Why do certain individuals thrive undeservedly while others get landed with an unfair lifetime of setbacks? Why do others overcome monumentally horrible problems to thrive?

  Not much astrology here in terms of examples, more random and varied thoughts.

  What astrologers need to keep in mind is that not everyone lives out the full potential of their charts. Gauquelin (I think) found the most successful were the ones who did. Gifts lie unused. Regrets fester about opportunities ducked. Is it about risk-taking? Being too timid, too tied to what is familiar? Sliding back into the South Node. A life not lived.

 Life is unfair – a strong Jupiter gives luck even to those who did little earn it. A really difficult Saturn or Pluto can set up a mountain of difficulties which not everyone has the tenacity, self-discipline or determination to overcome. Trump and George W Bush (whose wreckage of Iraq/the Middle East has never brought any comeuppance) both have strongly aspected Jupiters. There may be less pressure on the Jupiterian ones to learn self-awareness and indeed learn from mistakes.

Carl Jung thought the mid-life crisis of 38 to 42 years old – tr Uranus opposition Uranus, tr Pluto square Pluto, tr Neptune square Neptune, was the critical turning point for most. Those who opened up to themselves, dug deeper for answers inside and – Uranus (= took a risk) – had a revitalised second half of life while those who buried their heads in the sand, start to stagnate and deteriorate towards old age prematurely. I am not sure that is all of the story but it may be part.

  The Saturn Return at 29 is another staging post which offers a choice about getting real, growing up and taking responsibility for your life – which not everyone does.

 Why not? The ‘old soul’ argument is tempting though I tend to shy away from what sound like elitist justifications. But it is true that some are – more curious? Need to know what life is about and where they fit in; and perhaps most significantly are willing to take risks and try the less familiar. While others don’t ask those questions and bumble along blind and deaf to anything other than doing what is expected of them.

 Which brings up another thought. Social cohesion is dependent on (if I may show my Uranian contempt for normality) doing what others do, not rocking the boat, suppressing a chunk of personal identity to fit in. If there were too many rebels and non-conformists around it would threaten social stability.

  In the natural world there needs to be a balance between structure and creativity, between establishing a strong foundation for a species/plant and when circumstances change for the ability to adapt (Darwin). The rebels and status-quo upsetters are the ones to spearhead necessary changes  – but equally can be damaging during periods when when a society needs to settle down to consolidation in the new phase.

  It may therefore be that people fall broadly into one or other category – and most will be of the security/stability takes-priority mindset even if it means burying a large chunk of their personal identity.

 On that argument individuals not living out their full potential in terms of unique abilities may be a social imperative.

  Those who do live out more of themselves may well be more successful because they are the ones who instigate change when it becomes necessary  – or even just take the lead as part of the normal process of gradual evolution.

  One story which always sticks in mind is John Addey, who was/is one of the leading lights in astrology.  Born 15 June 1920 8.15 am Barnsley, England, he was an active sportsman at school until struck down by severe Ankylosing Spondylitis around the age of 20, which left him unable to walk without the aid of a stick for the rest of his life. During his initial enforced period of immobility he turned his life towards philosophy and astrology. Life handed him a major setback which he turned to a great advantage.

  He was a Sun Venus in Gemini with a Gemini Moon square a Saturn opposition Uranus, so he would  be a thinker and communicator and flexible. Around the time when he was struck down his Solar Arc Moon  in a Mutable T square (square Saturn opposition Uranus) was conjunct his Sun for a game-changing phase in his life. And he took up the baton and ran with it, making the best of a difficult situation.

  What strikes me as almost more relevant was tr Pluto then about to move across his Ascendant into his 1^st house for almost fifteen years thereafter, which I think is one of the most useful transits – and not everyone gets it since Pluto takes 250 years to move round the zodiac. It deepens self-awareness and begins a search for self-knowledge which is invaluable. He also had his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his 4^th house North Node in Scorpio – which was another hint to go deep and develop inner depths even if it meant abandoning what had once been a hope for a different life.

 Another thought is to find a lifestyle that suits the chart which sounds self-evident but often is not. Being pushed into becoming an accountant or nurse or truck driver when your inclinations lie elsewhere is all too common. When tr Saturn moves across the Ascendant into the First quadrant for around 7 years is a time to take a step back and explore where the real potential is and how to develop it. In younger years, living out the parents’ ambitions is common. But the old psychology trope that apple seeds grow into apple trees and orange seeds grow into orange trees needs to be kept in mind. If the parents are overly dominating (or the culture) then an apple seed may never have a chance to grow in the direction for which it was designed.

 Context is all – find a lifestyle that suits who you are. Sandy Gall is a prime example of how to utilise difficult chart aspects. He was a TV reporter and foreign correspondent who had  several brushes with death in the Congo and then in Idi Amin’s Uganda, was later reported lost in Saudi Arabia, bombed in Afghanistan and was the first reporter into Kuwait with the Allied forces in the Gulf War of 1991. He has died aged 97 and an obituary said: ‘He survived on wit, charm, courage and no small amount of good luck.”

  He was a Sun Libra opposition Uranus – so would have been hopeless in an assembly-line or even civil service job. More significantly his Sun was conjunct Mars square Pluto – he would be attracted to high-adrenaline, high-jeopardy situation and have courage. In a different lifestyle Mars square Pluto can be exceptionally problematic since it tends to attract disasters. He volunteered for them.

 He also had Jupiter on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile Mercury, giving him confidence, luck and I would imagine an insane amount of optimism about getting out alive.

 If his chart had been born into run-of-the-mill circumstances and been stuck in a normal life, it would have created all manner of problems.

 Know thyself and live accordingly. Carl Jung: “Freewill is the ability to choose that which I must do.”

 Queen Elizabeth 11 is a prime example with an incredibly Fixed and overly conscientious chart. She settled into ploughing the same furrow (fixed) for her entire adult life – in the process living out who she was and holding the country together. Hers was a life of self-sacrifice but she was also living out her identity.

 Actor Greg Wise, husband of Emma Thompson, also has extracted the best out of his Sun, Algol, North Node, Mars conjunction in Taurus, as he campaigns with Marie Curie Hospices for open discussions about end of life.  His close friend drowned when he was in his 20s; he spent time with both of his parents in their final months and was the carer for is sister when she died of cancer. (See previous post in Search). That Taurus collection could have been truly difficult bringing him more first hand experience of death than most but he has embraced who he is and turned it to good use.

   Will a chart say who has choices and who doesn’t?  I am not sure. There is an ‘unknown’ which the chart won’t articulate which I sometimes refer to as an element of grace but that does not explain much.

 Some individuals can turn difficulties into character-building strengths, others become destroyed by similar setbacks. Some lack self-awareness and I see this the older I get which is exceptionally sad, even tragic. Some never seem to learn from their mistakes and go regretfully or resentfully into that dark night without ever realising they had choices.

Chapter I

“I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost… I am hopeless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in this same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it there.

I still fall in… it’s a habit… but,

my eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.”

Portia Nelson 

The latest ruling from the USA Supreme Court was described by Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the three dissenting justices, as “profoundly dangerous, since it gives the Executive the go-ahead to sometimes wield the kind of unchecked, arbitrary power the Founders crafted our Constitution to eradicate”. She also calls the ruling an “existential threat to the rule of law”. Another dissenter Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: “No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates.” The court has dramatically expanded the rights of the president to nullify constitutional provisions at will.

 Most thoughts are covered in an amended previous post below. To recap – on the SCOTUS chart tr Neptune last year and tr Saturn this year into early 2026 plus Solar Arc Uranus all conjunct Venus, the yod focal point planet, which does suggest a change of direction, causing emotional and societal upset. Where the significant pressure for a complete revamp and rethink will come is around the next election and the one beyond in 2032 as first tr Uranus will square the SCOTUS Uranus, SA Saturn will conjunct the North Node and square the Sun; and by 2032 tr Pluto will conjunct the Sun.

 What I missed last time round was the Progressed Mars conjunct the North Node and square the Sun late 2026 into 2027 which suggests continued aggravation and maybe setbacks for SCOTUS. Progressed Mars to the Sun usually produces a ‘collision’ type event.

 The SCOTUS/USA relationship chart is showing unease with tr Neptune square the composite Saturn from mid this June (ie. when this ruling came down) and on into 2026 – with hints of a tussle for the upper hand between public opinion and the Justices running till the end of Trump’s term.

 Trump’s relationship chart with SCOTUS is chained-together but not exactly harmonious with a composite Pluto, Saturn, Venus, Algol square Uranus – destructive and damaging with underlying bitter resentment. Arguments will flare in 2026/27.

From previous Post July 2024, amended.

The Supreme Court’s latest ruling (in 2024) allowing presidents to be unrestricted by legal niceties has been described by the media as “unconscionable” and “bad beyond wildest imaginings”. With an expert on judicial ethics calling SCOTUS “an organization more political than legal.” And saying flatly that the Supreme Court now has a “potential legitimacy problem.” “The traditional notion that we will accept the results of the court whether we agree with it or not … is decreasingly the case.”

 But despite public alarm at the state of affairs within SCOTUS with additional concerns about the financial questionmarks over Thomas and at least two justices with blatantly pro-Trump family connections, there seems little possibility of change unless Democrats gain control of both chambers in the November election and retain the White House. Plus whether any retirements from the court lead to a change in the 6-3 conservative-liberal split in coming years.

  The SCOTUS chart, 2 February 1790, looks exuberant at the moment with tr Uranus square the Mars Jupiter conjunction. Though with discontent and disappointment lurking as tr Neptune are conjunct the Venus (on the focal point of a yod to Neptune sextile Mars Jupiter, so doubly important) from this October to early March 2025.  Followed by tr Saturn square the focal point Venus the first half of October this year and second half of January 2026. These two influences could suggest upsets within SCOTUS and a veering away from goals of social harmony.

   Solar Arc Uranus then proceeds to conjunct the focal point Venus by 2027 which indicates more upsets and sharp changes of direction not always in line with popular opinion.  Indeed there may be more internal arguments emerging as well. With a downbeat 2029 as SA Saturn is square Sun.

  My sense from having scanned various charts is that this coming presidential term will be a stormy one vis a vis the Supreme Court with their comeuppance arriving with the next presidency from 2029 onwards. The 2025 Inauguration chart has Mercury in the legal 9th opposition Mars for a term of arguments about justice.  The 2029 Inauguration has Venus, North Node and Mercury in the 9^th square Jupiter – with perhaps a hope of putting improvements in place.

 The relationship chart between SCOTUS and the USA hints at a tussle for the upper hand this year and next from tr Pluto opposition the composite Jupiter; with even greater uncertainty and concern from 2026 onwards for three years with tr Saturn Neptune in Aries square the composite Saturn and then the Uranus.

John Roberts, heretofore deemed sensible and reasonable, but now seeing his halo dim, is having a peculiarly difficult 2027 with a blocked SA Pluto square his Sun, at the same time as tr Pluto starts to conjunct his Sun in 2027/28. And worse in 2028 with a panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct his Mars into 2029.

In no particular order:

Brett Kavanaugh, wobbling this year; running into scandals from over confidence in 2027 to 2029.

Amy Barrett, blocked in 2025 from SA Sun opposition her Pluto; with a downbeat 2026 and maximum pressure in 2027/28 from tr Pluto conjunct her Sun.

Clarence Thomas, an angry collision in 2026 and a longish slide from 2026 to 2028 courtesy of tr Neptune Saturn square his Sun, Mercury, Venus in Cancer.

Samuel Alito, excitable and nerve-stretched this year into 2025 with tr Neptune opposition his Mars; erupting in high tension in 2025 with SA Uranus conjunct his Saturn; panicked in 2026/27 as Neptune collides with Uranus; meltdown in 2027.

Sonia Sotomayor, under huge pressure with tr Pluto square her Saturn in Scorpio in 2024/25; sagging badly 2026/28 with tr Saturn Neptune square her Mars and her Sun.

Neil Gorsuch, into a nerve-shredding 2026/27 courtesy of Uranus Neptune cross overs and worse in 2027 with his SA Uranus conjunct his Mars.

Elena Kagan, He Taurus Sun opposition Neptune are getting the full brunt of a hit from Solar Arc Pluto in 2026/27; as the same time as tr Pluto is grinding its way in hard aspect across both in 2027/28. She looks rattled at the moment by a major setback.

 Ketanji Brown Jackson, upset at the moment; high tensions in 2025; logjammed in 2026; ready to blow a fuse in 2027 and maybe just maybe feeling upbeat by 2028.

“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” James Baldwin.

“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.” Montesquieu

“Justice will overtake fabricators of lies and false witnesses.” Heraclitus

“If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.” Francis Bacon

“I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality.” George Washington

“The due administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government, I have considered the first arrangement of the judicial department as essential to the happiness of the country, and to the stability of its political system.” George Washington

NASA, the USA National Aeronautics and Space Administration,  is under threat with major budget cuts mooted for the near future which would put at risk future space exploration.  For an organization which put a man on the moon, sent a rover to Mars and unlocked some of the greatest secrets of the universe’ this has been a devastating blow for scientists.

  Nasa was preparing to put humans back on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, with moonbases and research stations established in which astronauts would live and work, and a permanent space station orbiting the moon called the Lunar Gateway.

 The European Space Agency (Esa) has key partnerships with Nasa  but is now investigating new non-American partners, most likely Japan and India and even China. Daniel Neuenschwander, Esa’s director of human and robotic exploration, said “We want to work on reducing the risks of the projects where we are dependent on US decisions. We want to increase the projects which are done in autonomy, where we are the masters of the decisions we take.”

 NASA, 29 July 1958 Washington, DC, looks in turmoil with tr Uranus square its Pluto from this August into 2026 when tr Uranus also squares the Mercury – so the changes will arouse bitter feelings. Tr Pluto has been square the Neptune this year as concerns mounted. Worse in 2026 tr Pluto square the NASA Mars from March onwards for two years will bring frustrating and enraging blockages; with tr Pluto moving on to square oppose the Leo Sun in 2027/28 – which does look like a trapped, powerless and damaging few years.

 The European Space Agency (ESA) 30 May 1975, Paris, has most aggravation and failure indicated in 2027/28 and on.

  For all the Make America Great Again guff, the end result of many of Trump’s policies appears to be the exact opposite.

Keir Starmer in office but not in control flip flops constantly – winter fuel, gender identity, welfare, immigration – blown hither and thither by activists in his party, seemingly incapable of defending what in certain instances are perfectly sensible policies and comments.

  There is not much new to say – he was always due for an extended slide downhill through rough terrain. At the moment and in recent months he has had his Solar Arc Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune which hints at confusion and devastation. With his Solar Arc Mars moving ever closer to the conjunction to his Sun Pluto almost immediately and staying in place for the next year – which is complete dead halt and meltdown time

  His relationship chart with the UK has a high-stress Mars opposition Pluto square Moon (degree not known) which is not quite as bad as the UK/Tony Blair relationship chart with composite Mercury opposition Uranus square Mars Pluto Algol. But not a lot of love in there.

  The UK chart is showing continuous jolts, jangles and concerns with tr Neptune Saturn opposition the Uranus now into early 2026; followed by the upheaval of a wake-up-and-make-overdue changes tr Uranus square the UK Pluto from June 2026 onwards into 2027.

  Starmer’s Government chart, 5 July 2024 12.19pm London, is  is showing continued fraught and hostile arguments right through this year and the next two with the Mercury opposition Pluto under strain.

  His leadership chart, 4 April 2020 10.45 pm London, which may be the more relevant since he could go before the Labour Government does, has a caring, but confused and directionless Neptune in the 10^th with a pushily confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction sitting close to a prone-to-setbacks Mars conjunct Saturn in Aquarius which is being ground down right through until late 2026. With disruptions and upheavals from late March 2026 to late 2027, which could be his topple-off-perch time. Nothing will get easier with significant difficulties, uncertainties and losses right through. He may decide to throw in the towel himself at some point.

 Rachel Reeves is in for a serious shock and calamity as Uranus moves into Gemini within days and that repeats into 2026. She’ll keep walking the confident talk till early this December but thereafter loses the tr Pluto opposition her Jupiter. 2026 looks like a sinkhole for her.

 Angela Rayner is getting a lucky break August to early October and again in 2026 as tr Uranus squares her Jupiter. 2026 will brighten her love life with her Solar Arc Sun conjunct her Venus.

Wes Streeting will be up and down with lucky and less fortunate influences running concurrently through this year and next.  

Mariska Hargitay, long term star of Law and Order Special Victims Unit has explored her family history through a documentary to honour her mother Jayne Mansfield – a Playboy Playmate, and sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s, who was killed in a car crash aged 34.

  Mariska was in the car when her mother died and was subsequently brought up by Mickey Hargitay, a former Mr Universe bodybuilder, her mother’s almost divorced second husband, but not as subsequently emerged years later her biological father. She also admitted recently she was raped in her thirties.

 Her mother was known for her numerous publicity stunts and open personal life. Her film career was short-lived, but she had several box-office successes and won a Theatre World Award and Golden Globe Award gaining the nickname of Hollywood’s “smartest dumb blonde”. Her highly active and tangled love life included it is said the two Kennedy brothers and when she died a film critic wrote: “her personal life out-rivaled any of the roles she played”. Her wiki entry is an eye opener.

 Her dark haired daughter has not followed in her mother’s footsteps, sticking to low key roles until she landed in Law & Order where she has stayed for 25 years. She did not marry until she was 40, has one biological child and two adopted children.

 Mariska was born 23 January 1964 5.58 am Santa Monica, California, and has a determined first house Sun Mars in Aquarius with a 4^th house Taurus Moon opposition creative Neptune in her career 10^th square Saturn in Aquarius. A 4^th house Taurus Moon will make her keen on domestic security and interested in her roots which would make the upheavals and oddities of her life tricky to handle. Moon square Saturn gives a distance from mother and Neptune hints at confusion.

  She also has a yod of Mars sextile Jupiter in Aries inconjunct Uranus Pluto in Virgo in her 8^th which would make for a drama-filled life with many mysteries and odd coincidences. Her Venus in Pisces opposing her Uranus Pluto is the reaction planet and especially sensitive.

 Jayne Mansfield, 19 April 1933 9.11am Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, had a high-vitality, unpredictable and rebellious Uranus, Venus, Sun in Aries in her career 10^th square Pluto; with an Aquarius Moon opposition Mars in Virgo in her 3^rd – excitable, argumentative, lived in the fast lane. She had the 1933 Mars, Neptune, Jupiter in Virgo which produced quite a few acting luminaries from that year including Joan Collins.

 Her Chiron was conjunct Algol with both square her Moon which seems significant. When she died transiting Chiron was on the focal point of a yod inconjunct her Sun sextile Moon.

 Mariska’s relationship chart with her mother has a super-tough and angry composite Saturn Mercury opposition Pluto square Mars. The difficulties will be related to her mother’s death in part but also perhaps hints at what would have been a stressed relationship had her mother lived – and continued her chaotic lifestyle.

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The US pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC has a stated mission  ‘to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.’ It has been publicly supportive of Netanyahu’s Iran attack and Gaza campaign despite growing concern amongst moderate Jewish groups.

 AIPAC, incorporated 2 January 1963, has a conservative Capricorn Sun with a pushily confident Jupiter opposition Pluto and Uranus. This September’s Lunar Eclipse will oppose its Pluto though it may have relatively little effect – Eclipses on Pluto hint at a change-or-stagnate challenge and they show no signs of softening their approach.

 The relationship between AIPAC and Trump is being undermined now till late July and again through 2026 with tr Neptune conjunct the composite Sun followed by tr Saturn. The recent Iran attack was by no means initially welcomed by Trump whose relationship with Netanyahu, albeit chained-together, showed a major jolt of insecurity; as did the AIPAC/Israel relationship chart.

 This September’s Pisces Lunar Eclipse also flags up on the AIPAC/USA relationship chart so it will continue to be a fluid scenario. And it opposes Netanyahu’s Saturn in Virgo for a sobering face-reality few months.

 The other point of astro-interest is 4 degrees Cardinal which tr Saturn gets to late March 2026 and tr Neptune from late May 2026 onwards on and off into 2027. This will rattle Netanyahu’s Uranus at 4 degrees Cancer producing nervy responses, perhaps exacerbating his normally inflexible and uncompromising stance. Worse for him, his Progressed Mars will reach 4 degrees Libra, on the same degree after mid 2026 and sticking around for a year plus thereafter – which will be explosive and insecure, perhaps prompting macho displays.

The good times won’t be rolling anytime soon.

Add On:

‘Gaza must be eliminated’: Israel’s airwaves are filled with pro-genocide propaganda.

“There are databases online with hundreds of statements which show a blurring of Hamas and the population of Gaza (including children) and a desire to inflict collective punishment. The end goal of all this is not the removal of Hamas from Gaza, but the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.there are databases online with hundreds of statements which show a blurring of Hamas and the population of Gaza (including children) and a desire to inflict collective punishment. The end goal of all this is not the removal of Hamas from Gaza, but the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.”
It’s clear now that nothing will shame the West into stopping Israel from carrying out its “total victory” in Gaza. But I’ve written this to serve as yet another reminder that we all knew what was coming. Nobody can feign ignorance. Nobody can pretend they didn’t know.”

Arwa Mahdwai is a Guardian US columnist

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/27/israel-gaza-propaganda

Anna Wintour, heralded as the most powerful woman in publishing and a global fashion leader, is stepping down as editor-in-chief of Vogue after 37 years. She has been chairperson of the annual haute couture Met Gala since the 1990s. Revered for her talent, she has been criticised for her reportedly cool and demanding personality a la Meryl Streep in the movie The Devil Wears Prada.

 A lazy retirement is not in her future, since she will continue as Vogue’s global editorial director, as well as chief content officer for its parent company Conde Nast.

  Born 3 November 1949 in London, with a journalistic father, she has a determined Sun Scorpio in a controlling square to Pluto and an innovative trine to Uranus in Cancer; with a workaholic Saturn and Mars in Virgo.  Her Aries Moon may oppose her Neptune.

  She is credited with giving American Vogue a new lease of life, turning it into one of the world’s top fashion publications by overhauling its output with less well-known models and mixing inexpensive clothes with couture.

 Vogue founded 17 December 1892 has a Sagittarius Sun in a friendly, creative conjunction to her Venus; and its Uranus is conjunct her Sun so she would challenge it to become let out its conventional streak.

 When she took over in 1988 tr Uranus Saturn in late Sagittarius were conjunct Vogue’s Sun and her Venus.

 Conde Nast, the parent company, 24 June 1909, is moving through undermining times, along with the wider magazine world in general, with tr Neptune Saturn square the Cancer Sun.

 Anna Wintour ahead will have a bumpy road with Conde Nast through 2026 to 2028. Her own midpoints are mixed, with success in 2027/28 but a few glitches before then.

Activists are on a mission to change the world and come in all forms from national political – South Africa’s ANC, the IRA (and forerunners in Ireland), Palestine Liberation Organisation (Hamas and Hezbollah) – to specific causes within society like Suffragettes, Animal Liberation, Hunt Saboteurs, Climate Change, Stop Oil etc.

 Such organisations are by their nature pro-active so assertive Mars will figure prominently, as will Uranus Pluto or strong Uranus aspects. When the will for change meets resistance that assertion gets frustrated and can – in some cases turn violent. For instance the Animal Liberation Front has in recent years been considered a domestic terrorist group by both the FBI and the Southern Poverty Law Center–despite the ALF’s official stance of nonviolence. It executes raids and attacks on animal testing facilities and was founded around 1974 by a Brit Ronnie Lee (born 1951) by all accounts an unassuming man who launched an extremist movement that uses intimidation and economic sabotage to advance its cause.

  The Suffragettes have two founding charts – NUWSS 14 October 1897 and 10 October 1903. The first has a fair-minded Libra Sun trine Neptune Pluto in Gemini with a determined Mars in Scorpio in a risk-taking square to Jupiter.  The 1903 chart also has a Libra Sun with Mars in outspoken Sagittarius in a can-be-ruthless square to Pluto opposition Jupiter.

It involved two main groups: the suffragists, who favored peaceful tactics, and the suffragettes, who employed more militant and confrontational methods, chaining themselves to railings, breaking windows, setting fires, and hunger strikes in prison to achieve their goals. “Deeds not words” was the  motto reflecting the belief that peaceful methods were not enough to achieve their goals.

Millicent Fawcett wrote: “I could not support a revolutionary movement, especially as it was ruled autocratically. I had no doubt whatever that what was right for me and the NUWSS was to keep strictly to our principle of supporting our movement only by argument, based on common sense and experience and not by personal violence or lawbreaking of any kind.” Born 11 June 1847 she had a Sun Jupiter in Gemini square Mars with her Sun also square Saturn in Pisces.

Emmeline Pankhurst, 15 July 1858 was widely criticised for her militant tactics, but her work is recognised as a crucial element in achieving women’s suffrage, helping win the right to vote in the UK.  She had a Water Grand Trine of a Cancer Sun trine Mars in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces with Pluto in Taurus square Saturn in Leo – tough, stubborn, courageous.

  South Africa’s ANC struggling against apartheid, 8 January 1912, has a Capricorn Sun trine both Saturn and Mars in tough-minded Taurus with Uranus also in Capricorn trine Mars and opposition Neptune.  Nelson Mandela, 18 July 1918 was a Sun Cancer inconjunct Uranus; with a confident Jupiter Pluto conjunct in Cancer square Mars and his Mars sextile Saturn. He initially started out revolutionary taking direct action in strikes and demonstrations and concluded that violent action would be necessary to end apartheid and white minority rule. He ended up serving 27 years in prison for his beliefs and actions, with apartheid eventually collapsing due to international pressure.

 The Palestine activist groups which started because of the violent displacement of Palestinian Arabs after 1948 and the increasing alienation of those who remained have tended to be more violent. The PLO, 28 May 1964, has a revolutionary Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn square Sun; with Uranus Pluto trine Jupiter. With Mars in determined Taurus opposition Neptune and trine Pluto.

 Hamas, 14 December 1987 Has a fearsome Mars Pluto in Scorpio and Hezbollah, 16 February 1985, has Mars in direct-action Aries trine Uranus with the Aquarius Sun tied into Saturn in Scorpio and Algol North Node – formidably determined.

 Palestine Action (see post below) also leans towards violence in its rage about the unfairness of the situation.

  In other arenas – Hunt Saboteurs, 26 December 1963, has a potentially violent Mars in Capricorn trine Uranus Pluto in Virgo. Just Stop Oil, 14 February 2022, has Mars Venus in Capricorn trine Uranus with Sun Saturn in Aquarius.  Extinction Rebellion, 31 October 2018, has an exceptionally stubborn chart with a Scorpio Sun opposition Uranus square Moon North Node; with Jupiter in Scorpio square a defiant Mars in Aquarius.

 Not sure what conclusions can be drawn except that peaceful protest plus a few (metaphorical) sharp kicks on the shin appear to be needed in certain situations. But not all protests work and it is not a fair world where justice wins through eventually – hence the Tibetans and other beleaguered peoples suppressed under the the dictator’s heel.

Zohran Mamdani, the leftwing Democrat not beloved by Wall Street, is the surprise winner of the Democratic race to become mayor of New York. Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat though the final result won’t be known until July 1^st. Mamdani ran his campaign on a pledge to make life more affordable for New Yorkers, with promises to raise taxes on the rich to fund free buses and childcare and has criticised  US support for Israel in Gaza,. He found a groundswell of support among younger voters, amassing a huge social media following and was backed by Sanders and AOC. The contest was widely seen as a referendum on the future of the Democratic party.

  He financed his campaign through small-dollar donors and said Cuomo’s campaign was the “latest example of billionaires and corporations trying to buy an election.” Cuomo in response drew attention to Mamdani’s inexperience in government.

  He was born 18 October 1991, Kampala, Uganda into a Muslim family and moved to New York aged 7, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2018. He worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor in Queens, an effort focused on helping low-income homeowners of color — a role he has said inspired him to enter politics.

 He has a Libra Sun conjunct Mars (and Mercury) in early Scorpio in a hard-edged short-fused square to Saturn in Aquarius with an Aquarius Moon – determined and a thinker and communicator. He has the generational Uranus North Node Neptune in Capricorn  – innovative and can-be-opinionated and that trines a charming, light-hearted Venus Jupiter in Virgo.

 His Solar Arc Jupiter is exactly square his Uranus at the moment for a lucky break.

  His Solar Arc Jupiter chimes with New York’s Jupiter in Libra square Capricorn Sun. Though his Uranus Neptune North Node conjunct the NY Sun could be tricky.

His relationship chart with New York has a composite Pluto trine Saturn and square Mars Sun which suggests an aggravated interface. Similar to Tony Blair and the UK – started upbeat and ended hostile. Whatever plans he has in mind may run into considerable opposition.

  Though the New York chart looks in line for relief, a lucky break and potentially positive changes for the next two years with the SA Uranus opposition the NY Jupiter and square Sun.