The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is a nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject funded and run by seven member entities — the EU, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the USA. It is expected to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful use to produce electricity which will lead to future commercial reactors. Overall, 35 countries are participating in the project directly or indirectly. The total price of construction and operations is expected to be in excess of €20 billion for the reactor housed near Aix-en-Provence, France.

It was agreed on 24 October 2007 when there was a creative Water Grand Trine of a Scorpio Sun trine Mars in Cancer trine a Pisces Node; with a super-confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction and Jupiter being further emphasised on the point of a T Square to a Venus opposition Uranus.

It is expected to start doing its thing in 2025 (if all goes to schedule) when the outer planets are all on the cusp of a radical shift. Tr Pluto just into Aquarius will be in an innovative trine to tr Uranus just putting a toe into Gemini and sextile the tr Saturn Neptune conjunction as it heads into Aries.

If diplomatic breakdowns don’t interfere with its progress it could point the way ahead to a brave new world.

Photo Credit: Conleth Brady / IAEA

Another ruthless Mars Pluto father who left a conflicted family behind was Charles Harrelson, a professional contract killer. His three sons were abandoned when young and while two are clear about who he was, the third, actor Woody Harrelson, has always held out the hope that his father, who died in prison, was falsely convicted for killing a federal judge.

A new true crime investigation — a ten-part Spotify podcast, Son Of A Hitman – examines Charles Harrelson’s claims, including ones he had CIA links and was involved in the assassination of JFK.

He was born 23 July 1938, when there was a close conjunction of a formidably unpleasant Sun, Mars, Pluto. (3 days after the tragic Nathalie Wood.) His Saturn in Aries was on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Neptune sextile North Node. Not a man to cross, for sure. There was more planetary activity on his chart when JFK was assassinated than when the judge was gunned down – not that makes for proof, but intriguing.

Woody Harrelson, 23 July 1961, known initially as Woody the barman in Cheers. evolving to serious roles in Indecent Proposal, Natural Born Killers and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, shares his father’s birthday. Woody’s zero degree Sun Leo is opposition an overly optimistic Jupiter in Aquarius square Neptune – giving him an idealistic but not always realistic outlook. His Sun also opposes his Saturn in Capricorn so he would feel rejected by his father’s departure when he was seven.  Jupiter in a chart often makes it difficult to see that parent (Sun Jupiter for father, Moon Jupiter for mother) without rose-coloured glasses. Much is forgiven or glossed over.

Their relationship chart had an affectionate composite Sun Venus Mercury conjunction; and a composite Jupiter opposition Pluto and Mars – which clearly operated to put a shine on the relationship with Jupiter’s super-optimistic tendencies obscuring the darker side.

Woody once said: ‘My father is one of the most articulate, well-read, charming people I’ve ever known . . . I look at him as someone who could be a friend more than someone who was a father.’

His two brothers are in no doubt that their father was who he was reputed to be  – a man who beat up women, smuggled and used drugs, cheated at high-stakes poker and would ‘kill anyone for $500’.

Brett Harrelson, also an actor, 4 June 1963, is a Sun Gemini inconjunct Neptune and sextile Jupiter with the powder-keg Mars, Uranus Pluto in Virgo. So he carries his father’s dark streak though is able to see clearly who he was so is more likely to get hold of the more positive end of it.  His relationship chart with his father had little Jupiter to smooth round rough edges – with a differing agendas composite Sun Uranus and a scary, dominating composite Mars Pluto.

Brett’s relationship chart with his brother Woody although expansive with a Sun trine Jupiter, also has a power-struggling Jupiter opposition Mars Pluto.

The sins of the father do get visited down the generations, not in the same form necessarily, but those who can’t face the past honestly run the risk of carrying on the ancestral damage rather than breaking the chain.

The mastermind of the recent Twitter hack designed to extort bitcoin ransoms from victims including high-profile celebrities as well as ordinary people, has been named as a 17 year old from Florida.  Graham Ivan Clark, born 9 January 2003 according to the charge sheet, is being charged as an adult for what was described as “a sophisticated and extensive fraud.” He netted more than $100,000 in a few hours.

He is an ambitious Sun and Mercury in Capricorn; with an ultra-determined, volatile and vengeful Mars in Scorpio square Uranus which would give him a self-willed streak, brooking no interference with his plans. He’s also got a Yod of Mars sextile Mercury inconjunct Saturn, which would make him an outsider who never felt he fitted in – but clearly he used that to carve out his own path. His Jupiter in flashy Leo is in a confident trine to Pluto which in turn is in an unyielding opposition to Saturn. His Saturn is also in an innovative trine to Uranus.

In different circumstances if someone had put him on the right track he could have done exceptionally well in life. Although a Yod focal point Saturn does require maturity and self-control to work well.

As it is tr Neptune is squaring his Saturn Pluto and his Saturn through 2020/21/22 for a downward slide.

The Greek drama that is the Murdoch Family has encountered another plot twist with the resignation of James Murdoch, younger son of Rupert Murdoch, from the board of News Corporation, citing “disagreements over editorial content”. He has previously criticised News Corp outlets for climate change coverage, especially over the Australian wildfires which the Murdoch media blamed on arson. It is also thought James has contributed to Joe Biden’s campaign in contrast to his father’s Trump support. His departure would appear to grant more influence to his brother Lachlan who shares his father’s conservative views.

James, born 13 December 1972, was always the better fit with his father since the ageing patriarch is a Pisces Sun with Sagittarius Moon while James is a Sagittarius Sun and Pisces Moon. But surviving in the shark pond of a dynastic family where divide and rule was always Pa’s modus operandi would never be easy.

The James/Rupert relationship chart has a complementary (=more whole when together) composite New Moon but that has been upended by tr Uranus squares recently – so it was presumably time for a parting of the ways.

James does have tr Pluto square his Uranus aiming for a final aspect this fall which is a staging post influence indicating a time to revision life ahead. Not quite a teenage rebellion or a mid life crisis but certainly a time to reconsider ambitions and goals.  He presumably won’t be short of money but he does look a touch lacklustre in 2021 with tr Neptune square his Sun.

Rupert, now heading for 90, gives no sign of handing over the reins and heading for an armchair but he’ll have to relinquish his grip at some point. His Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto and an 8^th house Mars gives him an iron grip but even he will have to come to terms with mortality at some point. His Solar Arc Saturn is in a blocked square to his Pluto, exact in six months’ time; and tr Pluto is opposition his Mars/Pluto exactly now and again late this November to late December which is equally stuck, frustrated and aggravated. Plus a setback from tr Saturn opposition his Mars through the second half of this November. So maybe just maybe the USA election result won’t please him.

What is salutary looking at the three principal players amongst the Murdoch children as far as the business goes is how much at odds they are with each other. The relationship charts between:

Lachlan and James – a palpable dislike and power struggling Mars square Pluto.

James and Elisabeth – Mars Pluto conjunction for the same as above and a suspicious Neptune opposition Saturn.

Lachlan and Elisabeth – an aggravated Mars Saturn conjunction.

Their relationships with each other are almost more fraught than with their father – which was presumably the point.

Rupert Murdoch isn’t dodgy in the same way as Robert Maxwell but they do share some astro-similarities – Maxwell was a Gemini to Murdoch’s Pisces, and he had a Mars Pluto in Cancer square Saturn and trine Uranus so the same ruthless drive for domination of his children as well as his business empire.

Amazon posted the biggest profit in its 26-year history as online sales surged during the pandemic. They have hired more staff in recent months unlike most companies; revenue was 40% up from a year ago to $88.9 billion and Amazon shares have risen by more than 60% this year. They are starting to expand into free grocery deliveries affecting supermarkets’ prospects; and their cloud and data storage while not as successful as Google’s Alphabet is also up.

The Amazon First Sale chart of 16 July 1995 is amazingly robust with a creative, sturdy and stubborn Water Grand Trine of a Cancer Sun trine Pluto (conjunct Jupiter) trine Saturn Moon. Cancer is a sign well designed for sniffing out public taste and is home-oriented.  That is formed into an even more talented Kite by Saturn Moon opposition Mars, which pulls together a Half Grand Sextile of Mars sextile Pluto sextile Uranus Neptune sextile Saturn.  It’s a hard-driving chart, complicated and unsentimental.

The initial IPO chart 15 May 1997 has an expansive Taurus Sun square Jupiter; and trine Mars and Neptune; with a Yod of Saturn sextile Jupiter inconjunct Mars. Tr Pluto Saturn Jupiter is trine the Taurus Sun this year which will be giving a boost. Though there’s anxiety as well, returning this October to late January 2021 with tr Neptune opposition the Mars.

Where the company chart looks to be running into more troubled times is between 2022 and 2026 – with an undermining and uncertain tr Neptune conjunct the Saturn and then opposition the Mars; with a raft of sticky Solar Arcs – a dead-halt Solar Arc Pluto square Saturn in 2023; more setbacks from Solar Arc Saturn square Sun in 2025; and meeting a total road-block with Solar Arc Pluto square Mars in 2026. This year does hint at challenges with tr Saturn Pluto Jupiter opposition the Sun and conjunct the Neptune. The high levels of anxiety will run on through 2022 until 2023 with tr Pluto upending the Uranus for a major reorganisation.

Jeff Bezos, 12 January 1964, founder and CEO, now by far the world’s richest man, is also running into stormier seas in coming years with a sticky Solar Arc Saturn square his Sun in 2023 which is when he has the deeply frustrating and blocked tr Pluto conjunct his Mars, running into 2024.  He’s hardly likely to be looking for breakfast but there may be a few hurdles to overcome across the transition into the new era brought about by the outer planet sign shifts.

The secrets of the red planet Mars, including life current or fossilised, may be revealed if all goes to plan after the launch of the US space agency’s Perseverance robot. When it lands in February of 2021 it will gather rock and soil samples to be sent home later this decade. In addition to geological investigations and the search for life, there’s an emphasis on future human exploration, seeing whether it’s possible to make oxygen from the carbon dioxide-dominated atmosphere. Two other Mars bound missions were launched a few days ago by the UAE and China.

The launch took place on 30 July 2020 at 7.50am EDT Cape Canaveral, Florida, which certainly highlighted Mars. There’s a wide-ish entrepreneurial and inspired Fire Grand Trine of a Leo Sun trine Sagittarius Moon trine an 8^th house Mars; with a focal point Mars onto Mercury opposition Jupiter Pluto; and a focal point Neptune onto Venus opposition Moon.  Mars is also conjunct BML

Some of the technology is similar to the earlier Mars Exploration Rover Curiosity, launched 26 November 2011 3.02 pm UT Cape Canaveral, Florida. It also took off into space with an emphasised Mars in the 8^th which was square the Sagittarius Sun and in an Earth Grand Trine to Jupiter in Taurus trine Pluto Venus in Capricorn.

Another Mars-fuelled space probe was the interplanetary New Horizons though its mission was to navigate to Pluto and beyond –  its moons, and Kuiper Belt objects.  It launched on 19 January 2006 7pm EST Cape Canaveral, Florida, did a fly-by of Jupiter and became the first spacecraft to explore Pluto nine and a half years later in 2015. Then it moved even further on to the edges of the Solar system and could still be in operation in 2030.  It had Mars in Taurus on the Midheaven opposition Jupiter square Saturn opposition Neptune.

The much earlier Voyager 1, was launched 5 September 1977 12.56 pm UT Cape Canaveral, to study the outer solar system. It is expected to continue functioning until 2025.  It has Mars Jupiter conjunct the Midheaven trine Uranus and widely square Pluto – with a Moon opposition Neptune square Sun.

Astonishing technology. More’s the pity medicine on earth hasn’t moved as fast as space science.

The once hugely popular Ellen DeGeneres Show, running since 2003, is sagging with falling ratings and is now under investigation following accounts of a ‘toxic’ and ‘bullying’ workplace culture, with allegations aimed at three producers. Ellen’s philosophy is ‘be kind to one another’ and she hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing herself. Though she did appear to generate a diva-like atmosphere with staff walking on eggshells in her presence.

She was born 26 January 1958 in Metairie, LA – with a revised birth time of 8.43am (from memory). She has a friendly Sun Venus in Aquarius in a rebellious and uncompromising opposition to Uranus squaring onto a sugary-sweet, head-in-the-clouds Jupiter Neptune. The other significant chunk of her chart is less covered in syrup with a short-tempered Mars Saturn in Sagittarius in a volatile trine to an Aries Moon on one side and in a frustrated and high-tension trine to Pluto on the other.

Tr Uranus is rattling up her Fixed T Square having been opposition her Jupiter Neptune last year and is now in square to her Sun, Venus and Uranus. It will be a disruptive time, shaking up her ambitions and peeling back some of the veneer of ‘niceness’.

More tricky is tr Neptune at present undermining four of her midpoints; and worse by late April 2021 moving to square her Saturn and then the disaster-prone Mars/Saturn midpoint before squaring her Mars in 2023 – and that will produce a mood of high-anxiety, uncertainty, panicky-failure.  If the birth time is accurate, she also has her Solar Arc Moon opposing her Saturn now and then her Mars in 2022 which will be aggravating in the extreme, perhaps affecting her domestic life.

Her wife Portia Di Rossi, 31 January 1973 3am Geelong, Australia, is another Sun Aquarius with a Sagittarius Moon and Mars in Sagittarius opposition Saturn – both reasonably similar temperaments.

Kansai Yamamoto, the Japanese fashion designer, best known for or creating androgynous and futuristic stage costumes for David Bowie, most notably for the Ziggy Stardust Tour, has died.

He was born 8 February 1944 and was a maverick Sun Aquarius in an expansive opposition to Jupiter in flamboyant Leo – both of those reflected in his gloriously colourful choice of fabrics and wild styles. His powerful Pluto was conjunct a leadership North Node in Leo tying him into the zeitgeist.

His Venus in Capricorn was a good fit for Bowie’s Sun, Mars in Capricorn and Kansai’s Sun fell in Bowie’s 1^st with his Jupiter in Bowie’s 7^th.  A felicitous partnership.

Their relationship chart had a creative and upbeat Grand Trine of Sun trine Jupiter Neptune trine an innovative Uranus, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition Pluto – making influential Pluto the driving planet.

In the early Nineties, he moved from avant-garde fashion collections to focus on live entertainment Super Shows, combining elements of music, dance, acrobatics, traditional Japanese festivals and other spectacles, and were performed around the world. A showman always.

His creative 5^th Harmonic was strong; as was his leaving-a-legacy 17H; and his superstar 22H.

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The eccentric new King of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has not improved his image by sitting out the CV crisis in a luxury hotel in the Bavarian Alps with his entourage of 100 including a harem of at least 20 women. While the pandemic hasn’t claimed many lives, it has hit the vital Thai tourism trade badly.

“The king’s behaviour during the coronavirus crisis has been a disaster for the reputation of the Thai monarchy,” said journalist and activist Andrew MacGregor Marshall, adding that the king is a “troubled, sadistic and authoritarian monarch who should have no place in the 21st century.” Not that such comments would be allowed within the borders, since criticism is severely punished under a draconian lese-majeste law, forbidding disparaging opinions about the king.

Since taking over from his much-revered father in 2019, Maha has successfully pushed the kingdom towards absolute monarchy, acquiring an elite unit of soldiers and police, and taking over direct control of the assets of the Royal Family, upwards of fifty billion dollars.  The military-backed government that took power after the 2014 coup protects him; and both prop each other up so it’s difficult to see any challenge to his position in the near future.

He was born 28 July 1952 5.45pm Bangkok and was a playboy prince, with a rackety reputation, three failed marriages and an explosive temper who made his pet poodle an Air Chief Marshal in the Thai air force and gave him a four-day Buddhist funeral when he died.  He has a flamboyant Leo Sun and his chart is dominated by an ambitious and vengeful 10^th house Mars in Scorpio opposition a super-indulgent Jupiter in Taurus square Venus Pluto in Leo opposition an Aquarius North Node. No surprises he revels in a life of excess of wine, women and wealth. His Aquarius North Node hints at a karmic journey through life which demands he gives up pride and dominating ways, aiming instead for a life of humanitarian service – and paying his way by his own efforts. Not much sign of that or Buddhist detachment kicking in anytime soon.  And with a Fixed T Square involving an 8^th house Pluto square Mars in Scorpio he won’t be inclined to volunteer for a life of austerity and selflessness.

However he does have tr Uranus moving towards his Fixed T Square upending a few certainties from 2021 onwards for two years; with a reputation-denting and possible fall from grace when tr Pluto squares his Midheaven in 2023/24. Plus he has tr Saturn moving downwards through his 1^st Quadrant for almost all of this decade, which is not successful and will throw a few banana skins his way.

His Coronation chart, 4 May 2019 at 12.10pm does hint at disappointments and jarring changes in 2021/22 with tr Neptune square the opportunistic Mars opposition Jupiter and tr Uranus conjunct the Midheaven and Sun.

There’s nothing on his Solar Return chart for this year to show much disruption. But where Thailand itself will be subject to a major shift will be when the outer planets start to change sign from 2023 to 2025.

What is bizarre is how many of these Western-tourist paradises in Asia and the Arab Emirates have hair-raising political setups which no one seems to bat an eye about.

See previous posts: November 8 2019 and 16 October 2016.