James Middleton, brother of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa, has opened up about suffering from depression which effectively brought his life to a halt in late 2016. Born 15 April 1987, he has always been severely dyslexic and was recently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.

He’s a Sun Aries trine Saturn Uranus in Sagittarius, so fiery, got innovative ideas, good starter, not necessarily such a good finisher. More significantly he’s got two Yods – Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Mars in Gemini and Mars sextile Jupiter inconjunct Pluto.  Yods tend to accompany a sense of not fitting in, always being out of step, until a purposeful direction is chosen.

A Yod onto Mars gives a tendency to plunge ahead into action without preparation,  or often with any goal in mind, so can be rash. If handled well, after a time of self-confrontation, it can be a productive force for high energy activity.

A Yod onto Pluto produces an intense individual, but one fairly disconnected from those around, who can be manipulative. If the Yod energy is channelled onto the right track it does give organizational talent or the ability to explore life in depth.

In late 2016 he was just on his First Saturn Return which can be a sobering time of pressures and challenges, and is the first real maturing transit of life. Both Yods have moved by Solar Arc to aspect the natal positions so it is a critical transition phase in his life.

I‘m not sure that going public so early on is such a great idea even with the best of intentions. It makes it sound as if the depression arrived out of the blue and a year later has been fixed, which regrettably isn’t how it works. He’ll have more hitches and glitches to sort out as he goes along.

An emotional Andy Murray said he was retiring soon from international tennis because of pain from hip arthritis. He expects to play next week in Brisbane and hopes to make it to Wimbledon this summer but that seems unlikely. A three-time Grand Slam tournament winner, two-time Olympic champion and highly popular as an all-round nice guy, he’ll be missed. And is clearly taking his forced exit at 32 hard.

Born 15 May 1987 2.10pm Dunblane, Scotland, he has an ambitious 10^th house Mars in Gemini opposition a 4^th house Uranus, Moon, Saturn in Sagittarius suggesting a fairly assertive mother who furthered his career and an unsettled childhood and relationship with his father. His parents split when he was 10 and he lived with his father, being mentored tennis-wise by his mother. Around that time he was at Dunblane School with his brother when Thomas Hamilton ran amok with a gun killing 16 children and a teacher.

He’s also got a far-travelled 9^th house Taurus Sun and a lucky, intense Jupiter and Venus in Aries in his 8^th.

His Solar Arc Midheaven is within less than a degree in opposition to his Neptune as he is forced to make this tough decision; with his Progressed Moon moving through his 6^th house, for the past few months and on till 2020, which is often a time when health issues loom large.  He may have another operation soon, not to be able to play again but to ease the pain and discomfort.

It’ll be a bumpy transition into what comes next though he won’t be short of offers in the sponsorship or charitable spheres, but it’ll be a shock to his system winding down from a training schedule that has been part of his life for more than two decades. Tr Neptune will be square his 4^th house Saturn in 2020/21 which will be uncertain and confused; though tr Pluto trine his Sun in 2020/21 will stabilise him to some extent. In 2021 his Solar Arc Sun will conjunct his Mars and oppose his Uranus which will produce an uncomfortable jolt. But he’ll bounce up with vigour and kick start new projects in 2021/22 and onwards.

Jeff Bezos, richest man in history, founder and chairman of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post is to divorce his wife of 25 years, novelist MacKenzie. The announcement was made to pre-empt a National Enquirer expose of his present relationship.

She met Bezos when he was still working in finance in New York, married him six months later and they went west to Seattle shortly after to set up an online bookstore.

He was born 12 January 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is an ambitious Sun Mars in Capricorn; with Jupiter in pro-active Aries; a serious Venus Saturn in Aquarius square Neptune; and probably a Capricorn Moon.  It’s a chart that really needs a birth time to make sense.

He does have notable 11 and 22 Harmonic charts which are the master numbers, marking him out as different; and his get-it-together businessman’s 5H has a stupendous Jupiter Mars Neptune conjunction – high-risk and huge vision.

MacKenzie Bezos, 7 April 1970 San Francisco, is a good match with her Aries Sun conjunct his Jupiter for mutual support; and she also has a serious Venus Saturn in Taurus. Her Jupiter in Scorpio is  square his Mars, for a shared adventurous spirit; and her Mars in determined Taurus is trine his Sun Mars so she’d be a good motivator. Her Moon is in Taurus which would suit his Capricorn Moon.

Their relationship chart has a passionately enthusiastic and hard-working composite Mars, Venus, Saturn conjunction which wouldn’t all be easy with one of them having to suppress their needs to make it work. And a volatile and intense composite Mars opposition Uranus Pluto, which would come in handy when building the biggest company in the universe, but wouldn’t be that sensitive for romantic togetherness. There is possibly a composite Moon Sun conjunction which is a good complementary pairing.

The announcement hinted that the split has been coming for a while, though both their Sun/Moon midpoints are being triggered round about now so it may have been speeded along by the Enquirer piece. Trump has a dislike of Bezos because of the Washington Post and the Enquirer was always a close Trump buddy.

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, already under a cloud from allegations of bullying, caused a major upset yesterday in the chamber. He went against precedent to allow a vote which effectively skewered Theresa May, forcing her to produce a Plan B within three days if her Brexit deal is voted down.  The intent of it was to remove the possibility of a No-Deal turning up by mistake. Frankly I’m so bamboozled by (and irresponsibly bored with) the whole fandango I’m unclear whether it was a good or bad thing. Nailing T May’s feet to the floor wouldn’t seem that outrageous though the Brexiteers are up in arms and spitting tacks.

Bercow, born 19 January 1963, has a late Sun Capricorn catching the tr Uranus square now until mid February, so on high alert. He’s also got a pushily confident and risk-taking Jupiter opposition Uranus Pluto squaring onto a sociable Venus in Sagittarius; plus a hard-edged and short-tempered Saturn opposition Mars square Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio – aggravated and aggravating, slippery.

He looks fairly upbeat mid January to mid February though on a roller coaster through February; and very much on the edge of his seat over the late March exit date.

He’s never been a favourite with TMay with a composite Sun opposition Mars square Pluto in their relationship chart – and there are further slumps between them to come to in February. It’s going to be a long, hard haul to late March at Westminster. A sair fecht.

Rihanna, the pop icon and all-round mega-successful phenomenon in music, fashion, beauty and charity worlds has been on the go singing since she was fifteen and appears to have an impossibly busy life. Into which she has packed an on-off relationship with Chris Brown (of the infamous punch up way back when) and now the Saudi Toyota heir Hassan Jameel, who is even wealthier than she is.

Born 20 February 1988 in Barbados, maybe 8.50am (astrotheme) she’s fittingly a Sun Pisces which is sextile Uranus Saturn in Capricorn and Mars in late Sagittarius so go-ahead, excitable, serious, hard-working, innovative, at times autocratic. Her Neptune in Capricorn is square her Venus (Moon) in Aries. Her creative 5^th and 7^th Harmonics are notable.

Hassan Jameel, 22 October 1988 (net sources) if accurate is a last degree Libra Sun with a Pisces Moon. His Jupiter squares her Sun for a relaxed interface; but his Saturn Uranus in late Sagittarius are conjunct her Mars which would be scratchy if they were together 24/7. But given their separate busy lifestyles, it may not, in the short-term, cause too much trouble. Their relationship chart has an ethereal, romantic, but unrealistic Sun Neptune opposition Venus maybe square Moon; with a power-couple Pluto opposition Jupiter square Mars, which is one of those aspects that may start well and end up in a push n’ pull for the upper hand.

It’s a softer relationship than she has with Chris Brown which is quite aggravated and likely to flare up with a composite Sun Mars square Uranus Saturn Neptune.

A mishandled inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against Alex Salmond has led to an extraordinary falling out north of the border within the SNP. One side claim that Nicola Sturgeon mounted a “civil war”, using taxpayers money and the full force of the Scottish Government, to denigrate Alex Salmond, her predecessor, mentor and long-time friend. The other side are appalled that two women who found the courage to speak up have been so badly let down by a procedural failure. Although the political inquiry has been deemed at fault, the case is still under investigation by the police.

It was never as easy a relationship as it appeared between Sturgeon and Salmond. He has a 10th house Moon Mars in Pisces while she’s a Cancer Sun conjunct Mars in Leo, so both are spirited, argumentative and emotional. His Pluto is conjunct her midheaven so she would feel controlled by him; and his Jupiter Uranus is conjunct her Sun Mars which is a sparky and combative cross over.

Their relationship chart has a friendly composite Sun Venus; but there is also a one-sided and irritable Mars square Saturn suggesting a relationship in which one partner is careless of the other’s needs; and a power-struggling Jupiter Pluto, which usually starts as a dynamic duo but after a time usually ends up in a fight for the upper hand. And a needs-space Moon opposition Uranus.

Tr Saturn will put a pall on good feelings between them through this coming year as it makes a separating square to the composite Sun Venus.

Sturgeon is finding 2019 discouraging and a dreary slog with tr Pluto trine her Saturn in Taurus and insecure with tr Uranus square her Mars over the late March exit date; plus a dashed-hopes tr Pluto conjunct her Mars/Neptune. She’ll be more confident in 2020/2021 but that influence will run alongside waning powers.

For Salmond see previous post August 24 2018

Could Trump win again in 2020? Two things are certain. Firstly, Trump has lost the cornucopia of Jupiters which swept him into the White House in 2016. Secondly it isn’t going to be a joyous Obama-type win which puts the USA on a high for a few months. So neither a jubilant Donald, nor a euphoric Democratic win.

What is for sure is that it will be one of the most fraught, bitterly hostile and high-risk elections for a long time given the state of the USA 1776 chart with tr Pluto opposing the Mercury and tugging on the USA Pluto, giving rise to a mood of fanaticism and no compromise. And the Inauguration 2021 chart which looks explosive and control-freaky, with an upsurge of revolt rocking the boat.

Trump will have been shuddering under the weight of tr Pluto opposition his Saturn and Mars/Node in 2019, labouring on through 2020 as well, so he won’t be as buoyant as usual. In addition in 2020 tr Pluto moves on to oppose his unpopular Venus/Saturn and hugely frustrated Sun/Mars midpoints, repeating till late 2021.  Tr Neptune will also be chiselling away at his foundations squaring his Uranus this year and Uranus/Node through early 2020 campaigning; and tr Neptune will square his Sun/Uranus across the 2020 summer and presumably the GOP Convention, which will bring setbacks, emotional crisis, physical weakness. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that another Republican candidate is chosen.

Over the election itself he has tr Pluto opposition his Mars/Uranus midpoint which is associated with force, violent interventions, and is generally accident or disaster prone and bad tempered. And nothing very positive from other influences.

On a 10.54 am birth time for him, tr Pluto is aiming to trine his MC over the inauguration which could sound successful and influential and he certainly looks as if he is firing on all cylinders from his Solar and Lunar Returns covering the election and just after. Though they could also point to a change in career direction. So it’s the usual mish mash of contradictory influences and nothing too obvious pointing to success.

The USA doesn’t look remotely happy in the aftermath with tr Neptune square the USA Mars picking up from late March 2021, bringing a panicky sense of failure; plus tr Pluto opposition the USA Mercury through till late 2021, which will continue the intense arguments.

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Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM, facing an indictment on corruption charges is pressing ahead with an April election and playing the Trump victim card in his defence. He clearly hopes the voters will exonerate him even if the courts don’t.

Born 21 October 1949 10.15am Tel Aviv, (rectified time) he is regarded by many as an embarrassment, a threat to democracy, even a precursor to Donald Trump and has gone out of his way to be a friend to strongman dictators.

He is a Libra New Moon with his Sun in an expansive square to Jupiter in money-minded Capricorn and sextile Mars in flamboyant Leo. His Mars is in a formidably determined conjunction to Pluto, both in his legal-affairs 9^th.  He’s mounting what Haaretz the liberal Israeli newspaper describes as an OJ Simpson defence.

Solar Arc Pluto is in the dead-halt conjunction to his Sun which picked up in 2018 when the charges were mooted and will continue for a while yet. He also has Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Saturn in effect over the next few months which suggests high irritability with his freedom being restricted. Tr Saturn is also squaring his Neptune before and after the election which will be uncertain and worrisome; and is anyway (on this birth time) at the lowest ebb of his chart moving through his 2nd house till 2020.

His Jupiter has always been his guardian angel and is around mildly after the election and more strongly in 2020/21 as tr Pluto is conjunct his Jupiter. But he’s also got a major setback in late 2020 from Solar Arc Saturn square his Mars.

Mars Pluto individuals never give in easily or admit guilt but plough their way ahead denying everything vociferously – and sometimes it works.

The Israel chart is on high alert till mid February with tr Uranus trine the Mars. Although there are pressures for change with tr Pluto trine their 8^th house Taurus Sun in 2019/2020, the possibility of much movement is unlikely given how fixed a chart it is. And their repressive Saturn Pluto is moving by Solar Arc to conjunct their Ascendant this year and on till 2022, so there’ll be little softening of their image. Though there will be emotional upsets and perhaps voter outbursts from late May 2019 onwards with tr Uranus square the Israeli Moon, repeating into 2020. 2021/22 will ratchet up the strain with tr Pluto opposition the midheaven which theoretically should bring an inner transformation and purging of old memories, but may run into fierce resistance. A mutinous domestic period of some years follows as Pluto moves through the 4^th stirring up internal dissent. 2021/2022 also sees tr Uranus square the 10^th house Pluto, again attempting to kick start reforms and a new direction, with some old alliances breaking up.

The next few years will be tumultuous for Israel.

Jeopardy stalks Trump from various directions as a new Congress gets under way, with the greatest risk coming from Adam Schiff, newly installed chairman of the House intelligence committee and a former federal prosecutor. He has said he plans to home in on an area the president has tried to fence off: the details of his businesses, his lenders, and his partners in the US and abroad. Schiff said recently: “One of the issues that has continued to concern me are the persistent allegations that the Trumps, when they couldn’t get money from US banks, were laundering Russian money. If that is true, that would be more powerful compromise than any salacious video tape or any aborted Trump tower deal.” One of the first matters he plans to investigate, Schiff told NBC last month, is the Trump Organization’s relationship with Deutsche Bank, for a time reportedly Trump’s exclusive lender, which was fined $700m in 2017 for allowing money laundering.

He also said he would be handing over transcripts of closed-door testimony to Mueller, something Republican leaders under the discredited chairmanship of Devin Nunes did not do and which could place in jeopardy Trump aides including Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner and Roger Stone.

Schiff born 22 June 1960 is a Sun Venus in Cancer in an expansive opposition to Jupiter; with a talented Half Grand Sextile of Mars in determined Taurus opposition Neptune trine/sextile Pluto and Sun. It’s a well-tied-together chart, tuned into the zeitgeist, charming with a ruthless edge. He’s also got a serious Saturn opposition Mercury.  His Mars falls in Trump’s 9^th house of legal and foreign affairs; his Uranus sits exactly on Trump’s Pluto/Mars midpoint which is an explosive crossover; and Schiff’s Pluto is conjunct Trump’s Ascendant and Mars, so he has the ability to transform Trump’s image and corner him.

Their relationship chart is combative and competitive with a composite Sun Mars conjunction which is being shaken mid February till early March this year. There’s a one-upmanship-struggle-for-the-upper-hand Jupiter square Pluto; and a suspicious, high-tension Saturn Neptune square Uranus Mercury which is being assaulted by tr Pluto square and tr Saturn in opposition through this year.

Schiff’s chart will have its ups and downs with a few jangles and worrisome moments from late March onwards but most notably he looks heartened through April and May when Trump is under most pressure. Maybe for separate reasons, of course, but it could be connected. Thereafter Schiff looks in line for more success and luck in 2020.