Another Trump rumpus as his plan to expand USA fossil fuel production into the Arctic moves ahead, despite crashing oil prices and a general shift away from damaging energy sources. He has overturned six decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the US though it’s likely to run into fierce legal battles from environmentalists and Alaskan Native groups over the fate of polar bears, migrating herds of caribou and birds, never mind the effect on climate change.
Leases could be sold by the year end though any oil production would be a decade away. It’s unclear how much interest there will be from energy companies at a time when many countries are trying to wean themselves from fossil fuels. Exploring and drilling in harsh Arctic conditions remains difficult and costly.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was set up on 6 December 1960, with a Sagittarius Sun Square Pluto Node in Virgo; with a tough Saturn and Jupiter in Capricorn opposition Mars in Cancer.
Where it looked most at risk was three years ago as the Solar Arc Mars opposition Saturn squared the Sun – so maybe the shock of a Trump/Republican victory made the dangers clear from early on. There’s a nerve-stretched, panicky, paralysed tr Uranus opposition Neptune exactly now and repeating on and off through 2021. The recent Lunar Eclipse also shook up the Mars in Cancer opposition Saturn for a setback scenario in coming months.
There’s more cheer through this October and over the election with a sigh of relief from tr Uranus opposition Jupiter/Node midpoint and then the Jupiter/Pluto midpoint, which repeat in spring 2021. But 2021 still looks like a tricky year though that could be other factors with climate change moving ahead or natural disasters.
‘The stench of incompetence’ is the accusation being levelled at the UK government by even the right-wing media as yet another fiasco piles on top of several previous. First overseeing one of the highest Covid fatality rates in the world, wasting vast sums on PPE that doesn’t work and trumpeting a “world beating” track and trace system that …. doesn’t. A minor hiccup as they failed to shoehorn their candidate onto the Intelligence Committee to divert an embarrassing Russia report spotlighting Tory donors; and a glossed-over planning scandal involving yet another non-resigning minister. Now the exam fiasco which every other European country has managed to handle without causing outrage. And we haven’t even got to Brexit or how the economic fallout will be finessed after throwing money around with abandon. The scenario has been likened to Plato’s ‘ship of fools’ – ‘ignorant fools elect persuasive fools and are then led to ruin.’
Boris’s government hasn’t even got to its riskiest banana skin which turns up from October 2nd as tr Neptune squares the Mars/Pluto and Venus/Mars midpoints which suggest catastrophes and no will or wit to overcome them. It runs across the supposed Brexit New Year exit until late January 2021. With the December Sagittarius Solar Eclipse conjunct the Government Sun for a crisis or many in the months thereafter. And a lacklustre, sagging tr Neptune squaring the Sun from late March onwards, on and off for a year.
Boris’s personal chart has a Midheaven directly in the line of fire from the most recent Lunar Eclipse suggesting this was always going to be a career critical few months for him – and the pressure won’t lift with the December Solar Eclipse hitting his Gemini Sun, Venus and Mercury; plus his Solar Arc MC being exactly conjunct his Uranus now (birth time being accurate to the minute). All in all the heavens are descending on his head.
Gavin Williamson, 25 June 1976, the hapless Education Minister, now foisting the blame sideways onto regulators, is a Sun Venus in Cancer square Pluto, trine Uranus; with Mercury (Moon) in Gemini opposition a slippery Neptune; and a flashy Mars in Leo in an opportunistic square to Jupiter. The June Solar Eclipse rattled his Sun Venus so he wasn’t going to miss a nerve-stretching challenge or two.
A new health initiative has been set up, as Public Health England (PHE) was landed with the blame for the pandemic mishandling and deleted. The National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) was launched yesterday morning with immediate effect.
PHE was an excitable Sun, Venus, Mars, Uranus in Aries square Pluto; with a head-in the-clouds Jupiter square Neptune; an over-grandiose Yod of Saturn sextile Pluto inconjunct Jupiter and another Yod of Sun sextile Jupiter inconjunct Saturn. Stressed, chaotic and none too practical.
The new NIHP circa 12 noon 18 August 2020 is not that dissimilar with Mars in Aries square Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter; with a Yod of Pluto Saturn sextile Neptune inconjunct the Leo New Moon – an apex Moon is certainly keen on nurturing but can be disorganized, not adaptable and tends to act in a self-defeating way. An apex Sun tends to throw its weight around and either be too full-on or not enough. There will be mountains to climb in 2021/22 with tr Pluto square the Mars and conjunct Saturn which doesn’t give much hope of its chances of overcoming the problem.
Baroness Dido Harding, 9 November 1967, has been hoiked in to lead it who appears to be part of the chumocracy, married to a Tory MP, and recently in charge of the less than useful Track and Trace programme. From failure to failure up the ladder.
She’s a Sun Scorpio with Uranus, Pluto, Venus in Virgo and a Yod of Jupiter sextile Mercury inconjunct Saturn in Aries with her Saturn square Mars in ambitious Capricorn. Tough certainly, but facing the same uphill struggle as NIHP with a failure-ridden and career-losses next month as tr Neptune squares her Jupiter/Saturn midpoint, which repeats next February; more slipping and slithering from this October through January 2021 and then a discouraging and panicky run from late January through 2021 into 2022.
Just to check the astrology – the PHE chart, 1 April 2013 – has exactly this year Solar Arc Uranus conjunct its Mars, Solar Arc Saturn conjunct its North Node and Solar Arc Neptune square Jupiter – for a disruptive crisis brining high insecurity, a moment of truth and delusions exposed. The replacement may not fare much better.
See previous Boris posts: Brexit August 3 and July 16 and June 4 2020.
Joe Biden’s campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon is credited with revitalising a flagging and messy operation into a well-funded machine which has achieved a substantial polling lead. Her chart should be a barometer of his progress in the challenging weeks running into November.
Born 28 September 1976, she’s a veteran of two Obama campaigns and a seasoned operator, with a determined Sun Pluto in Libra sextile Neptune (Moon) Sagittarius and trine Jupiter in Gemini. Her Mars in Libra has the frustrating and trapped tr Pluto square Mars at the moment until August 17th, returning November 20th to late December. That may just be the momentous pressures of a gruelling campaign but she also has from late September to late October tr Uranus opposition her Sun/Neptune midpoint which is discouraging, low energy and brings disappointments. What is more unsettling from her and Biden’s point of view is tr Neptune opposition her Mars/Saturn midpoint which runs from 2 October to late January 2021, which tends to be associated with the inability to overcome obstacles, losses and low energy. Although she will get a lift from a more successful/lucky break tr Uranus square her Jupiter/Pluto midpoint from late December into February 2021. Some of the above may be personal or health issues since she is mother to three young children.
But her downhearted influences coincide with fairly similar ones on Biden’s chart – tr Pluto square his Mars/Neptune midpoint from now till late November which tends to bring failed-plans. And a confidence denting tr Neptune opposition his Mars/Jupiter midpoint 2 October to late January 2021. He will get some mild cheer late November to late December but really does not pick up success influences until late January 2021 onwards. In fact 2021 looks an upbeat vibrant year for him – it’s what precedes it that is mystifying.
Jill Biden looks more optimistic now and across the election with upbeat transits to several of her Jupiter midpoints; though is facing a seriously difficult, worrisome and high risk 2021/22.
To be remembered – what the astrology shows isn’t a clairvoyant vision of winning or losing and it’s easy to misinterpret the influences. Michelle Obama looked devastated over the first Obama Inauguration as the full reality of life in a dangerous, trapped goldfish bowl sank in, which could have been interpreted in advance as an election loss. I’ve seen charts with individuals delirious with joy at losing since they could escape off to peace and quiet. It’s also weeks to the election and there’s many a slip or at least a swampy patch to plough through before the day itself with perhaps a delayed result.
Robert Trump, the youngest of the five children of Fred and Mary Trump and brother of the president, has died, according to reports from bleeding on the brain.
He was born 26 August 1948, worked initially in finance before becoming an executive with the Trump Foundation. Known as the ‘nice’ Trump, he would intervene to solve problems, was supportive of his brother’s White House bid and recently spearheaded the legal attempt to silence their niece Mary’s book about the family.
He was an understated Virgo Sun conjunct Saturn in late Leo with a steady Taurus Moon either square Pluto or Saturn or both – so battened down by both parents. He did have a spark of fire from Jupiter in Sagittarius trine Saturn sextile Mars but his strongly placed Saturn probably kept him squelched down; as did his well-intentioned Venus in Cancer square Neptune.
Donald did admit he bullied his brother as when they were children which comes across loud and clear in the synastry. With Donald’s bombastic Mars in Leo conjunct his brother’s Saturn; and Donald’s Saturn square Robert’s Mars. Mars Saturn interfaces give rise to aggravation and unfair behaviour verging on cruelty.
Their relationship chart has a hint of affection from a composite Sun Venus conjunction, part of which would be superficial with Venus trine Jupiter; with a chained-together by circumstance Saturn, Pluto, Mercury; and an explosive composite Mars square Uranus. It’s a relationship that would simmer uncomfortably with unspoken resentments.
Robert’s relationship with his father Fred was much worse with a composite Saturn Mars conjunction sextile Sun and trine Pluto – domineering and scary.
The US Postal Service (USPS) has warned that millions of mail-in votes may not arrive in time to be counted on the presidential election day. A record number of people are expected to vote by mail due to the pandemic. Trump said he was blocking additional funding for the USPS to help with election issues, because he opposed mail-in voting. He says it will lead to voting fraud; experts say the voting system is safe from tampering.
The USPS was founded 1 July 1971 in Washington and has an inventive Cancer Sun square Uranus; with a helpful though not entirely practical Saturn opposition Neptune Jupiter; and an excitable Venus trine Mars and square Pluto. The Cancer Sun certainly fits with a public service outfit. The chart is uncertain and panicked now till late August, nervy and confused in September and less than enthusiastic from October through till late January 2021.
Louis Dejoy, 20 June 1957, businessman and major Republican fundraiser was appointed postmaster general and CEO, taking up office in June 2020.
He’s a final degree Gemini Sun square Jupiter and trine Neptune, sextile Pluto – so stratospheric ambitions. His Mars in Cancer conjunct Uranus are in a can-be-fanatical, volatile square to Neptune. He has four planets at anaretic final degrees – Sun, Mars, Neptune – and Pluto only one degree away. They point in general to the end of a cycle which may be significant as he joins wrecking-ball Trump in pulling an old house of cards down.
He looks amped up exactly now till late September with tr Uranus trine his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint; though he’ll be less bullish through September with an uncertain tr Neptune opposition his Sun/Saturn midpoint and nerve-stretched and paralysed through October. Tr Pluto is also in a confident, success-bringing trine to his Jupiter and sextile his Solar Arc Jupiter now till later this month and again late November to late December. The tr Saturn Jupiter exit from Capricorn will be in hard aspect to his Mars and Neptune and his Sun/Pluto midpoint from late November through December, which won’t bring unmitigated celebration. But his Jupiter will probably keep him afloat. His 2021 looks devastatingly bad with his Solar Arc Pluto conjunct his Neptune and square his Mars.
Trouble is brewing in the Eastern Mediterranean which is nothing to do with migrants, the pandemic or economic meltdowns. Turkey is at odds with Greece, Cyprus and the EU over maritime rights in the scramble for resources following the discovery of huge gas reserves in recent years. Turkey, Greece and France now have warships backed by fighter jets in the area, running the risk of a showdown. Relations between French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish president Recep Erdogan have been icy recently with accusations and insults flowing in both directions.
Mark Almond in the Telegraph remarks: “The reality is that Greece and Cyprus are looking to France as a great power ally. The rest of the EU maybe good for a statement of support and even a threat of sanctions but when it comes to possible use of force only France counts. Paris has military power. Brussels has words.”
The UK still has two sovereign bases on Cyprus which is in the eye of the storm but, in the muddle, guddle and passivity of the Boris government, direct action seems unlikely.
Recep Erdogan’s 4th Term chart 9 July 2018 4.30pm Ankara, Turkey, has a belligerent Mars in Aquarius in the 3rd house at 8 degrees. That is a hot spot degree that repeats in several relationship charts in particular between Turkey and Cyprus which has a hostile, power-struggling Mars Pluto conjunction; and between Turkey and Greece 1821. Tr Uranus having stoked up the heat a few weeks back will return to hard aspect that degree which could well provide a flash-point in late October into November this year and again March in 2021.
The other relevant charts – Turkey/EU and Turkey/UK – have Pluto at 7 degrees of Fixed signs so will be in the line of Uranian fire between November and early March 2021 for an upset of diplomatic relations.
The Turkey/France relationship chart is moving through deep-freeze territory till late this year and is mired in confusion and evasion in 2020/21.
The Turkey 29 October 1923 8.30pm chart is both discouraging blocked at a domestic level and in a confidently grandstanding mood in 2020/21 with tr Pluto square the 4th house Saturn and sextile the 5th house Jupiter.
This week’s ruthless, high-risk and impatient Mars Pluto square on Thursday followed by the bad-tempered Mars square Saturn on the 25th which has military associations will ramp up the rhetoric if not push it over the edge into an outright confrontation.
Dimash Kudaibergen is a Kazakh singer/songwriter, with a six- octave vocal range and perfect pitch, who plays seven instruments. He is classically trained but performs across a wide range of music from traditional Kazakh to pop. An all round wonder who was brought up in a musical family and started singing and playing very young, gaining prominence after winning several Slavic, Chinese and Russian singing competitions.
Born 24 May 1994 7.30 am Aktobe, Kazakhstan, he does have a uniquely aspected and emphasised Mercury in Gemini on the focal point of a Yod to Uranus Neptune in Capricorn sextile Pluto in Scorpio.
Uranus Neptune can be inspired, with a touch of genius and in sextile to Pluto gives it added potency. All that energy is channelled in a highly individual way through Mercury making him a master communicator. It could have gone another way and left him struggling to collect disorganised thought patterns but he obviously learnt early to order his mind to cope with a mass of input. He still has the Geminian trait of aiming for breadth. But he has clearly managed to combine that with depth.
His Sun is Gemini square a 10th house Saturn which will help to give him discipline.
Significantly he has a creative Water Grand Trine of Saturn trine Venus in Cancer trine Jupiter in Scorpio, formed into an even more talented Kite with Jupiter opposition Mars. The Water Grand Trine will allow him to operate within his own self-protective bubble. He also has an intense Scorpio Moon.
Interesting chart and a distinctive talent.
His creative 5th and 7th harmonics are well aspected. But the one that stands out is his 13th harmonic associated with exploration, genius and breaking with the orthodox.
A reprise in precis of the 2020 astrology and the coronavirus. The state of play at present is 750,000 deaths worldwide out of a population of 7.8 billion people. This compares to 50 million deaths from Spanish flu post-World War 1 with a population of 1.8 billion which occurred with Saturn Neptune conjunct in Leo, which is a classic epidemic signature. For comparison – heart disease and stroke dispatches more than 15 million annually, lung cancer 1.7m and road accidents 1.4m.
The overwhelming effect of CV-19 has been economic with a blizzard of ‘worst-on-record’ falls in GDP etc. That certainly fits with the Saturn Pluto conjunction which came exact last New Year and will be in place till this December. It has always been associated with deprivation and economic hardship, especially in Capricorn. Complicating factors have been Jupiter in Capricorn which will have brought some benefits perhaps in government handouts; and the extended square from Mars in Aries picking up this July to the year end, which magnifies risk, accidents, frustration and bad-temper.
A previous Saturn Pluto Jupiter conjunction (in Pisces) of 1819/20 brought about the first major peacetime financial crisis in the USA, with a collapse of the economy in 1821, and following that a resurgence in a new direction from the creation of a different and dynamic economy. First the destruction then the reconstruction.
The Eclipses this year have also been in Saros series associated with disturbing, upsetting and restrictive events.
The December 2019 Solar Eclipse affecting the first few months of 2020 – traumatic transformation and significant endings.
The June 2020 Solar Eclipse – difficulties, restrictions, inhibitions, separations and illusions. Best advice is to wait before taking any real action.
The December 2020 Solar Eclipse – strongly emotional; caught up in situations or relationships beyond individual control with accompanying frustrations.
Two other planetary influences are in play. One is Pluto moving towards the end of its 16-year stint in Capricorn, which put pressure on outworn financial and governmental systems with a view to replacing them with better. Arguably what was not fixed after the 2008 financial crisis is now being challenged until Pluto’s exit into Aquarius in 2023/24.
The second is Uranus moving into Taurus in 2018 for a seven year stay which from past experience usually brings major advances in technology as well as devastating famines. This may be most obvious in 2021 when tr Uranus is square tr Saturn, usually an indicator of an economic downturn. In the past, authoritarian regimes have risen to power as a result.
Although the Solar Eclipses from June 2021 onwards are considerably more cheerful, there is a sense that the present turmoil has several years to run.
Kamala Harris, the tough-on-crime former Attorney General of California now a senator, has been selected as Joe Biden’s running mate. Much has been made of her Indian-Jamaican background though she describes herself simply as ‘an American.’
She has a Libra Sun in her performing 5th house opposition an Aries Moon, so she’s vivacious and outgoing, likes an audience and with Mars in Leo in the 3rd opposition Saturn in her 9th won’t back away from a fight, indeed will stir up arguments. That latter is softened to a degree by being square Jupiter in Taurus which has a range of meanings from arrogant, overly indulgent to an enlightened social administrator.
What is standing her in good stead this year and next are two influences. One is the confident and success-attracting tr Pluto trine her focal point Jupiter around earlier this year and returning late this December to late January 2021 across the Inauguration and on and off through 2021.
The other is tr Uranus square her Sun/Jupiter midpoint which brings sudden success and good fortune and is exact now. It picked up early July running till late September and returns in the spring and again across the New Year into 2022.
Across the Inauguration as well she has her Progressed Moon conjunct her Progressed Jupiter and both trine her Venus in Virgo – all exact. That is minor enough but will give a warm glow.
On the less rapturous side she has a downbeat tr Saturn square her Sun and Moon November 14th to 26 but that can be extra hard work rather than a setback. Following that into early December she has a blocked tr Saturn square her Solar Arc Midheaven. She also has tr Pluto in opposition to a couple of her Mars midpoints from late August to late November which will be combative, argumentative and can be frustrating, infuriating and trapped, which again could be the rough and tumble of what will undoubtedly be a toxic campaign and maybe a delayed result.
Just after the Inauguration Jupiter moves into her 9th for a year of perhaps more extensive travel than usual.
She’s a marginally odd mix with Biden though there’s nothing to say the President and VP have to be BFFs. Her outspoken Mars opposition Saturn squares his Scorpio Sun, Mercury, Venus though that will be mellowed marginally by her Jupiter being in opposition to his Scorpio planets. And her Venus in Virgo is conjunct his Midheaven so she will bring charm and PR abilities to bear on his career.
Their relationship chart is not easy with a suspicious and doubting composite Saturn Opposition Neptune Venus square Uranus. If they can focus their co-operation on social reform and innovative projects they’ll do OK but otherwise it’ll be a rocky and at times muddled partnership. What will help to steady it and bring luck/success is Jupiter trine Venus Neptune sextile Pluto which will give them an aura of a power couple.
ADD ON: Kam v Trump
She’s likely to press all of Trump’s hot buttons given his misogyny and racism.
Her Saturn opposes his Mars for an aggravated interface with her Pluto square his Uranus (and Sun and Moon) so she won’t budge easy. What is intriguing – from an astrological point of view – is that her Jupiter is exactly conjunct his Midheaven which usually suggests the Jupiterian one will assist the career prospects of the Midheavener. There might be a sense in which she will try to teach Trump to acquire a sense of cultural responsibility and ethics in professional life. Hah. Interesting to see how it plays out.
What is clear from the relationship chart is there is visceral dislike and a fight-the-the-death power struggle with a volcano of bad feeling – from a composite Sun, Mars, Pluto, Venus conjunction opposition Moon.
His relationship chart with Joe Biden is nowhere near as toxic. There’s a differing-agenda, needs-space composite Sun square Uranus; and an only-one-can-win Mars Neptune – but it’s Kamala Harris that will set off his uncontrolled fuse.
