Ian Paisley – a throwback to the dark ages

 

Allegations that the late Ian Paisley helped fund a loyalist terror campaign in the 1960s have brought complaints from his family. It will be claimed in an eight-part BBC series on the Troubles to mark the 50th anniversary.

Ian Paisley was the most prominent face of the unionist camp during the thirty years of violence, turbulent political debate and impasse. He was born 6 April 1926 with a preacher father and co-founded the fundamentalist Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster when he was 25. He promoted a form of Biblical literalism and anti-Catholicism, believed the European Union was a part of a conspiracy to create a Roman Catholic super-state controlled by the Vatican. Known for his fiery sermons he preached against the Pope whom he referred to as the anti-Christ, ecumenism and homosexuality and throughout the Troubles, was seen as a firebrand and the face of hard-line unionism. He opposed all attempts to resolve the conflict through power-sharing and campaigned against the Good Friday Agreement which brought an end to the troubles in the late 1990s.

1926 was a year which threw up several notables including the Queen and David Attenborough as well as Jimmy Savile. Paisley was a Sun Aries in a controlling square to Pluto and a sextile to ornery Mars in Aquarius. He also had the enduring and stubborn Fixed T Square of a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter opposition Neptune square Saturn in obsessive Scorpio. With a secretive Water Grand Trine of Uranus in Pisces trine Saturn trine North Node in Cancer.

A complicated man with undoubted talents but used for the wrong ends. I remember an Irish friend saying if they had put three people in a hot air balloon at the start of the troubles – Paisley being one, Gerry Adams and another I’ve forgotten – and cut the rope, the problem would have been sorted a good deal faster. He was the most repellent sort of Protestant, of an evangelical and pig-headed strand of belief that I always associate with the Dutch Reform Church in South Africa which was integral to Afrikaner nationalism.

Pandemonium in Parliament – deja vu Cromwell’s Republic

 

 

A parliamentary revolution isn’t the norm in staid, sensible old Britain but Boris and his ‘swivel-eyed’ sidekick Cummings have certainly raised the rafters. And from the astrology it could run on in turmoil for another few years.

The Simon de Montfort’s first parliament chart, 20 January 1265 JC, appears to work remarkably well (See below).

At the moment the Solar Arc Uranus is conjunct the Saturn for a jolt and an upheaval with high tensions emerging. Tr Pluto is trine the deeply stubborn Saturn Mars in Taurus this year and next, bringing forced change with enormous difficulty. And there’s a panicky tr Neptune square the Solar Arc Saturn Mars for the next few months and indeed trailing on through 2020 as well. Moving ahead the Solar Arc Mars will conjunct the Uranus for more explosive fall-outs in 2021; with a frustrating, trapped, powerless and stuck Solar Arc Mars opposition Pluto in 2022; and a dead-halt, completely stuck Solar Arc Saturn opposition the Pluto in 2024.

These Solar Returns over this period are exactly the same as the ones which ran during the period in the aftermath of the English Civil War  during the 1650s, when the monarchy was dispensed with and Cromwell’s Republic ruled. That period ended after a few years with the restoration of Charles 11 to the throne. The Solar Arcs are the same though the transits were very different with tr Saturn Pluto in Gemini opposition tr Uranus Neptune in Sagittarius when the Commonwealth Republic started.

 

For ease of finding below is a repost of December 30 2018.

A modern equivalent of the most febrile period in English political history in the aftermath of the Civil War is being re-run in Parliament for the next several years. Simon De Montfort’s first parliament, 20 January 1265 JC, has the same Solar Arcs running from 2016 to 2024 as were in place in 1652 to 1659 after the Parliamentarians revolt against the monarchy, with a Republic briefly in place and Oliver Cromwell at the helm.

The De Montfort chart seems to work well, showing up the start of World War 1 and WW11 clearly.

Solar Arc Uranus will conjunct the Saturn, exactly now as Westminster faces one of the most difficult decisions in its history. Uranus is rebellious, a risk-taker, especially sitting close to Jupiter, and will certainly give rise to considerable tensions and outbursts. It won’t resolve quickly or improve with Solar Arc Uranus moving to conjunct Mars in 18 months’ time, which is when the Solar Arc Mars and then Saturn oppose the Pluto through an exceedingly stressed, bad-tempered and trapped phase up to 2024.

On transits tr Pluto will continue the dreary, discouraging slog of 2018 as it trines the Parliament Saturn through 2019, joined in April by tr Pluto in an infuriated, frustrated trine to Mars, on and off till late 2020. A disempowering tr Neptune square Pluto picks up in 2020 into 2021 as the same time as tr Uranus begins a jolting series of squares to the Sun, Neptune and Venus for forced change of direction due to fast-changing circumstances; and by 2022 tr Pluto will square the Parliament Uranus for more disruptions.

Republicanism is unlikely to be a forefront issue though a national government is possible to deal with a chaotic political and/or economic situation. So there’s not going to be a quick n’ easy end to saga.

What was around for Brexit in 2016 was Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct Mars, which is adventurous, risk-taking, a what-the-hell moment to waken up torpor.

 

Robert Mugabe – an icon to corruption

 

Robert Mugabe, the African revolutionary Marxist who became an icon of independence when he took over Zimbabwe has died. He turned Southern Rhodesia, the bread basket of the continent, into a byword for economic mismanagement and corruption, ruling for decades via rigged elections as he starved and tortured his own people. He was ousted in a coup in 2017 and replaced by his henchman Emmerson ‘the crocodile’ Mnangagwa, who hasn’t done much to recover the country’s fortunes.

Mugabe, born 21 February 1924, was a Sun Pisces with a Virgo Moon; and Uranus in Pisces in an adventurous and volatile square to an enthusiastic Mars Jupiter in Sagittarius. He had Saturn in Scorpio trine his Sun and widely trine Pluto in Cancer with his Sun opposition a Virgo North Node. And planets in all three Fire signs – Venus in Aries, Neptune in Leo and Mars Jupiter. So an excitable Water Fire personality and very Mutable.

Zimbabwe became independent at midnight on 18 April 1980 (London time) which puts a control-freak Pluto in the 10th opposition an Aries Sun as the driving rod of a Fire Grand Trine of the Sun trine Mars Node in Leo trine Neptune in Sagittarius, setting the scene for what followed. It did have the potential to be entrepreneurial and successful but consolidating power and corralling money into the hands of the few at the top became the only priority in what was effectively a gangster government.

The original Southern Rhodesia chart, 12 September 1923, had a Water Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Pluto trine Uranus, formed into a Kite by Uranus opposition Sun Venus in Virgo – which is less attention-demanding than the subsequent Zim chart, but harder working and more successful.

There was less overt apartheid in Southern Rhodesia when the colonialists were there but it was still massively unfair to the indigenous peoples despite the thriving economy. Just such a tragedy that independence brought them so much worse.

There’s sadly nothing much to suggest anything much will improve in the near future.

Jo Johnson – limits of family loyalty ++ sister

Jo Johnson, brother of Boris, has resigned as a Minister and says he won’t stand for re-election as an MP, with a thinly veiled attack on Boris’s leadership, saying the tension between national interest and family loyalty was unresolvable. He was always known as pro-European, having come up through investment banking and then economic journalism on the Financial Times.

Although much lower key than his flamboyant brother, he has had a solid career. After a First in Modern History from Oxford, he moved into Deutsche Bank and thereafter rose to starry heights at the FT and has written several books.

He was born 23 December 1971 in London and has an ambitious Capricorn Sun on the focal point of a T Square to Mars in Pisces opposition Pluto, so not short on determination. He’s also got a cool, emotionally detached Air Grand Trine of Saturn in Gemini trine Pluto trine Venus, formed into two talented Kites with Saturn in a creative and idealistic opposition to Neptune and the do-or-die Mars opposition Pluto.

He’s not a good fit with Boris since Jo’s Saturn is conjunct Boris’s afflicted Mars in Gemini with Jo’s Neptune opposition; and Jo’s Mars is in an argumentative square to Boris’s Sun Venus. There’s real dislike in there.

Their relationship chart has a differing-agenda and needs-space composite Sun opposition Uranus; a cool Venus Saturn; and a ratchety Mars inconjunct Uranus; plus an intense Mercury Pluto which will lead to aggravated discussions between then.

Both boys’ charts describe a truly difficult father and Stanley, 18 August 1940, is a bombastic Sun Mars in Leo square Uranus in Taurus; with Jupiter Saturn in Taurus; and Mercury Pluto in Leo – so unbudgeably Fixed.

Sister Rachel, 3 September 1965, gets on better with Boris since her Jupiter is conjunct his Sun Venus. Though she’s just as whirlwind and harum-scarum as he is with a Virgo Sun conjunct Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn with a Sagittarius Moon and a Gemini North Node. What an odd family – three out of the four children wildly Mutable and all over the place and a stick-in-the-mud father who couldn’t be more fixed.

Pic: Chris McAndrew

Kevin Hart – not a year for laughs

 

Kevin Hart, the American comedian – moat recently in the movie Night School – has suffered back injuries in a car crash where he was a passenger. He withdrew from hosting the Academy Awards earlier this year because of alleged homophobic tweets from a decade ago – not his lucky year.

He was born 6 July 1979 10.13 am Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was brought up by a single mother, his cocaine-addicted father being in and out of prison. He’s a Sun Cancer in a sensible sextile to Saturn in hard-working Virgo, a controlling square to Pluto and trine a mischievous Uranus in the 3rd – he said he used humour to cope with a troubled childhood. He also has an ambitious and mouthy Mars in Gemini conjunct his Midheaven in a showbizzy opposition to Neptune in an accident-prone square to Saturn; and sextile a confident Jupiter Mercury in Leo. He’s not uncomplicated and has had issues with DUI and martial ups and downs but he’s got a fairly together chart.

Which isn’t to say he’s in his best of times with tr Pluto opposing his Mars/Saturn and Mars/Node midpoints from early 2019 to late 2020 which is disaster prone, cornered and frustrating. So his recovery looks as if it may take quite a few months. The July Cancer Solar Eclipse was conjunct his Sun, his Solar Arc MC and his Solar Arc Mars pointing to impending crises. With his Solar Arc Mars moving to square his Pluto in coming months which will also tie him down. He’ll bounce again but it’ll take time.

Los Angeles – serious floss and glitter

 

Los Angeles is also in birthday mood today having been officially founded on 4th September 1781. Oddly enough for a city once described by Christopher Hitchens as “mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania” it is a Sun Virgo in a serious square to Saturn in Sagittarius. The Sun is in a dynamic trine to Mars in money-minded Capricorn with Mars sextile Jupiter in money—magnet Scorpio. Where the floss and glitter come from may be an illusory/delusional Venus Neptune in Libra in a seductive trine to Pluto and an unconventional square to Uranus.

At the moment under a business-friendly Democratic Mayor the city is racing ahead economically, now the most productive of the five biggest U.S. cities, outperforming even New York. This is flagged up by tr Pluto sextile the Jupiter running till late this year.

Next year looks less successful with a disappointing tr Neptune square the Mars/Jupiter midpoint and 2021/22 look seriously difficult with a high-risk, trapped and angry tr Pluto conjunct the Mars/Pluto midpoint in 2021/22; and more major obstacles flagged up in 2022/23. The Eclipses around then, located to Los Angeles, especially the May/June 2021 ones, look heavily aggravated with Mars on the IC opposition Pluto on the MC for both the Lunar and Solar Eclipses.

There is a devastating Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the LA Neptune in 2021 which could point to a natural disaster of sorts – not necessarily an earthquake since what was around for the major 1994 quake was very different in character astrologically. At that point the Solar Arc Saturn was moving to oppose the LA Mars which does suggest a major accident and setback; with tr Uranus just over the conjunction to the LA Pluto. The two Eclipses closest also had the hardship Saturn square Pluto on the axis located to LA.

But it does look exceptionally fraught – with a faint thought that it may be connected to the violent Inauguration chart of January 2021 which does point to trouble in the aftermath.

Google – not a great birthday present

 

Google celebrating its 21st birthday today is about to be investigated by more than half of the USA’s state attorneys general for potential antitrust violations, according to the Washington Post, marking a major escalation in U.S. regulators’ efforts to probe Silicon Valley’s largest companies.

Started in 4th September 1998, Google is a Sun Virgo in a business-like trine to Saturn and a controlling square to Pluto; with a volatile, dislikes-interference Mars in Leo opposition Uranus square Saturn in Taurus. A Fixed T Square gives endurance, with Saturn on the focal point organising ability though a dislike of sharing the driving seat. That T Square is being rattled this year and more so next as tr Uranus is conjunct the Saturn and then square Mars and Uranus so it will be explosive and disruptive with sudden changes and high insecurity.

Larry Page, the co-founder and CEO of Alphabet, the parent company, 26 March 1973 is a charming and intense Sun Venus in Aries opposition Pluto, in an exuberant sextile to Jupiter Mars; and a creative Saturn opposition Neptune. He looks unsettled this year with tr Pluto square his Uranus and uncertain with tr Neptune square his Saturn till late this year; plus an unpleasant major-setback Solar Arc Mars square Saturn and conjunct his Mercury with tr Neptune hitting on all three. So a serious hiccup.

Sergey Brin, 21 August 1973 Moscow, co-founder of Google and president of Alphabet, is a Sun Mercury in Virgo in a pro-active trine to Mars in Capricorn sextile Saturn; with Saturn in a tough-minded square to Pluto; and Pluto in another mini-Grand Trine trine Jupiter, sextile Neptune. Very complicated and very talented. He looks fairly cornered at the moment, uncertain and confused over the New Year and beyond; and less than enthusiastic through 2020.

World War 11 – a classic Saturn Pluto signature

 

World War 11 started on 1 September 1939 as Germany invaded Poland and a few days later Britain, France, Australia, Canada and New Zealand declared war on Germany.

It began on a close Saturn in Taurus opposition a Scorpio North Node square Pluto – so a classic war signature; with a volatile, explosive Earth Grand Trine of a divisive Uranus on the Taurus Midheaven trine Mars trine Neptune.

The two preceding Eclipses in April/May were fairly stark as were the two following in October. The May Lunar Eclipse especially had a brutal Pluto opposition Mars square Saturn; with the Lunar Eclipse Uranus in Taurus exactly conjunct the Germany 1871 8th house Pluto. But you would have been hard pushed as an astrologer to pinpoint in advance an outbreak of a global war involving 100 million people from 30 countries.

And I have been staring irritably at charts for two days trying to work out why more does not show on the UK/Germany relationship chart. The chemistry was always there for a conflict with a composite Sun opposition Jupiter square Pluto setting the scene for constant power struggles and contests for the upper hand. But there was little affecting that bar tr Jupiter conjunct the composite Pluto which recurs every 12 years and is mild enough. The tr Pluto square tr Saturn opposition tr North Node does collide with the composite Neptune Venus which would produce a sense of emotional devastation and confusion. But it doesn’t seem stark enough for a major war.

The charts do share almost the same axis so the house transits will be the same, most notably tr Pluto through the 10th which had been running since just after the start of World War 1 until the end of WW11 in 1945. So it was a long phase of searching for power and/or a sense of purpose and direction – which clearly brought a headlong confrontation as aims and ambitions clashed.

The outbreak is more obvious in the Germany/France relationship chart with tr Uranus opposition the composite Sun and square the composite Moon. On the Canada/Germany chart with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Pluto; the Germany/Australia with tr Uranus moving to conjunct the composite Neptune and Moon/Neptune midpoint and trine the composite Mars which tr Neptune was conjunct. But the UK not so much which is odd.

Although having checked, it does show marginally more clearly in the composite Germany/UK Solar Arc chart with tr Neptune opposition the composite Solar Arc Sun; tr Pluto opposition the combined Solar Arc Mars; and tr Saturn opposition the composite Solar Arc Ascendant – though none of these is exact exact.

Hong Kong – massacre or slavery – tough choices

 

“The end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong” says a Chinese state-run news agency ominously as Beijing exerts more pressure on the three-month-old political crisis which shows no signs of abating.   So far Xi’s regime has tried dispatching gang members to beat up protesters, infiltrating marches with provocateurs, putting pressure on businesses to discipline employees who join the marches, arresting several opposition leaders and pulling more troops into the border area. So far, nothing has worked.

A week ago, more than 200,000 people formed human chains across the territory to reiterate the demand for direct elections. The week before, an estimated 1.7 million — nearly a quarter of the population — turned out. Now a two-day general strike has been called after a weekend of chaos that involved some of the most intense clashes yet seen. The protesters feel their lives are at stake either way — massacre now or slavery later.

As China’s 70th anniversary celebrations on October 1st draw near Xi Jinping will want the problem cleared out of the way, without the international condemnation that another Tiananmen Square crack-down would arouse. And there is a financial consideration, given that 60 percent of foreign investment in the mainland flows through Hong Kong which is not affected by Trump’s tariffs. So he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place – his old style Leninist politics making it well-nigh impossible to accommodate freedom-loving activists but having no obvious way to quell them without blowback.

His Second Term chart 24 October 2017 12.30pm looks suspiciously successful over the celebrations with the Sun Jupiter conjunction moving by Solar Arc to exact within weeks.

Two of the leading young activists arrested and then bailed are Joshua Wong, 13 October 1996 and Agnes Chow, 3 December 1996.

Wong is a Sun Libra in an idealistic though not practical square to Neptune, and an energetic sextile to Mars in Leo; Plus a confident (overly?) Mercury in Libra opposition Saturn in self-reliant Aries square Jupiter. He’s looking confident and enthusiastic at the moment with tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter/Uranus midpoint but that disappears from mid December; with tr Saturn then in a downbeat square to his Sun before New Year and in a worrisome and uncertain conjunction to his Neptune into early 2020; plus tr Pluto is in a devastating and confusing conjunction to his Neptune from early 2020 to late 2021.

Chow is a Sun Sagittarius on the point of a T Square to Mars opposition Saturn in Aries – so a strong ego, good leadership material with self-discipline and steel in her spine. She’s also got the Uranus Neptune conjunction; with her Jupiter in Capricorn conjunct Neptune and trine Mars, so confident, good at attracting money and publicity, adventurous. She looks encouraged mid November to mid December with tr Pluto conjunct her Jupiter; less so into 2020 and is very downbeat in 2022.

Though both of these are without birth times so there may be aspects to their chart axis before then which aren’t known.

The Hong Kong 1 July 1997 12 am chart is flagging up more distress and calamities mid October to mid December this year and mid February to late March 2020; with huge pressure from tr Pluto conjunct the Solar Arc Midheaven which can suggest loss of reputation and powerlessness; with false hopes dashed – and worse towards 2022/23 with tr Pluto square the Solar Arc Mars and conjunct the natal Neptune which is likely to bring a sense of internal devastation.

See also posts June 12 and July 29 2019.