Clives James – multi-talented, sharp-witted and tortured

 

Clive James –  critic, essayist, poet and novelist and TV performer – has finally died after a decade of parodying his imminently expected passing from leukaemia and emphysema. Described as “a beloved Australian, a supreme entertainer, and a polyvalent literary wizard” who “could put Rambo and Rimbaud in the same sentence, virtually invented TV criticism – and, from his epic poems to his chat show quips, shot an Aussie rocket into the English language.”

He once described Arnold Schwarzenegger as resembling “a large brown condom filled with walnuts”, Frank Sinatra’s hair transplant as looking like “a gorilla’s armpit”, and the tennis player Andrea Jaeger, who was then aged 15 and wore braces on her teeth, as having “a smile like a car crash”.

He was born 7 October 1939 9pm Sydney, Australia, to a serviceman he only saw once as a baby, who was taken prisoner during the fall of Singapore in 1942 and killed in an air crash on his way home three years later, which sent his mother into a nervous breakdown.

He had a Libra Sun and charming Venus in the performing 5th house and there’s no doubt he loved the spotlight and an audience. He had a maverick, rebellious Uranus on his ascendant in a creative trine to Neptune. But what marks his chart out was a formidable Mars in Aquarius in the opinionated 9th in a fearsome opposition to a Cancer Moon and Pluto squaring onto a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in late Aries. Like many acerbic wits he was a deeply troubled soul.

Malta – seamy underside to a sunny paradise

 

Malta is in turmoil with the future of the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, hanging in the balance after his chief of staff and two ministers stepped down following a series of arrests connected to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a renowned investigative reporter, killed by a car bomb in October 2017. She had been pursuing Maltese connections in the Panama Papers financial expose. Her revelations triggered a snap general election in 2017 and five months later she died.

The European council’s special rapporteur on Malta, Pieter Omtzigt, published a letter in which he urged Muscat to distance himself from proceedings. “The suspicions of Mr Muscat having a personal and political interest in the investigation are too strong for him to be involved with it,” A coalition of press freedom organisations, including Reporters Without Borders and Transparency International, issued a joint statement, saying ““We are concerned that the prime minister, by placing himself at the centre of the investigation, raises the spectre of undue executive interference in the investigation.”

Needless to say everyone denies everything.

The Malta chart, 21 September 1964 12am Valletta, had just started a debilitating five year run of heavy Neptune transits when the Panama Papers came out in 2016 and Galizia was killed a year later. Tr Neptune was opposing first the Malta Mercury, then Uranus and Pluto in Virgo and in 2020 is conjunct the Malta Moon until January 2021 – for a long run of undermining events. At the moment as well tr Uranus is exactly square the Malta Mars in Leo for a shocking surprise and high insecurity – and that repeats in February 2020.

Muscat’s 2nd Term chart – after he was re-elected despite corruption allegations (which he denied) – has a slippery Gemini Sun in an exact square to Neptune; and a confidently pushy (over-confident) Jupiter square Pluto. The Term Pluto is about to catch the tr Saturn conjunction for a road block in early December. And the Uranus has moved by Solar Arc to exactly oppose the Moon in a few weeks time for an emotional upheaval and public disquiet.

His own chart, 22 January 1974, makes him a Sun, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter in Aquarius; with his Sun Venus Mercury square an ultra-determined and acquisitive Mars in Taurus and in a super-ambitious and controlling trine to Pluto, sextile Neptune. He also has a Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune onto Mars which will give him issues around controlling an impulsive streak. Tr Uranus is on a roller coaster ride as it squares his Sun over this New Year and then squares Venus and Mercury through 2020; plus tr Neptune will conjunct his Solar Arc Neptune for a slip-and-slide year in 2020. Worse in late 2020/early 2021 he has the ‘car-crash’ Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Saturn for a setback of considerable proportions.

Daphne Caruana Galizia was born, aptly enough, a mere month before Malta became independent on 26 August 1964. She had a Virgo Sun opposition Saturn square a confident Jupiter in late Taurus; with her Sun conjunct Uranus which was in turn conjunct Pluto Mercury all in Virgo – communicative, keen to upset the status quo; she also had a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in cancer trine an idealistic Neptune in Scorpio.

At the time she was killed her Solar Arc Mars Venus was exactly conjunct her Uranus; with tr Pluto moving to oppose her Mars within days, with tr Neptune opposition her rebellious Uranus/Pluto midpoint – so a high-risk, insecure and explosive time for her.

See previous posts: OCTOBER 17 2017 and APRIL 21 2018

Prince Charles – a gritty homecoming

 

Prince Charles has arrived back from his seventeen day tour of New Zealand and the Pacific, which was completely overshadowed by Prince Andrew’s self-created Epstein furore. The Mail would have it he’s set for a showdown with his brother though quite how they know this is unclear. In recent years they have evidently mainly communicated through their households – aide talks to aide. But in this instance a face-to-face may be inevitable given the larger concern about the damage which has been done to the monarchy.

Charles has tr Saturn square his 4th house Venus now till December 1st which will throw a wet blanket over family relationships. Through 2020 Charles has a panicky, undermining tr Neptune square his Mars from late April onwards, on and off till late 2021. And his Solar Return from this month for the year ahead has the bleak Saturn Pluto in his SR domestic 4th. So he’s not doing cartwheels of joy as he moves closer to the throne.

There’s not much indication of changes to his career trajectory instantly. Though his Progressed Moon is moving through his 5th for the next two years which will make him more outgoing. Ironically the Andrew scandal has made him appear in a better light and will boost his popularity.

His relationship with Andrew, twelve years his junior, was never close and probably the coolness between them was exacerbated by the Queen’s obvious fondness for Andrew and Charles’ sense of resentment at being badly treated. Andrew’s Uranus is conjunct Charles’ Pluto which won’t help since the ’free-spirited’ younger brother will heighten Charles’ sense of being trapped by duty. And Andrew’s Sun opposes Charles’ Saturn with Andrew’s Pluto conjunct which is very downbeat. And Andrew’s Mars in an aggravated square to Charles’ 10th house Moon.

Their relationship chart has a competitive, argumentative composite Sun Mars; with a cold composite Moon square Saturn.  It’s already been under pressure last year from tr Saturn conjunct the composite Sun Mars and will be more stressed ahead. There’s a huge disruptive upheaval now till late December, followed by a calamitous five weeks thereafter – clearly fun festivities are off the agenda; with more humps and bumps from late March with a complete turnaround as tr Pluto opposes the composite Uranus – so the Royal foot may be firmly put down. With more and more after mid year with tr Uranus opposition the composite Saturn and into 2021 square the composite Moon. It’s not likely to thaw any time soon. Possibly made worse by the fact that neither Andrew nor his tone deaf family have any idea how to conduct themselves in this kind of a mess.  The intelligent response would be to disappear out of sight and stay under the radar for several years.

Words is that Prince William isn’t a great fan either and his relationship chart with his uncle has a nasty composite Mars, Neptune, Saturn which doesn’t suggest much sympathy coming from that quarter and even less from Kate.

Dolly Parton – surfing a popular wave

 

The ubiquitous and evergreen Dolly Parton is having another resurgence with a new podcast, her jubilee performance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry airing on NBC; and Heartstrings, a Neflix series dramatising the stories behind some of her songs. Last but not least the musical version of 9 to 5, for which she wrote the score is still going strong 11 years since it made its stage debut.

Over fifty years she’s managed to sidestep politics, mastermind a varied and successful career, appealed to a wide cross section of the public and presented what could be a caricature drag-image of a busty blonde and still come across as sympathetic and witty.

Born dirt poor, the fourth of twelve children, on 19 January 1946 8.25 pm Little River, Tennessee, she has an amazing chart with a charming and ambitious Sun Venus Mercury in Capricorn in her performing 5th house opposition a tough Saturn Mars in Cancer square Jupiter in Libra in the 2nd. Mars Saturn will give her discipline though it will have provided more than its fair share of setbacks and mishaps. All focused onto a 2nd house Jupiter which will have attracted money her way.

Her maverick Uranus on her Midheaven trines Neptune and sextiles Pluto – giving her a unique talent, a need to control and the ability to have influence. All the planets in her chart bar one are tied up in those two configurations – a Cardinal T Square and a mini-Grand Trine. The odd one out is her sparsely aspected Virgo Moon in the 12th which is sextile Jupiter and her North Node and inconjunct her Sun. That may contribute to her sense of aloneness – despite a long marriage, she’s almost never seen with her husband and they are apart for long stretches; and have no children.

She’s been under pressure in recent years with first tr Uranus in Aries elbowing its way round her Mars Saturn, Sun, Venus and then her Jupiter; followed by tr Pluto opposing her Mars Saturn for the past two years which would have been fairly punishing. Tr Pluto will wend its way on for another three years conjunct her Venus and Sun; with tr Saturn in Capricorn adding its words of caution in 2020. But as ever her Jupiter will win out with 2021/22 looking like bonanza years as her tr Pluto squares her Jupiter and her Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct her Jupiter.

She’s one tough lady and a national treasure.

John Roberts – standing above the fray

John Roberts, chief justice on the US Supreme Court, is facing a slew of tricky decisions involving Trump from petitions to disclose his tax returns through to the impeachment if it happens. He has already made it clear, at least from his standpoint, that he and his fellow judges are not partisan. In November 2018 he said: “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked an appeals court ruling that required Trump’s accounting firm to turn over financial records to a House committee. This is fairly routine and requires Trump to file his petition seeking review by December 5. They could hear the case in the coming weeks and issue a decision by June. If it does then it would provide a major decision on the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch and on the role of the court in enforcing the separation of powers.

Roberts, 27 January 1955, is a Sun Aquarius sextile Mars in Aries; with a lucky Uranus Jupiter in Cancer square Neptune. More significantly he has a Fixed T Square of an intense and penetrating Mercury in Aquarius opposition Pluto square a conscientious Saturn in Scorpio, giving him executive ability, the capacity to be involved in grave matters of state; and relentless endurance. He’ll be fairly unbudgeable and not keen to be pushed around.

He’s not an easy fit with Trump despite his Venus in Sagittarius being close to Trump’s Moon. Roberts’ Mars squares Trump’s Mercury for a gritty, argumentative interface. Roberts’ Sun opposes Pluto’s power-hungry Pluto for a battle of wills; Roberts’ formidable and stubborn Fixed T Square of Mercury, Saturn Pluto clashes with Trump’s Mars in Leo for an even more bitter struggle for control; and Roberts’ Uranus Jupiter is in a jangled conjunction to Trump’s Saturn Venus.

Their relationship chart has an evasive composite Sun opposition Neptune with the Sun in a differing-agenda square to Uranus. The composite Mars is heavily aspected being sextile the Sun and Pluto, square Saturn and trine Neptune, so the potential for rolling, though muted, aggravation is clear.

Their connection looks under stress now till December 1st as tr Saturn squares the composite Neptune; and also at the moment squares Trump’s 2nd house Jupiter. Having his finances exposed has always been Trump’s worst nightmare which won’t happen in the next few days but jeopardy approaches. There won’t be much let up thereafter with a panicky and undermining tr Neptune square the composite Sun/Pluto mid December to late January at the same time as a discouraging tr Pluto trine the composite Saturn; and worsens considerably through February 2020 with tr Neptune square the composite Mars bringing real flutters of panic. That’s when Trump’s personal chart is showing mounting strain, frustration and fear.

Roberts’ chart is definitely living through ‘interesting times’ with a high-tension Solar Arc Saturn opposition his Uranus at the moment; with a confident and successful tr Pluto opposition Jupiter from late January and then opposition his lucky-break Jupiter/Uranus midpoint through till mid year and returning later. His will have the odd blips and glitches but he’s also looking upbeat for someone standing in the eye of the storm.

DR Congo – a Ben Affleck/Scorsese project

 

Colonial atrocities left their mark on Africa and nowhere more obviously than in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A recently announced movie to be directed by Ben Affleck and produced by Martin Scorsese based on Adam Hochschild’s best-selling book King Leopold’s Ghost will throw a bleak spotlight on what was truly the heart of darkness in the centre of the continent.

In the late 19th Century King Leopold of Belgium founded and was sole owner of the Congo Free State which he ran for his personal gain. The vast sums he made exploiting ivory and then rubber were used for public and private construction projects in Belgium. His administration was characterised by murder, torture and systematic brutality, extreme even by the standards of the times. Millions died: modern estimates range from 1 million to 15 million deaths. Eventually the reports of deaths and abuse forced the international community to demand he hand the country to the Belgian state.

Yet only now is his legacy being challenged in Belgium where roads named after to him are being renamed and memorials removed.

Not that the USA’s hands are entirely clean since post-Leopold they acquired a strategic stake in the enormous natural wealth of the Congo, following use of the uranium from Congolese mines to manufacture the first atomic weapons, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. During the Cold War, fear of strategic raw materials falling into the hands of the Soviets led directly to the assassination of Patrick Lumumba, the first prime minister after independence, who wanted full control over the country’s resources to improve the living conditions of the people.

Leopold was born 9 April 1835 at 1.30am Brussels, a first cousin of Queen Victoria, although reportedly a retiring personality, had a starkly ruthless chart with an Aries Sun and Pluto opposition Saturn square Mars in Cancer. He ruled for 44 years and was unpopular as monarch. He took many mistresses after separating from his wife, latterly a 16 year old French prostitute whom he married just before his death.

His chart is reflected – tragically – in the Democratic Republic of Congo Independence chart of 30 June 1960 – which has a brutal Grand Trine of Pluto trine Mars in Taurus trine Saturn, formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Sun Venus in Cancer.

Despite its vast natural resources, it remains poor, under-developed, rife with corruption, with high levels of starvation and displacement of people from constant fighting. DR Congo’s level of human development was ranked 176th out of 187 countries by the Human Development Index.

Ben Affleck has spent many years campaigning to improve living conditions in the Congo. On his astrocartography his Sun and Mercury Midheaven lines run through central Africa, making it a prime area of interest for him.

He was born 15 August 1972 2.53 am Berkeley, California, and has a Leo Sun trine Jupiter in Sagittarius with a Scorpio Moon. He doesn’t have a particularly heavy chart considering his interest in deprivation in the Congo. Angelina Jolie who also works in disadvantaged and conflict-zones has a Mars, Pluto, Saturn in her chart; as does the author Adam Hochschild, 15 October 1942, who has a Sun Mars in Libra trine Saturn, sextile Pluto.

Affleck’s healing 12th Harmonic is more descriptive with Mars Pluto opposition Uranus square Sun; and his get-it-together 5th Harmonic is also gritty with Mars Saturn square Venus and inconjunct Pluto.

He’s in for a tough couple of years with tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Saturn midpoint which suggests shooting the film won’t go without mishaps; and he’ll have more than his fair share of worries with tr Neptune square his Saturn and conjunct his midheaven in 2020 as well. However he’ll bounce with more enthusiasm 2021 to 2024 as tr Pluto squares his Sun/Jupiter and Mars/Jupiter midpoints.

The tragedy of colonialism apart from the appalling mistreatment at the time was there was no effort to develop a social infrastructure with an educated middle class. So when the colonials left there was a vacuum into which stepped the gangster governments which are the curse of the continent now.

Caitlyn Jenner – standing out from the crowd

Caitlyn Jenner who transitioned from being ‘the world’s greatest athlete’ as an Olympic gold decathlete, to being the world’s most famous transgender woman, is the most notable contestant in this year’s ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ jungle humiliation trials.

She’s now had full reassignment surgery and continued her previous media success in a different arena with her own TV show as well as on the Kardashian gig.

Born 28 October 1949 6.16am Mount Kisco, New York as Bruce Jenner, she has an upfront Scorpio Sun on the Ascendant square an Aquarius Moon on the IC – so she would always have been conflicted about what she wanted. She has a controlling and influential Pluto in the 10th in a persuasive, seductive trine to Venus in Sagittarius in the financial 2nd, sextile a 12th house dreamy Neptune Mercury in Libra. Her Venus is also in a cool, unloved square to Saturn. She’s also got Jupiter in money-magnet Capricorn in her communicative 3rd house.

Whether or not she wins the show, the fee of half a million pounds will keep her smiling and she’s facing some great times ahead with tr Pluto conjunct her Jupiter from late March 2020 on and off for two years. That usually brings money and success; though tr Saturn lurking behind may take a small amount of the shine off. Before then she’ll have a worrisome, uncertain mid December to late January with tr Neptune opposition her Saturn; and a bumpy ride on the relationship front as tr Uranus moves across her Descendant over this New Year and through January, then opposes her Sun. Uranus through her 7th for the next few years will give her a sporadic and erratic emotional life, which won’t be all wonderful in 2020 with tr Neptune square her Sun/Moon midpoint. And she does look on red alert from her Progressed Mars square her Uranus for the next two years as well. So swings and roundabouts with a change of direction as tr Uranus squares her Midheaven from mid 2020 into 2021.

She’s obviously destined to be a mover and shaker no matter what she’s doing.

Teal Swan – the risks of self-help

 

A hugely popular American self-help guru, who suggests that any followers with suicidal intentions should visualise what it would be like to die has been accused of being irresponsible after at least two have taken their lives.

Welcome to the internet age. Teal Swan, 16 June 1984 7.42 am Santa Fe, New Mexico, has a YouTube channel that has been viewed nearly 80 million times, a Facebook closed group called the Teal Tribe and holds seminars across the USA. She calls herself a “personal transformation revolutionary” and “spiritual catalyst”; critics have dubbed her “The Suicide Catalyst”.

She appears to have had a troubled childhood with hypersensitivity and clairvoyant experiences, self-harm and claims of being abused in a cult. She also said she was an alien from the star Arcturus. Her ministry started in her late twenties and focuses on healing from trauma and psychological ailments, including suicidal thoughts.

Birth time being accurate, she has a 12th house Sun Venus in Gemini opposition Neptune and trine a 4th house Pluto – lives in a dream world, ambitious, drawn to the supernatural with such a strong Neptune Pluto, not always good at distinguishing reality from delusion. She has a 4th house Mars Saturn in Scorpio which would back up her story of abuse by a family friend and she certainly looks to have had a horror-filled childhood with much fear with Pluto there as well. She has Uranus in the performing 5th house in an outspoken opposition to Mercury in Gemini. And an intense and possessive Aquarius Moon square Pluto.

Her victim/healer 12th harmonic is strong and communicative. Her get-it-together and can-be-dominating 5th harmonic is exceptionally stressed but notable; as is her humanitarian and/or keen-on-acquiring-a-good life 9H.

The wounded healer archetype only works constructively if the healer has actually worked conscientiously through their own long, gruelling healing process. If they haven’t, they end up doing damage.

Her career and life will make a sharp change of direction with tr Uranus conjunct the Solar Arc Midheaven from mid 2020 onwards; as the same time as tr Uranus opposes her Saturn Mars in Scorpio into 2021 – and that will bring a major emotional crisis. Followed by tr Neptune opposition her Sun Venus in 2022/23 which is generally a healing influence though also lacklustre.

Devin Nunes – rash, brash and self-defeating

Republican congressman Devin Nunes, a fervent Trump supporter and purveyor of conspiracy theories is likely to face an ethics investigation over allegations he met with Shokin, an ex-Ukrainian prosecutor at the centre of the impeachment inquiry according to the top Democrat on the House armed services committee. Democrats claim it is all part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Shokin who was ousted from his position for not pursuing corruption against Ukraine’s politicians, has been the subject of debunked conservative conspiracy theories that claim Biden, when vice-president, forced the country to fire him to stymie an investigation into a Ukrainian energy company of which his son Hunter was a board member.

In 2017 Nunes, then head of the House intelligence committee, was investigated for an alleged classified information leak to the public but was cleared by the then Republican controlled house; and he has since then alleged an FBI conspiracy against Trump.

Born 1 October 1973 7.07 am Tulare, California, he has a controlling Sun Pluto in Libra on his Ascendant from the 12th in an unyielding square to a well-organised Saturn in Cancer on his midheaven. With a confident Sun Pluto trine Jupiter sextile a head-in-the-clouds Moon Neptune in Sagittarius. And two strained Yods onto an apex planet Mars from Sun Pluto sextile Moon Neptune; and onto Saturn from Neptune Moon sextile Jupiter. His afflicted Mars will tend to make his actions rash, disruptive, self-defeating; and his Saturn requires real maturity and self-discipline to make it work otherwise it results in failure and personal despair.

The December Solar Eclipse in Capricorn will oppose his Saturn suggesting a chickens-coming-home-to-roost phase in the months thereafter. He has a trapped, scary tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Pluto midpoint now till mid December; followed from late January 2020 by an equally blocked and frustrating tr Pluto opposition his Sun/Mars which repeats on and off till late 2020. His focal point Mars also picks up the tr Uranus conjunction from mid 2020 which could be explosive, damaging to his self-esteem and producing over-reactions – and that also repeats over the elections and into 2021.

His interface with Trump is edgy and confused at the best of times with Trump’s Neptune square Mercury sitting on top of Nunes’ Sun Pluto square Saturn. And Nunes’ stressed Mars is square Trump’s Pluto for a hidden power struggle that could turn nasty if it ever emerged into the light of day. Their relationship chart has a needs-space, differing-agenda composite Sun Uranus conjunction. It’s under severe not to say catastrophic stress from mid March onwards – very aggravated and blocked till mid year; and again over the New Year and throughout 2021.