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A collision between a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship carrying toxic chemicals and a US oil tanker carrying jet fuel for the US military in the North Sea off the coast of northern England could “devastate” wildlife. Leaking oil and fuel from the ships could endanger species including threatened seabird colonies, grey seals, harbour porpoises, fish, and minke whales. The area houses significant colonies of wintering waders and migrating birds. It is not yet clear how the collision occurred.

  What is significant on the UK chart is the Solar Arc Uranus conjunct the UK 8^th house Mars in Taurus, within 10 minutes (one sixth) of a degree exact. The 8^th house can cover financial/economic events but is also in action when it comes to major disasters, man-made and otherwise.  

 The ramifications of the 8^th house Mars were most obvious during tr Pluto in Scorpio in opposition to the UK Mars in late 1987 and 1988. In the run up through 1987 there are several disasters   the sinking of the ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise, the Hungerford massacre, the “Great Storm”, the Remembrance Day bombing and on the exact aspect the King’s Cross fire, as well as the Wall Street Crash and Black Monday on the London stock exchange and a bombing in Enniskillen.

In 1988 there was the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which crashed in Lockerbie with 270 dead.

 Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Mars will have a marginally different effect but will still be explosive. Looking back the last time the Solar Arc Uranus was in hard aspect to the UK Mars in 1931 there was a run on the pound leading to a political and economic crisis, part of the European banking crisis of 1931; with the pound sterling comes off the gold standard. The Dogger Bank earthquake was the strongest earthquake recorded in the UK with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale. There were various mining underground explosions accidents with loss of life. A British airship R101 crashes in France en route to India on its maiden overseas voyage, killing 48 of the 54 on board.

   In addition at the moment the UK chart there are other indicators of a time-at-the-crossroads with tr Uranus opposition the Solar Arc North Node finishing this week – and the Solar Arc North Node square the 11^th house Saturn which rules future hopes and parliament. The UK’s North Node in Aries in the 7^th house of relationships hints at an inherent disinclination to cooperate with an equal and opposing need to learn to live in partnership with others. So alliances and enmities will be in the forefront.

 The Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the UK South Node in 18 months may suggest force of circumstances leads to a degree of backsliding into what feels familiar rather than what is constructive.

  Last and probably least the Progressed Moon will conjunct the UK Uranus in April/May this year for an emotional jolt.

  Despite the glooms and dooms the UK is dragging itself out of what has been a high stress phase recently of forced and jangled changes since 2021 with tr Uranus moving in hard aspect to the Fixed Grand Cross on the UK chart – which now comes to an end this week. The Progressed Moon moves out of the 12th house of endings in six months. Plus the unsettled tr Uranus through the economic 8^th since 2020 will ease up as Uranus moves into the UK 9^th from 2026 onwards. And tr Pluto through the UK 4^th since the 2009 crash  will be gradually easing towards the latter stages of this decade for an image-rebuild after 2029.

  Getting there slowly.

Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney is publishing her memoir Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer which documents her life before and after her transition via journal entries, reflects on her rise to fame and delves into some of her controversies. Her partnership with Bud Light beer in 2023 resulted in a drop in sales, customers and shareholder value.

 She was born into a devout Catholic family on 29 December 1996 10.10 am San Diego, California, and started her career as a stage actor. She has 10 million followers on TikTok and her video series, Days of Girlhood, has received over one billion views.

She has a stellium on Capricorn of Sun, Mercury, Jupiter Neptune in her friendly 11^th house with a go-ahead, assertive Mars in Virgo in her 7^th; plus a charming, creative Venus on her Midheaven. What is significant is her Virgo Moon which is on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Saturn sextile Uranus. Her Moon is also square Pluto with Pluto trine Saturn so there would have been strain and bleakness about her early nurturing and emotional life.

 The Moon on a yod suggests an emotional life in need of sensitive adjustment with early development feeling strained and a defensiveness against closeness. In time with correct handling, the focal point Moon can become a helper and carer for others in need.

 Caitlyn Jenner, 28 October 1949 6.16am Mount Kisco, New York,  also has her Moon on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Uranus square Mars. With Pluto in the 10^th (representing mother).

 Chaz Bono, 4 March 1969 12.55am Los Angeles, who transitioned to male also has a wide yod of a Virgo Moon inconjunct Mercury sextile Saturn Venus in Aries. Moon conjunct Pluto.

 Laverne Cox, 29 May 1972 11.15am Mobile, Alabama, who transitioned to female has a Moon inconjunct Algol sextile Procyon and South Node – which is marginally obscure; and Moon square Pluto.

Actress Karla Sofia Gascon, 31 March 1972, may have a similar Moon inconjunct Mars Saturn sextile Sun Mercury.

 An inconjunct or quincunx is an awkward aspect joining together elements which are not in sync with each other and such a Moon will make managing internal emotional contradictions a challenge in childhood and early adult life. Not that it necessarily leads to a gender change but it will have been part of the psychological dynamic.

Canada has responded to Trump’s deranged demands for obeisance by pulling together in a show of national unity with the political landscape turning turtle. Trudeau’s Liberals, sagging in popularity until recently, have seen a sharp rise in popularity, partly because of Trudeau’s impending exit and also because his possible successors are seen as better defenders against their rabid neighbour.

  There is a suggestion that the Royal Proclamation of 11 October 1763 would be a better chart for Canada than 1 July 1867. Both will have a validity and both exhibit strength of determination. The 1763 chart has a Libra Sun and Saturn in Taurus trine Mars in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn.  While the 1867 chart has an ultra-determined Saturn in Scorpio opposition Pluto in Taurus with a Cancer Sun conjunct Uranus with Mars in Virgo. Neither will give way easily if at all.

 The two wars fought against the USA with the USA losing in 1775 and 1812 had Neptune at 22 Virgo and Pluto at 19 Pisces respectively.  The only similarity at the moment is tr Saturn in last decan Pisces this month.

 Both the Canada dates in relation to the USA indicate an ongoing disagreement with heavy pressure through this year and into 2026.  With two points marked up this year – one with Uranus at 26 Taurus in late April and the other when Uranus moves into Gemini in July.

 Trumps’ relationship with Canada 1867 point to April/May as high tension, freezer points  and really on and off into 2026; with a bad tempered spat in August/September this year.

 Doug Ford, the current Ontario premier has stepped forward as a key fighter in the battle to defend Canada, threatening to cut off the electricity supply to the US. Ford, 20 November 1964, is a rock solid Sun Scorpio opposition Jupiter square Saturn in Aquarius – he looks rattled come June this year and on and off late in the year into 2026 with tr Uranus opposition his Sun and square his Saturn.  His relationship chart with Trump which is hostile at the best of times will break out into an explosive reaction in June and July this year and worse in 2026.

 Of the other political players – Pierre Polievre and Trump, if anything more rattled in 2026 than this year.

Mark Carney and Trump are in turmoil come the second half of this May and again January to March 2026.

Chrystia Freeland with Trump – a sparring match come July onwards.

   Nothing too conclusive but it could drag on.

Pic: Recent fight between predator eagle and a Canadian goose ended up with the eagle in retreat.

ADD ON:  Mark Carney has been elected as Justin Trudeau’s replacement and therefore steps into the prime ministerial chair at least until the general election later this year. He is a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor with strong economic credentials and an international outlook; with a career before that in Goldman Sachs. But he is untested politically. He was publicly anti-Brexit saying it would cause a recession and is more confrontational than his pin stripe suited appearance might suggest.

 He was born 16 March 1965 Ottawa, Ontario, no birth time, with a charming Sun Venus conjunct in Pisces with Saturn also in Pisces opposition a formidable and explosive stellium in Virgo of Uranus, Pluto, Moon and Mars. Plus a super-optimistic Jupiter in acquisitive Taurus opposition Neptune.

 What is astro-fascinating is that his Jupiter falls conjunct Trump’s Midheaven – which seen one way could be understand as a successful career duo. Though Carney has been explicit in his dislike of Trump and his policies. How it apparently has worked is that Trump has undoubtedly helped Carney’s career unwittingly and Carney’s Jupiterian mission in life will be to teach Trump ‘a sense of cultural responsibility and ethics in public life.’

 Where the mighty clash comes from is Carney’s Mars, Uranus, Pluto in Virgo falling in Trump’s First House and square DT’s 10^th house Uranus so Carney certainly has the ability to throw Trump off course.

  Their relationship will be mightily upset in the latter stages of this June and explosively much worse early August to mid October this year – and again in 2026. Bitter differences are likely to widen the rift between them.

  Carney’s personal chart will blocked and frustrated late August to early December this year; though upbeat just before then through July and early August – so he’d do well to call and election earlier than the autumn.

Maurice Ravel, the French composer, best known for Ravel’s Bolero and Daphnis and Chloe, who wrote opera, ballet and orchestral works, was born 150 years ago.

 He was born 7 March 1875 10pm Ciboure, France, with an engineer and inventor father and an illiterate/illegitimate, free-thinker of a mother to whom he was close. His interest in music started when he was young and after music college, his experimental approach incorporating modern elements did not meet with approval by the conservative establishment. But he appeared unbothered by criticism and by the 1920s was regarded as France’s leading composer.

 The First World War and his mother’s death in 1917 appeared to diminish his energy and motivation and a minor car accident in the early 1930s led to an early Alzheimer-like condition and he died in 1937 after a brain operation.

 He had a 5^th house New Moon in Pisces which was delightfully apt for a musical creator and performer with a trailblazing, rebellious Uranus conjunct his midheaven.  Around 1900 he joined with other innovative young artists, poets, critics and musicians in an informal group, known as Les Apaches (“The Hooligans”), to represent their status as “artistic outcasts”. Which seems singularly descriptive for Uranus Midheaven.

 His Jupiter in Scorpio was conjunct his Ascendant from the 12^th giving him an enthusiastic image.

  He never married and appeared not to have had any close relationships in his adult life. A New Moon would make him self-sufficient; and Saturn in his 4^th square Pluto in his 7^th may also have injected a sense of bleakness where home comforts and close relationships were concerned. Plus he had an independent-minded Aries North Node.

  When his mother died in 1917 which hit him badly tr Uranus was moving through his 4^th conjunct his Saturn. The taxi accident which caused his decline latterly in 1932, though he appeared to have been suffering from aphasia even before that, occurred when tr Uranus was moving through his 6^th house approaching his 6^th house Neptune; and his Solar Arc Saturn was conjunct his 6^th house North Node then as well.

Angelica Huston, happy to be cast as a character actress is still going strong in her late seventies, appearing in the recent TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Toward Zero. She has had a long and impressive career with an Oscar for Prizzi’s Honor, and has worked with all the top directors including Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen and Wes Anderson.

 She was born 8 July 1951 6.29 pm Beverley Hills, California, with a larger-than-life director father in John Huston and a  model and ballerina mother who died in a car accident when she was 17. Part of her childhood was spent in Ireland after her family fled the McCarthy witch-hunts. She always wanted to be an actress but a damaging clash with her father on her first film set shook her confidence and she retreated into modelling for a few years.

 She was in a long relationship with Jack Nicholson, whose infidelities were legendary over their on-off 17-year liaison and she finally settled into a happy marriage to the sculptor Robert Graham, until his death in 2008.  Though she is still in touch with Nicholson who phoned as she was escaping the LA fire. She said “when the chips are down, he’s there.”

  She has a 7^th house Cancer Sun so is happiest when in a relationship but she also has Mars Uranus in Cancer in her 7^th so will tend to be attracted to volatile partners. Her creative Neptune is in her 10^th conjunct her Midheaven opposition Jupiter in her 4^th square her Cancer planets. Jupiter in the 4^th indicates she came from a well-known and well-to-do family and appreciates home comforts, despite the rebellious streak in her temperament (and love life). Her Pluto in the 8^th gives her temperament weight and the ability to project an influential aura.

  Her Chiron sits in her 1^st so she would struggle to develop a strong sense of identity and self-worth in early adult life.

  Her father John Huston was a Hollywood legend, a talented director and writer, but not an easy temperament.  Born 5 August 1906 Nevada, MO, he had a Leo Sun conjunct North Node and Mars so not a shrinking violet. He was married five times and in his autobiography, described his last wife as a “crocodile”.

[Having met him once, which was not an altogether happy experience, I reckon he almost certain deserved her. I would have described him as being what used to be called ‘a man’s man’ in the sense of rough round the edges and not woman-friendly in terms of manners.]

 His Sun and Mars fell in Angelica’s 8^th house so a complicated, intense and fractious chemistry. His Pluto was conjunct her Descendant exactly so he would be controlling. Their relationship chart had a scarily dominating Mars Pluto conjunction inconjunct Saturn.

 No surprise she went on to have a couple of abusive relationships and the wandering Jack Nicholson as adult choices. Jack Nicholson, 22 April 1937 11 am Neptune, New Jersey, a freedom-loving Sun Uranus in Taurus does have a Virgo Moon like Angelica and his Jupiter Neptune fell in her 7^th so she’d be eternally optimistic about their relationship. Plus his Pluto fell in her 8^th for a deep (and controlling) connection.

 Her husband, the sculptor, Robert Graham, 19 August 1938, was a Sun Mars in Leo like her father but that was softened by being opposition to an easy-going Jupiter in Aquarius.

Friederich Merz, a Sun Scorpio with an exceptionally Fixed chart, almost certain to step up as German Chancellor heading a coalition, has a tougher temperament than the departing Olaf Scholz, a Gemini Sun trine Jupiter.

He has announced a political deal to raise hundreds of billions of euros in extra spending on defence to counter Trump’s withdrawal from Ukraine; and to plough money into Germany’s failing infrastructure.

 Born 11 November 1955 Briton, Germany, no birth time, he has an ultra-determined and stubborn Scorpio Sun conjunct Saturn with Saturn square a pushily-confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction in Leo. He also has Uranus square Mercury in Scorpio and Neptune in late Libra so will be outspoken as well as evasive and confused at times.  His Mars in Libra may be conjunct a Libra Moon but is otherwise unaspected. Such a Mars can be uncompromising and constantly on the go. He has a stronger temperament than his rather weedy ‘bank manager’ appearance might suggest.

 His Sun opposes the Germany 8^th house Pluto so he will throw his weight against entrenched attitudes especially financial ones. And with his Mars in Germany’s 1^st he will waken up the national image. Though he’s likely to arouse some hostility with his bulldozer approach especially towards the end of his term.

 His relations with attention-seeking Emmanuel Macron are likely to be volatile with Merz’s Sun conjunct EM’s opinionated 9^th house Uranus square EM’s Mars; and Merz’s Uranus falling in EM’s 7^th for a divisive interface. Plus plus other friction points. The Aries and Libra Solar Eclipses will collide with their composite Saturn right through this year so it will take self-control to keep cooperation on track.

 His relationship with Keir Starmer who appears to be rising to the occasion better than expected is less fractious than with Macron though there will be jolts and jangles in May and the early months of 2026 with tr Uranus square their composite Mars; plus reams of confusion and uncertainty all year into early 2026. Though that may be a result of having to cope with a fast-changing global situation.

  With Trump, Merz’s confident, stubborn Jupiter Pluto square Saturn collides with Trump’s Mars in Leo – with tensions erupting later this month; and more in 2026.

 Merz’s relationship chart with Putin (1952) is hostile and power struggling with tensions erupting soon and depressed into 2026/27.

  Merz’s relations with the EU and Ursula van der Leyen are under mounting pressure into 2026 and beyond.

 It is difficult to see quite what the road ahead is. This week’s headlines are all about a rousing hope of a strong Germany/France/UK response to the ultimatums from across the Atlantic.  But Germany’s relations with the EU are under serious strain over the coming years and the Bundesbank central bank is facing storm-force headwinds for a few years ahead as well.   

See previous post: Germany 24th February 2025. 

‘With Love, Meghan’ Netflix’s latest offering from the Sussex household has been met with less than rapturous reviews. One critic said the “tone-deaf lifestyle show vibrates with vacuous joylessness – packed with useless information.” It has an 11 per cent rating from Rotten Tomatoes and 2.6 out of 10 from IMDb. The Hollywood bible magazine Variety said the series was ‘a Montecito ego trip not worth taking’.

 While the first documentary Harry & Meghan about their lives in 2022 was a major success, two further productions about other subjects – Heart of Invictus in 2023 and Polo last December – slumped in the ratings.

The timing just after the devastating LA fires and in the midst of global turmoil is certainly bad luck but the content also seems a touch passé as the culture moves on from lifestyle glitz.

Meghan’s chart, 4 August 1981 4.46 am Los Angeles, California, has tr Jupiter moving through her hopeful 11th house until May this year and an ambitious Progressed Moon through her career 10^th for another 18 months. But the upcoming Aries eclipse on her midheaven hints at a challenging crisis of direction; with another jolt come October’s Libra Eclipse on her IC and close to her Jupiter, Saturn, Moon. Decisions will have to be made about changing course domestically as well as in her ambitions.

  She also has a final tr Uranus opposition her Uranus to finish her midlife crisis coming late this April. There will be chinks of good fortune and minor success ahead but there will be more minuses than pluses. A sudden change of direction from tr Uranus conjunct her Solar Arc Midheaven from late this month into April followed by a worrisome May to September as tr Neptune Saturn oppose her showbizzy Mars/Neptune midpoint and a catastrophic July as tr Uranus squares her Mars/Pluto midpoint. Those influences run on into 2026 when tr Saturn Neptune opposes her Moon for family and domestic concerns with further uncertainty in 2027. 2028 will be agitated, stuck and overly-reactive. 

 Prince Harry, 15 September 1984 4.20 pm London, will be subdued with tr Saturn opposition his Virgo Sun and square his Neptune this month and on and off throughout the year; with a disappointing tr Saturn Neptune square his Jupiter in 2026, a directionless 2027 and a log-jammed 2028/29.

  Both their Sun/Moon midpoints, their marriage significator, will be stressed in 2027. And their relationship chart will face a critical, perhaps explosive point of change, as tr Uranus squares the composite Sun and is conjunct the composite Ascendant opposition Uranus through 2026 into early 2027 which will put major strain on their togetherness.

  Prince Harry will be glad to see the back of this decade as he moves into more progressive phase after 2030.

Carl Dean, the famously reclusive husband of Dolly Parton, who maintained a steadfast presence behind the scenes for almost six decades, has died aged 82. Their long separations because of her successful career raised media comments but she insisted they were a contented and faithful twosome.

   She was born 19 January 1946 8.25 pm Little River, Tennessee, with a charming, attention-seeking, ambitious and  entertaining Sun Venus in Capricorn in her performing 5^th house opposition a hard-edged and disciplined Mars Saturn in Cancer square Jupiter in her 2^nd. A poverty stricken and deprived childhood left its mark and gave her a driving need to earn money. Her Virgo Moon was tucked away in her 12^th  inconjunct her Sun – and now that I look in a yod sextile the North Node inconjunct her Sun Venus – so she would graduate from feelings of unworthiness in early life to being able to utilize her personality in a positive way later on. She also has Uranus conjunct her Midheaven marking her out for an unconventional career and it trined Neptune and sextiled Pluto giving her influence.

 Carl was born 20 July 1942, Nashville, no birth time, with a home-loving Cancer Sun conjunct Pluto in early Leo; with Jupiter Mercury also in Cancer. His light-hearted Venus in Gemini was square Neptune, sextile a flamboyant Mars in Leo and probably trine an easy going Libra Moon. Plus a Saturn Uranus conjunction in Gemini.

  His Virgo North Node was conjunct her Moon and his Venus was conjunct her North Node so there would be a karmic connection. His Moon was probably conjunct her 2^nd house wealthy Jupiter which would help give him comfort and his Sun opposed her Sun Venus in Capricorn.  Cancer and Capricorn are a frequent mating pair. His Venus and Jupiter Mercury fell in her 10^th so her career would be important to him and he would be of assistance.

 It wasn’t the easiest  of relationships since the composite Sun was square a controlling/dominating Mars Pluto conjunction – and that can be tricky to handle without it turning hostile. The composite Venus was opposition a creative and evasive Neptune, and trine Mars Pluto, sextile Uranus – which would bring a good deal of passion of both the positive and negative variety.

  Their wedding chart, 30 May 1966 Ringgold, Georgia, was also not ideal though perhaps suited to an unconventional, independent pairing – with the Sun in an argumentative conjunction to Mars and square Uranus Pluto for constant upheavals.

 Showbiz marriages are often not what they appear to be.  

Jack Vettriano, the Scottish painter who was often dismissed as kitsch and derivative but became one of Britain’s most successful artists has died. Often compared to Edward Hopper and Walter Sickert because of his subject matter, after his sudden breakthrough in 1988 he painted prolifically.

 He was born into a mining village left school early and wandered for a few years career-wise before going to college and starting to paint without success in the early years. After his rise to prominence he was out selling Monet and Van Gogh and earning a reported £500,000 in annual royalties from reproductions of his paintings on postcards, posters, calendars and jigsaw puzzles.

 He never made ‘claims for his art, pointing to the gritty themes of film noir, the bright colours of art deco railway posters and the garish drama of pulp fiction novel covers as his aesthetic inspiration.’

  He was born 17 November 1951 Methil, Scotland, 9.30am, and had a 12^th house intense Scorpio Sun square Pluto and sextile Mars in Virgo, so drawn to undercurrents of darkness and mystery in his paintings. He also had Saturn conjunct his Midheaven and Venus opposition Jupiter square an 8^th house Cancer Moon; with Uranus also in the 8^th square a 10^th house Neptune.

 He drew his inspiration from the depths with a strong 8^th house and packed a punch in his subject matter, which seemed colourful on the surface, often light-hearted but carried undertones of unease.

His creative 5^th and 7^th harmonic charts were well aspected; as was his leaving-a-legacy-for-history 17H and his global renown 22H.