Robert F Kennedy Jnr’s contentious confirmation hearings for the position of secretary of health today have elicited strong condemnation from two Kennedy family members. Caroline Kennedy, his cousin, JFK’s daughter, formerly ambassador to Australia and Japan, detailed troubling behavior  she witnessed over the years, accusing him of having hypocritical views on vaccines and being “addicted to attention and power.” She said “Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children, vaccinating his own kids while building a following hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs,” she said. She also recalled her cousin putting baby chickens and mice in a blender to feed to his pet birds years ago.

 Another niece Dr. Kerry Kennedy Meltzer shared an email from him which stated Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine had a “100% injury rate” in Phase 1 trial participants, but the adverse events noted by the researchers were predominantly injection-site pain and fatigue and that, in the real world, the shots from Moderna and Pfizer caused only a handful of severe allergic reactions. Other emails from from him incorrectly linked childhood immunizations to autism.

 RFK Jnr 17 January 1954 5.32pm (?) Washington, DC, has a 6^th house Sun, Venus and Mercury in Capricorn as well as North Node and Chiron so an interest in health (and pets) is a given. But his Capricorn planets oppose a 12th house Uranus Moon in Cancer square a 5^th house Neptune – which is where his whacky, can-be-fanatical beliefs come from. He also has an impacted, hard-edged Saturn Mars in Scorpio in his 4^th, no doubt a legacy from an assassinated father and uncle but it has marked his temperament and not in a positive way.

 Caroline Kennedy, 27 November 1957 8.15 am New York, has a determined Mars in Scorpio like him and in her case conjunct North Node and Neptune in Scorpio; and her Venus, like his, is in socially-elevated Capricorn. Her Aquarius Moon is opposition Uranus square her Mars North Node which clashes with his Saturn in Scorpio. Her Sagittarius Sun is 12^th house. She is half like him but her other half is serious and knowledgeable.

 Their relationship chart has an immoveable composite Pluto square Saturn (+ chained together and resenting it) which will be under severe pressure from tr Uranus hard aspects from this April onwards, on and off into 2026. Plus the composite Sun will catch the tr Nep[tune square from May 2025 onwards into 2026 as tr Saturn joins in. Tr Pluto opposes their composite Uranus throughout this year. So the jousting match between them won’t subside.

 JFK Jnr’s relationship chart with Trump has a composite Sun at 10 degrees Aries, in line of last October and this coming March’s Solar eclipse which will attract crises. The composite Sun opposes Neptune for a relationship rife with illusion, delusion and ripe for disappointment. If he does get confirmed and it is by no means certain, 2026 looks explosive vis a vis Trump and himself.

  His chart this year hints at turbulence from late March onwards, a career setback in April/May – with much worse in 2026/27. The birth time is unverified so MC/Asc and houses are not much use.

Astrology tools: What always attracted me to astrology was that there was no ‘right’ way to do it. Using different methods and calculations different astrologers can end up making accurate interpretations, sometimes shining a light on a different facet of a person/situation.

  My own evolution as an astrologer started as most people’s did reading the standard textbooks and practicing on family and friends. Along the way I added other techniques when the standard ones didn’t tell the whole story.

BUT – key point I never believe everything I am told by accepted authorities. Be respectful initially and get the basics right first. Then challenge, argue, make up your own mind. Some of the old astrology books have their own slant on specifics and are not 100% right.

   Decide early on which house system to follow and don’t get distracted by didacts who attempt to explain the theoretical underpinnings. I use Koch which is a middle of the road system. If others want to use Placidus or Whole House, that’s great but I’m not budging.

   On chart interpretation – planets in signs and in houses and in aspects throw up around 2500 pieces of information so you have to prioritise. There used to be an excellent pamphlet by Tracy Marks (I think) which had a tick-list. After a while it becomes almost second nature to home in on what ‘feels’ important, so intuition may play a part. I’m drawn to major configurations – planets joined together in groups by Grand Trines, T Squares, Grand Crosses etc – since they dominate a chart.

   It’s crucial for accurate interpretation to embrace contradictions since human beings aren’t robots and can have nice and nasty bits sitting side by side. And to accept that what the birth chart shows you are potentials with a negative and positive end to a spectrum of meaning for planets, signs and houses. Astrology will not tell you the level of evolution of the individual – so the same chart may result in an illuminating life or a stagnant one.

Predictions: Transits through houses give a broad context to what is happening. Transits to planets can give useful information but often don’t provide enough. Transits to a major configuration are important since the effect reverberates round all the other planets involved and can involve a period of several years of major challenge. I focus mainly on transits by the four outer planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto with an eye on Jupiter. I ignore the inner planet transits as being passing moments.

  Transits to midpoints will fill in many blanks, can be powerful in effect and are indispensable when birth times are questionable or not known and even sometimes when it is. I don’t tend to get hung up on midheaven and ascendant, partly because I often work with charts whose start/birth time is iffy. And even where it is known with reasonable certainty, I’ve seen life changing times which didn’t involve either. 

Secondary Progressions – of the Moon through the houses are illuminating. And when Progressed Mars hard aspects natal planets there is usually a seismic effect. But Progressions, calculated by a day equated to a year after birth, are slow moving with only Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars in play and rarely throwing up aspects so again not enough.

Solar Arc Directions which move the planets by approximately one degree per year are much more informative and have a profound effect when the Solar Arc Planet aspects a natal planet. When a major configuration moves by Solar Arc to connect with another major natal configuration there will be a game-changing crisis usually over several years.

  Solar Returns – I dutifully do and they can sometimes be descriptive but not always and I leave them usually to last on the list.

  My work order is:

Natal/Solar Arc: Pull up natal chart in a two-chart wheel with the Solar Arc Directions on the outer wheel.

Progressions: Check the Progressed positions for Progressed Moon house position and Mars, keeping an eye on Venus conjunct the natal Sun. The latter doesn’t fall in every lifetime but can be a romantic highlight.

Midpoints: Cast a glance down through the midpoints to see which are catching transiting hard aspects.

North Node: When clients come with existential questions, the North Node is worth examining in detail since it encapsulates most of the chart’s meaning.

Harmonics: I came to them late and find them of idiosyncratic interest. They are merely a way of plotting the more minor aspects which you can’t see as easily as squares, oppositions, trines and sextiles. They do seem to work well enough, giving embellished descriptions of differing talents and characteristics.

Books – I mainly used ones which are out-of-print.  But Margaret Hone is a good beginner start. Then Robert Hand for transits and aspects and relationship charts. Sakoian & Acker for planetary positions and also synastry.  Stephen Arroyo is recommendable. Bil Tierney for configurations – Dynamics of Aspect Analysis. Liz Greene – for many books especially Saturn, good for a psychological slant. Martin Schulman on Moon’s Nodes. David Hamblin on Harmonics, as well as Michael Baigent, Baigent also good for Mundane Astrology. Ebertin for midpoints. Robert Blaschke for Progressions.

  Solar Arcs – I think Noel Tyl wrote a book which I’ve never read. Trial and error is what taught me.

  There are also myriad websites which are helpful – Café Astrology and Bob Marks as well as Dark Pixie come to mind.

The best tool is practice. Start with those you know since you’ve a better idea of what to expect. Though there will be surprises. Two of my family had charts completely against my expectation. The third was obvious. If people flatly deny what you think their chart says – you may be wrong but more likely it is a blind spot on their part and not a good idea to push too hard but don’t let it dent your self-confidence. Learn to keep your own counsel and wait see – it usually unspools itself at some point.

P.S. This is a rerun of an old 2021 post.

The AI stock panic is receding after the launch of China’s DeepSeek, a less capital-intensive artificial intelligence model, resulted in a one day rout. Nvidia and Oracle Stocks have rebounded.

DeepSeek was launched sometime in May 2023 (wiki) which would give it a Taurus Sun conjunct Uranus and Mars in Cancer opposition Pluto (at zero degrees Aquarius) square Jupiter – well-suited to the tech innovation market and a confident, lucky bulldozer of an energy.

 The Nasdaq, 8 February 1971 9am New York, was always due a significant jolt this year with the Solar Arc Sun opposition the Uranus. Its over-hopeful (prone to crashes) Jupiter Neptune conjunction which had moved to conjunct the Midheaven by Solar Arc at the 2000 dotcom bubble bust, is due for a shake up in 2026/27 when tr Uranus will oppose the Neptune Jupiter. In 2000 as well there was a tr Jupiter square tr Neptune – which is back this year in June just after several of the main players’ charts are being shaken up the previous month. The Nasdaq’s Pluto in final degree Virgo is also being spotlighted by the eclipses through 2025.

 One of the main US AI players Sam Altman, 22 April 1985 5am Chicago (memory) has been complimentary about DeepSeek but is not having a great year with his Moon Mars in Taurus opposition Saturn in Scorpio being upended by tr Uranus hard aspects in May 2025 and again over late year into 2026. Plus a challenging, heavily pressured tr Pluto square his Taurus Sun opposition Pluto through 2025/26. Into 2027 he has a deflating SA Neptune conjunct his Jupiter.

Nvidia, 5 April 1993, has a tough-minded Saturn in 27 Aquarius square Pluto in 25 Scorpio which is in a state of tumultuous upheaval all this year with tr Uranus hard aspects starting in April/May and again late year.

 The CEO Jensen Huang, 17 February 1963, Taipei, is also showing stress in May 2025 and again later in the year as tr Uranus is square his Sun in Aquarius.

 Larry Ellison of Oracle, 17 August 1944, a Sun Leo with a Virgo stellium square Uranus looks jolted in March/April this year but is heading for a confident 2026.

Mark Zuckerburg, 14 May 1984 2.39pm NY, also jolted and jangled this March/April with tr Uranus conjunct his Taurus Sun; and is not too enchanted with tr Saturn square his Neptune mid year onwards. He’s heading for a downer in 2027 with SA Mars conjunct his Neptune but thereafter is reinventing himself with a surge of confidence a year later.

[I would have to confess not ever having got my head round AI and its implications.  But obviously a Pluto in Aquarius innovation which will stay.]

Denmark is pushing back against Trump’s claim that he can defend Greenland better than they can and is alarmed as he is refusing to rule out military action to forcibly take the territory from them and is threatening targeted tariffs unless he gets his way. The US already has the sole military base in Greenland, in the north of the island. He had a ‘fiery and confrontational’ discussion with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen a few days ago.

  Mette Fredriksen, 19 November 1977 Aalborg, Denmark, is a determined Sun Scorpio with a Pisces Moon. Her Sun squares Trump’s bombastic Mars in Leo and her volatile and rebellious Uranus in Scorpio square Mars in Leo clashes with his Pluto in Leo – a high-octane, aggravated chemistry.

 Her relationship chart with him is riddled with dislike from a composite Mars Saturn conjunction in a suspicious, ego-clashing square to Neptune; plus a controlling composite Sun conjunct Pluto on one side and a needs-space Uranus on the other.  Throughout 2025 the Eclipses will jolt the composite Mercury and tr Uranus will begin several years of upheaval as it squares the Uranus, then Uranus/Pluto midpoint, then Pluto throughout his term.  

  Denmark, 5 June 1849 12.15pm Copenhagen, Denmark, is looking discouraged with Trump through until early March 2025; with more clashes as tr Uranus moves into Gemini in July 2025 and starts to square the composite Saturn in the relationship chart running on into 2026.

 The Denmark/USA relationship chart is showing an undermining phase through February to early March 2025 as tr Neptune squares the composite Sun, followed by tr Saturn square the composite Sun on and off into early 2026.  

 Whatever happens tensions won’t recede any time soon.  Tr Uranus moving into Gemini in July this year appears to be a trigger point on several of the charts including Greenland 1 May 1979 which has its Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto at 2 and 1 degree Mutable signs at the moment getting rattled in 2025/26/27. The Greenland/Denmark relationship chart will go through a tumultuous phase this year into early 2026 with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun – which may be the independence referendum leaning towards a split.

 But Greenland’s relations with Trump will also be upended with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Sun Venus from August 2025 onwards for several years thereafter.  There may be a measure of interest in what the USA could offer but that is mixed in with suspicion and doubt.

Pic: The Emperor’s New Clothes, fairy tale by Danish Hans Christian Andersen

The gulf between Trump’s hopes of deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants lies and the reality on the ground with ‘enormous financial, legal and logistical hurdles at every step of the process’ plus an economic hit for the USA means his inflammatory rhetoric may not move the gauge much.  Biden deported 271,484 unauthorised immigrants, a 10-year high, more than in Trump’s first term. One immigration analyst said “The numbers are not likely to be dramatically greater [than they are now], at least for a while.” It is reckoned removing 11 million would take more than 10 years and cost almost $1tn.    

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) founded 1 March 2003, has a hard chart with Saturn in Gemini opposition Pluto Mats in Sagittarius, a Pisces Sun, and Uranus Moon, Mercury in last decan Aquarius. It looks seriously rattled throughout 2025 till early 2026 with tr Saturn square the Mars which tr Neptune is square now exactly till early February 2025 over this initial panic. Tr Uranus is also square the Uranus on and off through this year into 2026 as well.

 The ICE/Trump relationship chart looks locked into bitter arguments throughout this year as well with tr Pluto square the composite Mercury, Sun.

 Colombia like several South American countries had a messy start around the early 19^th century so there are various possible charts. Nick Campion settled on 17 December 1819 Angostura, which has a tricky Sun Uranus Neptune in Sagittarius square Saturn Pluto in Pisces which tr Saturn is moving in hard aspect to throughout 2025.

  Relations between Colombia and Trump look rattled and discouraged early this year; with tensions erupting in late March/April – with major upheavals in 2026.  The Colombia/USA relationship chart is highly unsettled this year but much worse in 2026/27 with tr Neptune Saturn in hard aspect to the composite Sun square Saturn.

The most contested of Trump’s nominees – so far – Pete Hegseth has been confirmed as secretary of defense. A former Fox News personality and rightwing commentator who has said women should not serve in combat roles, recommended the military purge generals and faced allegations of sexual assault and alcoholism, made it through after a tie-breaking vote from Vice-president JD Vance.

Every Senate Democrat voted against his confirmation along with three Republican senators – Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

He was born 6 Jun 1980 8.20pm Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a 7^th house Gemini Sun square Saturn in Virgo, trine a 10^th house Pluto opposition Neptune – an odd muddle of super-ambitious, dependent on a partner, controlling, low self-esteem and indecisive and confused. He has a 7^th house Venus in Gemini square a Pisces Moon conjunct his IC from the 3^rd giving him a taste for the ladies with variety in mind.  Mars Jupiter in the 9th – excitable utterances, overstated opinions.  

It is a tough job even for a competent operator and he is running into a series of Neptunian disappointments, muddles and undermining circumstances as tr Neptune squares his Venus and is conjunct his Moon throughout 2025; plus tr Neptune square his Midheaven from July 2025 onwards joined by tr Saturn in 2926 which look like major career setbacks. Even before then tr Neptune opposes his Mars/Pluto midpoint from April onwards for a major catastrophe with other dips through the year from tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune.

   His relationship with Trump will be downbeat throughout the year with tr Saturn opposition the composite Jupiter and explosive in 2026 as tr Uranus lights a touch paper in square to their already fractious composite Mars Uranus conjunction.

 Hegseth is even less popular with the USA – that relationship chart is blocked and aggravated throughout 2025 with tr Pluto opposition the composite Mars; and undercut by tr Neptune square Venus an opposition Saturn from before mid 2025 into and through 2026. There is no love lost therein the first place and less as time goes on.

Stelliums are formed by having three planets or more in the same sign or house. They concentrate amplified energy on the traits of that sign or house and often give an intense and singular focus to life.

 They don’t always bestow genius but it is a fair analogy since persons with great ability in one specific arena often have notable lacks in other areas of their lives. Great pluses often go along with equally great minuses. Memo – you can’t have it all.

  People often worry about having houses with no planets – but a chart with planets in all 12 houses (impossible anyway) would produce such a thinly scattered personality, with too many directions of interests that it would not be helpful.

Personalities in the news with stelliums interestingly enough are Blake Lively with five planets in Virgo in her 1^st – and wow that is a full-on personality. The first house is to do with identity and image which she approaches in a highly Virgoan way – earthy, practical, critical, opinionated.

She is facing up to Justin Baldoni over sexual harassment issues and he is giving as good as he gets. He has four planets in intense, emotional Scorpio (three in is financial second house) – money will be a great motivator but in addition Scorpio takes badly to being attacked and will rarely give up without a fight back.

Leo di Caprio also has a stellium of three Scorpio planets which rules money and sex  in his 2^nd house – wealthy with a constantly revolving romantic life.

 Another Virgo stellium is Jada Pinkett Smith, 18 September 1971 12.38 pm Baltimore, Maryland, with Mercury, Moon, Sun, Pluto, three in her 10^th and one in 9^th – very career and outer oriented.

  This is similar to having an upper hemisphere chart where the focus is on work and outer activities rather than personal and subjective ones. A left hand chart will be more independent. A right hand chart will be more relationship-oriented.

[Sorry best I can do for now – in a scramble – all astro comments or personal examples welcome]

Questions and factual comments for context please add below. Older posts under News on top bar or in search.

Venus, goddess of love and beauty, ruler of artistic refinement, social skills and all things sweet and nice, has a darker under-side when lust, greed, laziness and insincerity take precedence.

  Mythology has a variety of  associations relating the Roman Venus and her Greek counterpart Aphrodite to pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, prosperity, and victory. Hesiod writes that Aphrodite arose from the sea out of the foam produced by Uranus’s genitals, which his son Cronus had severed and thrown into the sea. In one tale Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus (Vulkan), the god of fire, blacksmiths and metalworking. He worked tirelessly while she played, partied and was frequently unfaithful.

  Cupid is supposed to be the son of Venus and Mars, the god of war.

 Venereal diseases from the Middle English “relating to sexual intercourse” or “sexual love.”

 Though oddly the first known temple to Venus was supposedly funded by fines imposed on Roman women for sexual misdemeanours.

Aphrodite’s major symbols include seashells, myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, and swans. The cult of Aphrodite was derived from the Phoenician goddess Astarte and the Semitic goddess Ishtar, whose cult was based on the Sumerian cult of Inanna. Aphrodite was worshipped as a warrior goddess and in some places known as the patron goddess of prostitutes.

  In astrology not surprisingly Venus figures largely in charts from the arena of fashion (often with Jupiter in aspect = surface appearances matter) and design, as well as in public relations for the Venusian skill of accentuating the positive, putting sparkle on the surface (lipstick on a pig) and airbrushing out of sight unpleasantness and difficulties.

   Courtesans and the sexually promiscuous also figure largely with Venus in hard aspect to chilly Saturn (which sounds counter-intuitive but is a pattern); passionate and manipulative Pluto; revved-up Mars; and rebellious Uranus.

Some like Pamela Harriman, 20 March 1920, whose romantic involvements were legendary had her Venus conjunct Uranus in Pisces in a Water Grand trine to Mars in Scorpio and Pluto and opposition Saturn.

  Lady Jane Digby, 3 April 1807, equally renowned for her scandalous love life had her Venus in Taurus opposition Saturn and Uranus, trine Mars, inconjunct Neptune and square Jupiter.

  The Duke of Windsor had his Venus in Taurus conjunct the destructive Fixed star Algol as did Princess Diana.

 John Travolta and Roger Moore whose early marriages were with older wives both had Moon Venus aspects which astrologer Richard Idemon associated with a sexualized mother relationship. Travolta Moon Pisces opposition Moon square Mars.  Roger Moore had a Moon Gemini opposition Saturn square Venus. [Oddly enough Emanuel Macron does not.]

While Venus conjunct Mars can have its positive side is also remarkably frequent amongst those with a less than restrained approach to sex/romance – Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell. In addition to ‘passionate enthusiasm’ Ebertin says it can have – ‘a strongly emotional and sexual life with disharmonious tendencies’; ‘in some cases inclination to polygamy.’

   Reynhard Sinaga, named as the world’s worst serial rapist, has an exact Venus Mars conjunction in Pisces square Neptune and inconjunct Pluto. But that is an extreme version.

 An unaspected Venus is self-contained, less sociable, can be single-minded and wobbles between not connecting emotionally and being intense, being undemonstrative yet reacting strongly when personally challenged.

   The main drawback to Venus apart from its rampant sexuality is its need to put an outer sheen on events. So desperate to maintain a harmonious atmosphere and sweep unpleasantness out of sight that it denies reality and comes across as insincere or hypocritical.

 If ever there was a cautionary tale of a Venus twisted by life events and dysfunctional mothering it is Brooke Shields.  She started modelling at 11 months old. Her first big film role, aged 11, was as a girl raised into sex work in Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby. A cover story from a 1977 issue of New York magazine was headlined, “Meet Teri and Brooke Shields: Brooke is 12. She poses nude. Teri is her mother (an alcoholic). She thinks it’s swell.” At 14, she starred in Blue Lagoon, playing a teenager coming of age on a deserted island. She said the director wanted “to sell my sexual awakening”. Amazingly she has turned out married with children and seemingly together.

 Born 31 May 1965 1.45pm Manhattan, NY, she has a Moon Venus conjunction in Gemini conjunct her Midheaven (mother who flaunts her child’s sexuality to promote her career) in a tumultuous, cold-hearted square to  Saturn opposition a ruthless Mars Pluto (Uranus in Virgo).  

Josephine Baker, the American Folie Bergere dancer, who started life as a street kid in segregated Missouri and went on to become a World War II spy for France and resistance fighter as well, later, as a civil rights activist in the USA is the subject of a newly released memoir Fearless and Free. Originally published in 1949 it has been translated into English for the first time.

  Never reconciled to her homeland she found a resting place in the Pantheon, a monument to national heroes. She was the first black woman to receive the honour and will lie alongside  Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo and scientists Pierre and Marie Curie.

  Born 3 June 1906 St Louis, Missouri, 11 am (biography?) she never knew her father, started work at 8 as a live-in domestic for white families where she was abused and eventually ran away to marry twice in her teens, at 13 and 15, before moving to Paris. ‘An unaffected exhibitionist and a natural performer’ she became an icon of the city’s Jazz Age in the Roaring Twenties (Neptune in Leo), accentuating many African stereotypes of the colonial time in a banana skirt and little else. She became a French citizen after her marriage in 1937 to Jewish industrialist Jean Lion, a man who suffered from anti-Semitic laws; and at the outbreak of war offered her services to French counter-intelligence services and De Gaulle, working as an informant.  

  After the war, she became involved in USA anti-racist politics, fought against segregation during a 1951 performance tour of the US, causing her to be targeted by the FBI, labelled a communist and banned from her homeland for a decade. She spoke at the 1963 March on Washington where Dr Martin Luther King gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. Baker adopted 12 children from all over the world as part of a “Rainbow tribe”, living in a castle in the southwest of France.

  She had five planets in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces – her Sun, Mercury and upbeat Jupiter with her Jupiter conjunct a formidably courageous and attracted-to-danger Mars Pluto conjunction. The Saturn square would give her problems early on with low self-esteem and setbacks but would also instil a work ethic. She emerged from a brutal childhood to become her own woman.

  She also had a creative and idealistic Venus Neptune in Cancer in the signature opposition to Uranus of the time. Significantly she also had a ‘leadership; North Node in Leo so was never destined to spend a life like her mother in poverty.

  Her creative 5^th and especially her musical 7^th Harmonic charts were well aspected. But it was her victim/healer 12^th which is outstandingly strong, linking the Sun and Moon to a revolutionary Uranus Pluto and confident/lucky Jupiter.