mainmast through a hurricane-force month ahead – 8th July to 7th August – as tr Uranus hits 26 degrees Leo. Mike Donilon, Ted Kaufman and Ron Klain are panicked at the moment and into July all three have major disruptions approaching.

Ron Klain, 8 August 1961, born four days after Barack Obama like him has tr Uranus square his Uranus now; tr Uranus square his Sun/Pluto midpoint and his Uranus/Node midpoint both suggesting major upheavals from July 7th into August – and tr Uranus square his North Node in August/September. He does have an upbeat tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter July 17^th to early September which either indicates a ‘whew thank heavens that got settled’ and could see him throw his energy behind a replacement – or not.

 Ted Kaufman, 15 March 1939, has a panicked tr Uranus square his Neptune/Pluto midpoint at the moment; plus a considerable jolt now up to July 20^th from tr Pluto square his Saturn/Uranus midpoint. And like Klain he has the turbulent tr Uranus in hard aspect to his Sun/Pluto midpoint from July 7^th into August. With no birth time it is impossible to say whether his Mars is 26 or 27 Sagittarius, the latter if an evening birth – and if so is having a panicky-failure slide through October and on till February 2025. Though he does have a Jupiterian uplift  late December to mid March from his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint.

 Mike Donilon, 25 December 1958, has his Uranus/Pluto midpoint jangled at the moment for an applecart-upsetting few weeks, into July when he gets the tr Uranus opposition his Sun/Node midpoint pointing to upsets within his close community. September to early October he has tr Neptune square his Saturn making him highly uncertain and confused.

  US politicos freaking out.

Another day, another coup in Bolivia – all par for the course in a country which has seen 190 insurrections since independence in 1825, 38 of those since 1945. This one was unusual happening in broad daylight with President Arce making no attempt to seek cover. Instead, he faced down the coup leader while the television cameras rolled, fuelling suspicion that it was a put up job to shore up his own power and rally the people behind him.

  Bolivia has deep economic and political problems with leftist Arce, caught in an internal power struggle with his former mentor and former president, Evo Morales, who has declared he plans to stand for the presidency again next year. Arce controls the state apparatus while Morales controls the ruling party, causing political deadlock. Inflation and unemployment are rising, the central bank’s dollar reserves are running low and fuel shortages are widespread.

  Bolivia, 6 August 1825, has a flamboyant Leo Sun and Jupiter in Leo with an excitable Mars in Cancer. Though what drives its erratic political history is probably a can-be-fanatical Neptune Uranus in Capricorn square Pluto in Aries.  There could be violence marking the 2025 election with the Solar Arc Mars opposition the Sun; with uncertainty in 2026 as the SA Saturn is conjunct the Bolivia Neptune at the same time as tr Neptune Saturn in Aries are conjunct the Bolivia Pluto.

 Luis Arce, 28 September 1963, is a Sun and Venus in Libra with two yods of Saturn in Aquarius sextile Jupiter inconjunct Pluto Mercury; and Jupiter inconjunct Pluto sextile Mars Neptune in Scorpio = power and ego problems. He’s running into catastrophe zone later this year with SA Pluto conjunct his Neptune, which won’t improve through 2026/27 as tr Neptune Saturn in Aries oppose his Sun plus plus.

 Evo Morales, 26 October 1959, looks no more successful ahead with tr Pluto square his Scorpio Sun, Mars, Neptune from this year on in a devastating run till 2029 – though he will make an impulsive push with tr Uranus opposition his Jupiter and square his Pluto in 2027/28.

  The EU is bracing for a rocky ride ahead if the French election swings to the far right with Marine Le Pen and her protegee Jordan Bardella leading the charge. Leaving the EU and the eurozone no longer feature on her RN party’s electoral manifestos and polls do not suggest an outright majority for RN. But it will probably be the largest force in the national assembly. France might well be unable to engage in EU decision-making with a hung parliament; and if the right holds sway it would affect climate, migration and gender equality policies.

 The EU, 31 December 1957 11pm Brussels chart, is floundering through tr Neptune (and Scheat) square the Midheaven and opposition the Ascendant this year and on and off till early 2026 – inducing indecisiveness about direction and an undermining of its image. And there will be extreme stress with almost unsurmountable obstacles as the Solar Arc Pluto opposes the Moon and squares Uranus through mid to late 2025. With a disruptive, applecart-upsetting tr Uranus square the Pluto by 2026 and on.  

  The Maastricht Treaty chart, 1 November 1993 12 am Brussels, started showing unease as Macron decided on a snap election with tr Uranus opposition the Mars Pluto and that will continue to cause upsets and disruptions across the New Year and into March 2025. Tr Pluto will continue to bear down on the 1 degree Taurus Midheaven through this year till late 2025 in square, causing a forced shift in direction. With cataclysmic turbulence through 2028/9 as the Solar Arc Uranus Neptune is conjunct the Saturn and square the Mars Pluto.

  France’s relationship charts with both the EU 1957 and EU Maastricht do hint at major disagreements this year and on. With the EU;  tr Uranus squares the Saturn this month and opposes the composite Pluto this July onwards into 2025; and then opposes the Mars in 2025/26. That looks very fractious. France with Maastricht – has much the same with aggravation this month and into early 2025 and a tug of war for the upper hand.

 Germany is also on high alert and edgy. With the EU 1957, there is a composite Venus opposition Uranus square Mars opposition Moon all in early Fixed signs which is being forced through grinding change with high frustrations peaking in 2025/26 but extending on till late decade. With the Maastricht Treaty and Germany relationship chart 2026/2027/2028 look nerve stretched and highly disruptive.

  Italy is faring no better in finding contentment  within the Brussels monolith with tr Uranus in late Taurus causing havoc this year and next to both the Italy/EU relationship charts.

  Nothing settled anywhere. The irony is that some of the above may be a direct result of Macron’s ill judged calling of an election. He is robustly pro-Europe but may unwittingly have set in motion events which will undermine his European ideal.