Marjorie Orr

Astrology of Today's News

You can view birthcharts at Political & Celebrity Astrology

EU STICKY TOFFEE FUDGE CRUMBLE From: FW. (20 Nov 2009 18:53):
Hello Marjorie - thanks for the take on all things European. Fascinating as ever!

Peter Cundell From: CD. (20 Nov 2009 11:13):
Hi Marjorie, I know you will not have heard of Peter Cundell, but i think you may find him very interesting. He is a household name in Australia, and at 82 years of age has just been arrested at a protest against a planned pulp mill in Tasmania. Here are some useful links. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Cundall http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/19/2747585.htm Many thanks

financial confusions From: sandra. (20 Nov 2009 10:56):
hey marjorie, pls cud u help in analysing the recent rally in the stock markets, cos they simply make no sense to the actual economy and its problems. Are we going to see a second recession in the coming months ie. 2010? or this rallyu is just going to continue like this. PLease shed some llight to sort out the confusion. thanks, sandra

Oprah Winfrey - retiring to greater heights From: Marjorie. (20 Nov 2009 10:20):
Oprah Winfrey, topping the world''s most influential celebrity list for the second year running, is to announce to end of her 25 year old Talk Show come 2011. Not that she intends to disappear, rather she''ll concentrate on the launch of her own TV channel.
She''ll evidently announce her reasons today. Despite her great success she''s not been having an easy two years with a panicky tr Neptune square her Mars thro'' 08/09; as well as a really tough-going, frustrating tr Pluto conjunct Sun/Mars. If her birth time of 4.30 am is accurate then she''s also got tr Pluto just across her Ascendant, often a time when people want to take more direct control of their lives. Come Sep 2011 when she retires from the Talk Show tr Saturn will be exactly on her midheaven which doesn''t suggest a lessening of ambition, quite the reverse. She''ll take on even more executive responsibility thereafter.

EU fudge From: Marjorie. (20 Nov 2009 09:55):
EU - yawn. Two nonentities who won''t be any risk to Sarkozy or Merkel''s glory and international stage strutting. There was no possibility that either was going to allow the answer to Henry Kissinger''s question ''who do you call when you want Europe?'' to be anyone other than them.
I''m now thoroughly muddled as to the difference between Jose Barroso who is President of the EU Commission for another five years and Van Rompuy who takes up a 2 and a half year term as EU President from Jan 2010. Typical Brussels - bureaucratically top heavy, very expensive and designed for stalemate.
Catherine Ashton who took over Lord Mandelson''s Trade job at the EU last year was born on 20 March 1956. She is either Pisces or Aries Sun with her Sun on the focal point of a Yod to Neptune sextile Pluto (Jupiter) in Leo. Focal point Suns on Yods tends to bring low self esteem and awkwardness in early adult life; then with the usual kind of fated change which Yods usually experience the individual moves into gear in a much more successful way. She''s also got a Sun trine Uranus so is innovative. She''s born only three days before Jose Barroso, an Aries Sun though without the Yod.
She won''t have an easy time ahead with tr Uranus conjunct her Sun in 10/11; and tr Saturn in opposition till mid 2010 - so a jolting, jarring time.
What is significant in terms of the future for the EU and indeed the whole idea of an EU Presidency is that it gets under way on January 1 2010 presumably at midnight. This is just after the Lunar Eclipse (10 pm GMT 31 Dec). So the chart has Pluto Venus Sun in the 4th opposition Moon in Cancer in the 10th square Saturn on the Ascendant. So it''ll be a downbeat, understated affair which has difficulty achieving co-operation (focal point Saturn on Asc) with opposing forces causing friction (Full Moon). There''s also a showy 5th house Jupiter Neptune trine MC so it''ll put on a good performance but not necessarily produce results.
What''s worse is that tr Saturn first will move to close the square to the Full Moon to exact from late 2010/11. Tr Pluto will close the square to Saturn in 2011/11 so it will be trudging through heavy mud time; with tr Pluto and tr Uranus causing all manner of havoc come 2011/12/13. It fits with the general feel of disintegration in the main EU chart.

Geithner and Summers - a Neptunian slide From: Marjorie. (20 Nov 2009 09:28):
A few Senators are now starting to call publicly for Timothy Geithner and indeed Larry Summers to go given rising unemployment in the US and suspicions that the Wall Street bailout was an overly-generous gift.
Neither Geithner''s nor Summers'' charts looked cheerful when they were installed by Obama - and they''re not imporoving anytime soon.
Timothy Geithner only a few days younger than the President is a Sun Uranus in Leo which tr Neptune is undermining by opposition till late 2010, after which Neptune opposes his Mercury in Leo thro'' 11/12. So a slipping, sliding, dithering time. He also has Mars at 1 degree Libra which has tr Pluto in a highly frustrating square to till late Nov 09; but tr Saturn will continue to conjunct with jolting setbacks till mid 2010. His relationship chart with Obama is highly strung and disappointing with tr Neptune opposition the composite Uranus NNode till late 2010; and a highly insecure tr Uranus opposition Mars continuing from 2009 thro'' 2010 - so plus ca change.
Larry Summers if anything is in an even more ego-destroying slide with tr Neptune coming up to conjunct his very emphasised Mars in 2010/11 - his Mars is in a brutally forceful opposition to Pluto square Mercury in Scorpio. So this year hasn''t been great for his morale, and next will be a good deal worse. It looks more likely that he could part company with the President since their composite Sun is at 10 Libra which tr Saturn will hit from late 2010 - and it is a separating aspect. And there are major pressures before then.

Re Pesident EU and High Repesentitive From: Chris B. (20 Nov 2009 09:04):
With the appointment of the main players now in place in EU what can this tell us of any disintergration of EU?

A Foreign Affair! From: FW. (20 Nov 2009 08:46):
Oh, far-seeing Marjorie, what say you of Baroness Ashton and EU Foreign Affairs ? (Apologies of course to non-British or non-European readers to whom all this must seem rather trite!)

EU President From: Maggy van Krimpen. (20 Nov 2009 08:21):
Oh Marjorie! anything is better than Blair! this man''s wife won''t expect free shopping in foreign countries or have to go on TV apologising for dodgy deals with the excuse that she is a harrassed working mother, and its a good bet van Rompuy won''t be phoning Carol Caplin (?) for her advice at midnight (and being recorded....)- at least they got a real person, and not a performing poodle

EU Presidency - Van Rompuy From: Marjorie. (19 Nov 2009 10:43):
The new EU President and Foreign Affairs Minister will be picked later today (maybe) if the 27 member countries can agree which looks extremely unlikely. France and German have supposedly thrown their vote behind the Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy though that''s causing friction with the smaller states who object to a big boys carve up.
Born 31 Oct 1947, Van Rompuy is five days younger than Hillary Clinton, so has the same Scorpio Sun in his case square Mars Pluto in Leo. With Mars Pluto Saturn in Leo square Mercury Venus in Scorpio. By all accounts he''s very battened down which looks not unlikely. A trained economist with a good deal of Government experience in handling budget crises well, he came in reluctantly to be Belgium''s PM in 2008 when the country was at risk of splitting apart. Removing him from there wouldn''t make much sense for Belgium.
His life does look to be in a state of upheaval this month with tr Pluto trine his Sun/Uranus but he''s also feeling extremely pressured, irritated come Dec and is facing a discouraging and frustrating 2010.
He''s not a great fit with the EU since the composite chart has a fractious Uranus square Mars Saturn Neptune - so if he did get in it will cause ructions and throw up a good many doubts. Though how much power the President will have is unclear - the EU Foreign Affairs Ministry may well be the key position.

Karzai 2nd Presidency - an ineffectual charm offensive From: Marjorie. (19 Nov 2009 10:21):
Hamid Karzai was sworn in today for his 2nd term as Afghanistan President at around 7.13am GMT (anyone with more accurate info please let me know).
This produces a much more amenable chart than his first Presidency in Dec 2004 which had a controlling Sun Pluto conjunction; and an acquisitive and secretive as well as a slippery Neptune square Venus Mars in Scorpio.
This 2009 Presidency chart has a Scorpio Sun square Neptune which suggests a directionless government ahead, indecisive and not pro-active. There''s also a 1st house Jupiter opp Mars square Venus in Scorpio so a charm offensive but still fixed on indulgences and a few chancy schemes. On this start time, Saturn is in the 8th so less support, friendly or financial, and a hint that he''s being thrown back on his own and his country''s resources rather than relying on outside help. Saturn squares an 11th house Pluto which is stuck, especially where future plans are concerned.
Neptune will close the square to the Sun to exact thro'' 2010/11 so there will be drift.

Katie Price - sinking in Jungle slime From: Marjorie. (19 Nov 2009 10:19):
The toe-curlingly awful ''Celebrity Jungle - Get me out of here'' - is reaching new, positively Japanese lows in terms of humiliation as a public spectacle. Katie Price hiked in at vast cost is panicking her way through gruesomely unpleasant ''games'' according to media reports - and since the show plays to the basest of human motives she will no doubt be voted in to do many more of them.
She''s a Full Moon in Gemini with a pushy Jupiter square Pluto and a lucky Jupiter trine Uranus; plus a very awkward, impatient, hard edged Mars Saturn in Leo square Uranus (and perhaps square a Scorpio Moon), and trine Neptune.
Until late Nov she has tr Pluto opposition her Solar Arc Sun and tr Saturn has been squaring that till this week. So she''s under exceptionally heavy pressure. In general she''s in a bad patch with tr Neptune still opposing her Saturn and maybe squaring her Moon till Jan 2010 which is confusing, uncertain, self doubting.
The chart of the Celebrity Jungle Show (25 Aug 2002) has a Sun Virgo conjunct a late Leo Mars in a high adrenalin, risky opposition to Uranus There''s also the tough, deprived Saturn in Gemini square Mercury, widely opposition Pluto. Saturn is sextile Mars Sun and trine Uranus. So it echoes some of the more difficult aspects in her chart.
The show will face its most challenging time in 2010 as tr Neptune opposes Mars which is basically failure and a jolting tr Uranus square Saturn as well as opposition Mercury. Tr Neptune continues on to oppose the Sun come 2012 so with luck it''ll get obliterated along the way.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga - hopeful late entrant From: Marjorie. (18 Nov 2009 12:14):
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia, is certainly an interesting woman with a good background for the EU Presidency being fluent in English, French, Latvian, Spanish and German. Her family escaped the Soviet occupation of Latvia when she was 7 years old and she was brought up in Germany, French Morocco and Canada. A trained clinical psychologist, she is highly regarded for her 8 year Presidency of Latvia.
Born on 1 Dec 1937 she''s a Sun Sagittarius (= well travelled, well-read) sextile an independent-minded Mars in Aquarius. She has the Maggie Thatcher, super confident Jupiter in Capricorn opposition Pluto; plus a more compassionate Saturn opposition Neptune square Mercury.
There''s no birth time but she does have some very upbeat Jupiter influences at the moment which are usually successful. If she was born late in the day her SArc Jupiter is trine her Sun; plus tr Pluto is conjunct her Jupiter/NNode thro'' Nov and even better tr Pluto is conjunct Sun/Jupiter late Nov/Dec 09.
Interestingly she was not a candidate for the Latvian Presidency in 1999 but was drafted in by the Parliament to stand and won. So maybe being a late runner is her pattern.

12th House - True and False Self From: Marjorie. (18 Nov 2009 11:32):
''Their ego feeds off the collective'' isn''t a bad way of putting it at all. It isn''t always sensible to transplant the ideas of one system onto another. But child psychotherapist DW Winnicott''s notion of the False Self fits the 12th house personality.
Everyone, even the healthiest psychologically has a False Self - it''s the face you put on for the outside world, allowing you to compromise your inner feelings when necessary to tell a friend/the boss/mother-in-law they look great when they don''t etc etc. It oils the wheels of practical living.
But where early mothering is badly flawed and the child has to put its True Self firmly into an inner sealed box and play nice for mother, adapting to her needs - essentially putting on a performance for her - then the False Self takes on an undue and unhealthy significance. For some the False Self really is all there is since the inner connection to the True Self has been lost.
Most high achievers and showbiz types (politicians amongst them) are still looking for that approval which wasn''t there when they were young.
Not all 12th house Sun types will be at the extreme end but I''d imagine all of them have a problem being truly themselves when out in the world - so they need to retreat from time to time into seclusion - to stop performing for others and be themselves, i.e. connect to their True Self.
But where personalities have lost all connection to their inner True Self - and possibly even think it doesn''t exist then you get a hyper-active restlessness, a desperate drive to react to the demands of the external reality, while remaining uncomfortable with themselves.
It''s where others get a sense of ''no one at home'' because what you see with a 12th house personality isn''t actually what''s there deep inside. That''s true of most people just more so here.

EU Presidency & more of the 12th House From: Rachel B. (18 Nov 2009 08:38):
Marjorie, I wonder if you''d kindly have a look at the chart of Vaira Vike-Freiberga who seems to be throwing her hat into the EU-Presidency ring. Former President of Latvia; accredited linguist, and someone who was born into and survived Europe at its very worst, she appears to be a woman of integrity - and at least on the face of it a great deal more upfront than Blair (not that this is at all difficult). Vaira Vike, 1 December 1937, Riga. PS A couple of additions to the 12th house stream: British war leader, Winston Churchill + singer-songwriter, Nick Drake, both had a 12th house focus (Churchill in Scorpio; Drake in Gemini-Cancer). One able to live out his ego to the full in a time of his country''s greatest need, immediately discarded once the crisis had passed; the other, stalked by failure, committed suicide only to gain increasing posthumous recognition over the ensuing decades. Both people who remained stubbornly - even helplessly - true to themselves.

texas query From: jenni. (18 Nov 2009 01:36):
i was wondering something - u know how u said that texas was a capricorn - does that mean that a capricorn person might do better there than say a pisces ? i guess what i am getting at is the idea of a country and citizen being ruled by the same sign being more compatible than another combination, would that also follow for tourism ? say if a pisces person went to a pisces place ?
sorry if this seems a bit muddled i am have some sort of nepture thingie today !

angry women and more 12th house ruminating From: xtina. (17 Nov 2009 21:24):
Fascinating comparison of those charts, M. I wonder if those women have the same kind of relationship as Thatcher had with her parents. Are 12th house sun people expressing their identity through the collective? Madonna, Blair, Brown, Bush etc. One thing these public figures apparently share is that they give the impression at least of a inner void or vacuum. I don''t think this applies to all 12th house types by any means - I live with a lovely one. But with those people one gets the impression that the ego feeds off the collective and without that there would be nothing there at all. Scary. That was rather badly put and abstruse but I hope you get my point.

financial confusions From: sandra. (17 Nov 2009 14:07):
hey marjorie, pls cud u help in analysing the recent rally in the stock markets, cos they simply make no sense to the actual economy and its problems. Are we going to see a second recession in the coming months ie. 2010? or this rallyu is just going to continue like this. PLease shed some llight to sort out the confusion. thanks, sandra

Brazil From: Peter. (17 Nov 2009 11:06):
Thanks alot for your analysis, I will use Nick Campion''s chart for Brazil in the future. If it turns out hackers caused the blackout, it will be of concern in many other countries, where the power grids are vulnerable too. In Brazil, the cost just in terms of "fried" computers and lost data is said to be in the millions of Dollars.

Patricia Cornwell - Killer Queen of books From: Marjorie. (17 Nov 2009 10:20):
Patricia Cornwell, best selling crime writer and second most successful female writer after J.K. Rowling, has more Mars in her chart than most people would know what to do with. She spawned the ''forensic science'' fascination with murdered bodies which has led to multi-CSIs, Silent Witness etc etc. She was a pathologist herself, from a difficult childhood background with an emotionally abusive and abandoning father and a depressive mother.
She''s a Sun Gemini as befits a popular writer with her Sun sextile the flamboyantly pushy Jupiter Pluto in Leo. Her Mars in Pisces opposes Jupiter Pluto squares Saturn and squares Mercury - so she is very angry. Her Mars is also trine Venus and possibly trine her late Gemini/early Cancer Moon. And her Mars is also on the focal point of a T square onto Mercury opp NNode in Sagittarius. She has so many Mars hard aspects it makes you quite tired thinking about it. Her Uranus is in a highly strung square to Neptune and in an innovative trine to an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio. She''s a bundle of contradications with a distinct leaning to the dark side of life.

Angry Women - the ugly face of politics From: Marjorie. (17 Nov 2009 09:57):
With Sarah Palin on the book launch tour, flirting coyly with the will she/won''t she question about running in 2012, there''s an increasing trend for firebrand women to be the face of the US right wing. Michelle Bachmann, the Minnesota Congresswoman vies with commentators Anne Coulter and Michelle Malkin for the most virulently and at times violently anti-liberal sentiments. Bachmann is extremely socially conservative, strongly opposing abortion and gay marriage, and deeply religious. She has described herself as a "fool for Christ".
What is intriguing about all these women Palin included is the megaton Mars they have in their charts. They run on high octane anger, indeed veering to hatred. Bachmann is a Sun Aries square Mars in Capricorn; with Mars opp Uranus square Neptune; plus a very pushy Jupiter Pluto in Leo.
Anne Coulter is a Sun Mars in Sagittarius square Pluto. Michelle Malkin is a Libra Sun, with a Mars Pluto conjunction sextile Neptune. Shades of Maggie Thatcher. Palin is a Sun Mars Saturn in Aquarius square Neptune.
Glen Beck, the Fox News extreme right commentator born the day before Palin has a similarly over stressed Mars. As does Rush Limbaugh, another right wing radio host - a Capricorn Sun with Mars in Aquarius opp Pluto in Leo with Mars trine Neptune.
Mars in hard aspect to Pluto or to Saturn is not a pleasant face of politics. Quite why the Republicans have picked it up so pointedly at the moment isn''t that clear astrologically. The only chart I have for the Republican Party (6 July 1854) doesn''t have an overly strong Mars though both the Sun and NNode of that chart = Mars/Pluto. The Solar Arcs do suggest the next two years will see a rise in Martian sentiments in the GOP (if that chart holds good) - with SArc Jupiter square Mars; and SArc Mars sextile Pluto.
On the USA chart the SArc Mars is now at 12 Aquarius which is heading for a trine to the US Saturn in two years time which could stoke up aggravation though it isn''t that overwhelming, more of a blockage. The Sec Prog USA Mars is now retrograde which stretching a point could be sapping the drive of the masculine half of population, allowing the angry Amazons to step in.

Brazil - a Uranus Neptune moment From: Marjorie. (17 Nov 2009 08:59):
Nick Campion (World Horoscopes) gives 7 Sept 1822 4.30pm at Piranga, for Brazil declaring independence from Portugal.
This puts Neptune Uranus at 2/3 Capricorn square Pluto at 0 Aries, with a sextile to Mars at 3 Scorpio. Tr Pluto and tr Saturn are just off the hard aspect to the Brazil Pluto and heading rapidly for the Brazil Neptune. And it did sound a rather Uranus Neptune Pluto Saturn moment (in a small way) - highly confused, unnerving. What was probably the trigger was the Solar Arc Sun at 22 Pisces which had the tr Uranus conjunction exact; and SArc Mercury at 1 Aries which was picking up both tr Pluto and tr Saturn exactly.
Conspiracy theories are raging - but weather seems the least likely explanation. Hackers could be the culprits - Uranus Neptune Pluto makes sense of that - Obama had evidently been warning earlier in the year about cyber nasties endangering various countries'' electrical grid. Though could also be an internal ''hack'' screw up as an employee stuck a spanner in the wrong place in the IT system.
Although Brazil is supposed to be racing ahead financially it''s going to have a few alarming moments till tr Pluto, tr Saturn, and tr Uranus clear their Pluto, Neptune, Uranus which will be circa 2012.

brasil charts From: james. (17 Nov 2009 06:53):
there are many to choose from.... http://members.tripod.com/tra_nations/a_brazil1889.htm

Royal Wedding? From: leona. (17 Nov 2009 05:52):
Hi Marjorie, could you do a reading on Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Blackout in Brazil From: Peter. (17 Nov 2009 05:50):
Marjorie, thousands of middle-class Brazilians slept on subway station floors on Tuesday night, November 10 as a result of a blackout that hit nearly 70 million Brazilians in 800 cities. The trigger? Three, THREE! � transmission lines. Officials said on Wednesday that torrential rain and thunderstorm conditions caused a trio of high-voltage lines to simply collapse and in turn Itaipu, the world''s largest hydroelectric dam, totally broke down. That initial explanation is now in question, and as of Monday President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pledging a full inquiry. But whatever happened brought one of the world''s top emerging markets into primitive darkness, a country which is going to be the host of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Not sure whether Brazil''s national chart is for the 14 or the 15 November 1889, but I couldn''t find any aspect at all that might have indicated such a huge disruption in the power supply. Thanks for any light you might throw on it!

12th house matters From: Maggy van Krimpen. (16 Nov 2009 20:55):
James, Marjorie & contributors: so interesting about the 12th! I, too, have always wondered at the huge gap between being told all planets from the horizon to the 7th in the upper part were the outwardly seen and manifested qualities - so why would planets just risen over the most powerful personal point of the chart (ascendant) be enfeebled or saddled with some heavy message?

The Gauquelins indeed found the middle of the `12th (same place in cadent houses round the chart) to be a powerful position in achievers; but is this indeed to compensate for some ego problems? I have no 12th planets so can''t speak from personal experience but it IS noticeable that 12th house personal planets produce an inward-looking streak which will be one of the defining characteristics of the person.

An old astrologer told me decades ago that people with 12th house planets were aware of being reincarnated, and still not over the last incarnation. That is so difficult to fit with the idea of planets rising up over the horizon in all their glory - visible, real, imagine the Moon or Venus, Mars - yet in astrology these placements are considered as intrinsically difficult. We keep learning.

Death Penalty - Texas still reactionary at the top From: Marjorie. (16 Nov 2009 17:39):
Execution rates are dropping sharply - by almost 60% in recent years - in the USA. The growth of DNA forensic evidence has seen nearly 140 death row convictions overturned across the US, prompting abolition and moratoriums in several states. New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson, abolished the death penalty in his state earlier this year, saying: "I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime."
Even Texas which executes half of the US death chamber total is beginning to have some doubts. In Dallas county alone, 24 people have been exonerated. Not that it extends all the way to the top since Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, reacted badly to recent attention on the Todd Willingham case - which may become the first officially acknowledged miscarriage of justice which led to an innocent man being executed (see below). Perry abruptly replaced the chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission as it was about to hold hearings into a report by its own expert, who described the conviction as based on "junk science". The new chairman called off the hearing.

The Texas chart (29 Dec 1845) has a raw, self willed Capricorn Sun Mercury square Mars Uranus in Aries - definitely gun-toting and not for softies. There''s a Saturn Neptune Venus in Aquarius so marginally paranoid and at the extreme Sarah Palin end of Aquarius rather than the humanitarian one. The materialistic Texas Capricorn Sun is trine acquisitive Jupiter in Taurus so lucky with cash; with a pushily confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction as well. There''s a good deal of movement on this chart - a hugely frustrated and enraged SArc Pluto opposition Mars in 2008 presumably over the GWB demise; and SArc Pluto then continues on into a disruptive opposition to Uranus in 2010 and a seriously blocked SArc Pluto square Sun in 2011. Plus the tr Saturn, tr Pluto, tr Uranus will bounce their way uncomfortably over that key Sun Mercury square Mars Uranus between now and 2012/3. It needn''t be about the death penalty of course but something is certainly changing at the heart of Texas. Rick Perry - 200 executions in his term of office - has a Sun Pisces in a rigid opposition Saturn in Virgo (not dissimilar to Supreme Court Judge Scalia below); with that pushy Jupiter opp Pluto again. He''s also got Uranus square Mars at 0/8 degrees Cardinal so towards 2012 will be really difficult for him.

Previous posting Sept 13 2009: A case that should spell the death knell for the death sentence in the USA - but won''t - has been highlighted by the New Yorker. Cameron Willingham was executed in Texas 2004 for a 1991 arson/murder of his children. He was convicted on the basis of junk science, all of which has since been discounted by top fire scientists - some of the rebuttals appallingly came before his execution and were not considered. The only other evidence was from a drug-sodden petty criminal, a jail house snitch, who later recanted his evidence.
Born on 9 January 1968 Willingham was a Sun Capricorn trine Pluto Uranus in Virgo with Saturn in Aries. When he was executed in 2004 protesting his innocence to the end, his Solar Arc Mars was conjunct his Saturn (the astrological assassination signature). Tr Neptune was in a confusing, undermining square to his SArc Saturn and tr Pluto was square his natal Pluto.
Antonin Scalia, the ultra-conservative of the Supreme Court Judges, said recently that no one had ever been executed wrongly in the USA. Presumably before he read this case. Scalia is a Sun Saturn in Pisces opposition Neptune square an opinionated Jupiter in Sagittarius. His Sun is in a trine to a legal 9th house (also opinionated) Pluto conjunct the midheaven - so is exceptionally controlling.
With his Solar Arc North Node this year conjunct his natal Sun perhaps he''s being nudged to take responsibility for his mortal soul. I''d doubt he would listen but tr Uranus trine his Pluto and indeed his midheaven by 2011 maybe he will have an epiphany moment.

Edward Woodward - Gemini out of the Depression From: Marjorie. (16 Nov 2009 13:59):
The English actor Edward Woodward (Callan, The Equalizer etc) has just died aged 79. Born on 1 June 1930 he was a Sun Jupiter in Gemini with his Jupiter in an enthusiastic and lucky sextile to a fiery Mars in Aries; and his Sun sextile Uranus. He was born of the Depression Generation with the heavy duty but determined Saturn in Capricorn opp Pluto Venus in Cancer square Uranus in Aries. So in his own way he was an innovator (focal point Uranus). Originally a Shakespearean and Rep actor, his casting in the role of Callan broke him into the big time in the late 1960s. At that point the tr Uranus Pluto in Virgo were squaring his Sun and then squaring Jupiter as the series became successful. Tr Saturn was in Aries keying up his Cardinal T square -f Sat opp Pluto square Uranus; and his Sun had moved by Solar Arc also to trigger it- SArc Sun square Uranus, conjunct Pluto. Heavy aspects can work positively.

Lauren Bacall - one of the Virgo greats From: Marjorie. (16 Nov 2009 13:49):
Lauren Bacall has received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar. Despite a long and highly rated film career she has never won an Oscar.
Born 16 Sep 1924 at 2am New York, she''s a sharp witted, sharp talking 3rd house Virgo Sun in an independent-minded opposition to Uranus squaring onto an enthusiastic, crusading Jupiter in Sagittarius. Her 10th house Aries Moon makes her feisty and well suited to a public career. She''s also got a showbiz pzazz Neptune opposition Mars; though with her Mars in Aquarius deeply buried in her 8th she will be private, at times a bubbling cauldron of anger.
At 20 she married Humphrey Bogart who was then 45 and it was one of the great lauded love affairs of the 20th century until his death 12 years later. Though not an easy match. He was a fiery Sun Mars in Capricorn with an intensely forceful and rebellious Mercury Uranus opposition Pluto. Plus he had a highly neurotic Saturn opp Neptune. Her Virgo Sun formed a T square onto that Saturn opp Neptune so perhaps she was able to calm or contain his instabilities. Her Jupiter was conjunct his Mercury Uranus and opp Pluto so she''d inject a sense of optimism and adventure, lifting his often depressive mood. Her Sun was also in an affectionate trine his Venus in Capricorn. But there would be fireworks. The relationship chart has a short-fuse Mars Uranus in a highly strung opposition to Neptune Moon, luckily squaring onto a passionate Venus in Scorpio.
She''s 85 now and facing a few roller coaster moments with tr Uranus opposition her Sun in late Dec/Jan 10 and a jolting SArc Sun square Uranus in 2010.
PS She''s got a 12th house Pluto.

astro question From: Shreya from London (sunshine4422@gmail.com). (16 Nov 2009 08:12):
Hi James, I was wondering if you could be so kind as to send me an email. I have a quick question on astrology for you. My email address is sunshine4422@gmail.com. Thank you.

Thoughts on the 12th house: From: Deidre. (16 Nov 2009 01:38):
As a Virgo with Sun, Jup, Ven, Merc & Mars in the 12th (Libra Asc) I can say that, upon reflection, the resultant comfort in solitude one is rewarded with in life therefrom may "rest the soul" and may "engender the soul''s progress" but it also implies a protracted naivete as one is isolated from the sophistry & politics of much human interation - but perhaps this is necessary to engender creativity - the innocence and honesty one needs to be creative - mostly in a solitary life (artists, writers, etc).

Obama and China - financial ups and downs From: Marjorie. (15 Nov 2009 18:30):
Obama has been making nice with China and talking himself up as a Pacific President. But there is increasing anxiety about China''s policy of keeping their currency pegged to the dollar and undervalued, allowing their exports an easier run. There seems to be a two fold worry. One is the negative effect on the general world economy especially the Eurozone where the Euro has risen against the remninbi by 24% since March; and a wider worry that China is creating an asset bubble for itself which could send it the way of Japan in the 1990s.
The US China relationship has always been riddled with doubt and suspicion courtesy of a Saturn Neptune conjunction in the composite. That uncertainty will be intensified in late Dec 09/Jan 10 and beyond as tr Pluto squares that Neptune; indeed hints of it will be there through early December 09 with tr Saturn conjunct Neptune.
Obama looks furious with China in that late Dec 09/Jan 10 period, at a time when the Dow Jones is under major pressure so there may be financial arguments raging. 2010 itself looks very unstable vis a vis China and the USA with major disappointments, jolts and judders in their diplomatic and financial relations. The Bank of China/remninbi chart looks very hyper-active come late Dec/Jan 10 a continuation of what has been around earlier this year as their surplus has been poured into keeping their currency at a low level. They will hit a more sober mood come late Feb onwards as tr Pluto is trine the BoC Saturn.
The US dollar chart is in a state of turmoil from late Jan 10 for a few weeks with tr Uranus opposition the Solar Arc Pluto.
Obama''s astrocartography certainly suggests that Singapore and Western China is a successful arena for him with his Sun midheaven line there; though Eastern China through Beijing is sandwiched between the much more disruptive Uranus Pluto midheaven lines.

3 royal guys. From: halia. (15 Nov 2009 17:47):
Hi Majorie Could you please look into the charts of crown prince Haakon of Norway, born on July 20, 1973 in Oslo. Crown prince Felipe of Spain, born on January 30, 1968 in Madrid. Prince Joachim is the youngest son of Queen Margrethe of Denmark! He was born on June 7, 1969. I appreciate your help!

Pakistan,Zardari and the 12th house From: james. (15 Nov 2009 17:32):
marjorie, Rifeth Sheikh and A - thanks for your comments and info.. all very interesting... i am always interested in seeing more, especially the data of your birth A if you feel inclined to share it.. as for which planet lands in which house- i think this is a big question that is a tough question to answer objectively... this is the one area astrologers are clearly conflicted on - house systems... i have come to conclude a planet near the eastern horizon line, otherwise known as the ascendant operate more like first house planets... if they are in the sign one back from the ascendant, well then i think that is 12th house... this is one of many reasons why i am always curious to see the data that one is talking about.. a chart with a focal neptune could evoke a similar vibe to a feeling of 12th house-ness... a strong mars could alter it just as easily... perhaps it is the idea of fated-ness and it''s connection to the 12th that is of interest here as pluto certainly has that feeling of something fated, as do any of the other outer planets... as astrologers all of these influences get mixed up and it can be difficult to seperate these energies and know whether something is coming from the pluto direct, or from a 12th house position... perhaps a 1st house pluto would be different in that their would be more of a sense of personal responsibility towards the energy, in spite of the more impersonal nature of pluto... back to pakistan and zardani.... the 27th around noon give zardani a harder chart putting his moon right into the conflict zone of the chart involving this mars/jupiter conj square moon/saturn conj... i didn''t bother looking at the solar arcs as without a day or time and a 48 hour window it is a bit pointless! with the 134pm gov''t chart it makes things worse as majorie pointed out pluto is on the ascendant and at the top of what i consider a loose t square and much more challenging putting a strong focus on all things plutonian, power struggles politically being at the top of the list... going back to 12th house ideas--perhaps the motion from subjective to objective - 1st to 12th is really a part of this, or viewed the other direction - from 12th to 1st, semi objective to more weighed to the subjective and making this transition is where some of the angst lies with regard to 12th house planets.. i have neptune in the 12th so perhaps the energy is more at home for me with 12th house stuff... my moon is about 4 degrees into the 12th in scorpio with scorpio also rising so i always think of this moon as 1st house in nature, but i could see it having some affinity with the 12th too based on self observation..the 12th house is an interesting topic regardless...

12th house From: s.k.. (15 Nov 2009 14:08):
i have lots of 12th house placements and i used to get very reclusive but i made an effort to change myself and once i got used to being out and about, it got easier to live in the ''real'' world and enjoy it.

12th house ++ From: Marjorie. (15 Nov 2009 11:13):
PS. Another astrologer once said to me that she thought 12th house planets did not support the ego in quite the same way as other house placings. So individuals with strong 12th houses never quite got the recognition/ego-boost for what they did out of their centre. I suspect that''s where the element of sacrifice comes in. Life has to be lived for the sake of doing what feels right whether or not there is glory attached to it.

12th house - inner and outer From: Marjorie. (15 Nov 2009 11:06):
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on 12th house. It does make a difference which planets are in the 12th which certainly does have an isolationist tendency. Roberto Assagioli who founded Psychosynthesis had a 12th house Pluto Neptune conjunction. He said: ''We pay attention to the higher unconscious and to the development of the transpersonal self. We try to build an elevator which will allow a person access to every level of his personality. We want to open up the terrace where you can sunbathe or look at the stars''. His stated goal for therapy was "To live as well as possible, and to look at oneself with a smile."
John Addey, the great astrologer whom chronic illness forced into a more contemplative life with a very positive outcome for astrology had Mercury in the 12th conjunct Pluto in late 11th.
But even Sun and other inner planets in the 12th do have a need for inner space. Queen Victoria who had Mercury, Sun, Moon in the 12th withdrew into seclusion for years after her husband Albert''s death. Laurence Olivier, the actor, who was another Sun Mercury in the 12th had ''stage fright'' for about a decade where he couldn''t force himself to appear.
I think its what Liz Greene means when she talks about the need to come to terms with the unconscious being stronger when there are 12th house planets. Being comfortable with inner space is crucial. Too external a life will run into the buffers at some point.

Pakistan and Zardari - disruptions to come From: Marjorie. (15 Nov 2009 10:49):
Rifeth, Thanks for the data. Good to know.

There''s a very marked Pluto in late Sagittarius on the Zardari Government chart on the Ascendant so secrecy and control are key factors. But more tellingly that ZGovt Pluto is exactly opposition the Pakistan country midheaven and square the Pak Asc. So there''s going to be a major shake up, possibly toppling the Government and causing disruption in Pakistan come late April 2010 as both tr Uranus and tr Saturn hard aspect those points. Tr Saturn hangs around on that late Mutable degree till June 10 and tr Uranus returns on and off till Feb 11 -so everything will be in flux, subject to sudden jolting change during this time.
Zardari is a confident, ''adventurous'' Leo Sun Mars Jupiter square a determined Saturn in Scorpio - very Fixed so not one to give way easily. At the moment he''s veering between over optimism and pessimism as setbacks get in the way of his high hopes. Tr Pluto and tr Saturn are hard aspecting his SArc Jupiter Mars at the moment till Dec 09 and returning again next year - so he''s going over the line at points and then having to cut back sharply. He''ll be jumpy and insecure late Jan into Feb 10 and at high risk in late March/April 10 (tr Uranus opp Mars/Saturn).
On the Pakistan chart tr Uranus will move from squaring the Midheaven and opposing the Ascendant in April/May to squaring the Pakistan Mars at 0 Cancer come late May thro'' till mid Aug 10, returning on and off till Jan 2012 - that is explosive, insecure, revolutionary, a struggle for survival.
So nothing that looks exactly settled for quite a while, I''m afraid.

12 and the 12. house comments. From: A. (15 Nov 2009 10:26):
In different numerological systems 12 will have different meanings. In my personal understanding of these systems some are aiming more at "internal" levels, and some more at "external" levels. In the Chaldean system 12 is a number telling of sacrifice, suffering and injustice happening to the person who "wears" this number (at an external level). Astrologically, I''d say that the old way of describing the 12.house fits my personal life experiences. I have Pluto in Virgo in the 12. house tightly conjunct the moon''s North Node, both in aspect to virtually all my plantes (including Chiron). Over all. life has been a violent experience. Never imprisoned, I have spent many years in "isolation" within my own home and marriage. Being philosophically inclined, I came in touch with my "inner genius" during these years, which I am grateful for. During the last four years I have struggeled with a cronic illness which is debilitating and also isolating (6.th house equally strong). I think both the old and the new more psychologically oriented astrology are valid. But the old is more "external" oriented, and in todays world it has to be adapted to the more psychological demanding conditions we live in.

Leo the Lion grows silent - MGM end of an era From: Marjorie. (15 Nov 2009 10:09):
Leo the roaring Lion may be no more. The Hollywood studio, Metro Goldwyn Mayer which once boasted ''more stars than there are in heaven'' is looking for a buyer to bail it out of nearly 4bn dollars USD of debt. MGM produced some of the most celebrated movies of all time, including The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Singin'' in the Rain, Gigi as well as Tom & Jerry cartoons. They have laboured mightily in recent decades financially although they still own subsidiary United Artists, and have franchises like James Bond and half of The Hobbit.
Founded on 16 April 1924 it has a go ahead Aries Sun opposition Saturn in late Libra square a feisty, materialistic Mars in Capricorn - so not short of initiative (Cardinal) or drive (Mars). It also has a charming, social butterfly Venus in Gemini opp Jupiter in enthusiastic Sagittarius square an innovative but scattered Uranus in Pisces. So it is both on its Uranus return at the moment and its third Saturn return is coming in two years time.
Tr Pluto is square the SArc Pluto and tr Saturn exactly conjunct at the moment which are definite signs of deprivation and stuckness. The SArc Uranus is also conjunct the MGM Venus giving its Mutable T Square a shake up. It probably is time to wrap up since the years ahead look nothing but trouble with tr Saturn about to hit the Cardinal T square of Sun opp Saturn square Mars by 2011/12 and even more difficult the SArc Saturn conjunct Mars by 2013 which is a complete blockage.

accurate data zardari pakistan From: Rifeth Sheikh. (15 Nov 2009 09:22):
Dear Marjorie,
Asif Zardari birth data is inacurate, realy actual DOB 27july 1955 time near about noon at Nawabshah. And Oth time is 13.34(PST)9th sep 2008 Islamabad.

Zardari and 134pm verses 334pm for pakistan gov''t chart From: james. (15 Nov 2009 04:39):
since all we have is a day chart for zardari, it seems to matter little as to which day it is - the 26th or the 27th... either he has moon in libra or scorpio... knowing a little bit about him would help sort that out... as for whether the gov''t chart is 134pm or 334pm i think this is more relevant, in that the conflict is more pronounced in the 134pm chart.. the gov''t chart is a bowl chart defined largely by the opposition with uranus on the one hand and the saturn/sun conj on the other... with the 134pm chart this opposition is more in focus which suggests more conflict as opposed to less... i have 2 friends with birthdays in this same area - july 26th and july 29th 1955... both of them seem stuck for the most part with the mars/jupiter conj being squared by saturn in both cases.. they are both sucky and lazy and never seem to move forward in any real sense as their fears seem to dictate a life of avoidance and retreat... i don''t know that zardari would be much different...i realize this is superficial on my part, but i accept the limitations of not having a specific time for him... at any rate he is the political leader of pakistan.. the 134pm is more unstable then the 334pm gov''t chart, but the 334pm chart isn''t much easier... anyone looking even casually at pakistan from a distance can see the volatile combination of dynamics that don''t look to be lessening any time soon, quite the opposite... pakistan is at the heart of a lot of the concern in the mideast, although at present the conflict nato finds itself in is afganistan right next door... leadership is a necessary and i doubt zardari is up to the challenge.. nor is obama for that matter, but that is another story... both of them are leo suns too.. each have an astro configuration that seems to preclude any innovative or strong leadership strengths... obama has some oratorical strength, but people want more then just pretty words based on hot air...

acg and rob couteau From: james. (15 Nov 2009 04:14):
this guy has written a book on the least aspected planet and its role in acg.. i can''t comment on his theory, but i think it''s a novel idea either way.. it''s not a part of the writings of jim lewis or kenneth irving... here is a quote from couteau. "Underaspected planets represent a primary focal point: a core ideal and key element of our spiritual journey. Historical biographies and the biographies of personal acquaintances each revealed that the traditional notion of underaspected planets as portraying an “unintegrated element” in the horoscope was erroneous and that the opposite notion seemed to be true: that underaspected planets symbolize our essential psychic nature: what we are meant to do in this particular lifetime. Subsequent scrutiny of biographical data revealed a parallel between horoscopes and the geographical locations of clients, vis-à-vis least aspected planets." i would be curious to know what aspects he includes in his attempt to define what is unaspected... this is a key question as i see it.. their are many aspects, although some are much less commonly used... some of this starts to show up in the harmonic charts for higher numbers, which are basically aspects involving these same numbers... regardless, i do believe astrocartography works and is really a big part of contemporary astrology...

From: clive. (15 Nov 2009 01:06):
Marjorie, one of your commentators suggests that Tony Blair would be better off in the orient according to his astrocartography chart. I''ve read that according to some astrocartographers, re-locating under one''s least aspected (or transcendental)planet often leads to success for the person concerned. What do you think of astrocartography? Thanks, Clive.

Zardari From: Marjorie. (14 Nov 2009 19:14):
Hi Wiki has July 26 for Pres Zardari. Is that wrong? Also I have 1.34pm (13 hrs 34) for the Government chart. Just checking to see if the data is accurate. Thanks

Tomasz Humar - mountaineers - Mars Pluto From: Marjorie. (14 Nov 2009 19:07):
Tomasz Humar, the famous Slovenian mountaineer, has died on a mountain in Nepal after breaking a leg and becoming stranded.
Born on 18 Feb 1969 he was a last degree Aquarius Sun square a ferociously determined Mars and Neptune in Scorpio. Pluto was sextile his Mars; and he also had a self reliant Saturn in Aries.
Looking at Italian mountaineer Riccardo Cassin''s chart (2 Jan 1909) there are quite striking similarities. Cassin was a Sun Capricorn opposition Neptune; with Saturn in Aries; and Pluto exactly inconjunct Mars in Scorpio. You wouldn''t expect to see Neptune so strongly in the charts of individuals for whom ultimate endurance is the key. Yet it figures strongly in the charts of explorers and other sportsmen. A super-strong Mars does make sense since it gives courage and determination especially tied into Pluto. Edmund Hillary (20 July 1919) has an even stronger Mars Pluto conjunction trine Uranus and semi-sextile Neptune.
The Italian Reinhold Messner, reckoned to be the greatest mountaineer of the moment (17 Sep 1944), also has a strong Mars Pluto connection with Mars trine Uranus and both sextile Pluto. His Neptune is widely conjunct Mars and sextile Pluto. His Saturn is in Cancer.

Future of Zardari President of Pakistan From: Rifeth Sheikh (rifethsheikh@gawab.com). (14 Nov 2009 15:28):
Dear Marjorie,
Could you please look at the chart of Asif Ali Zardari President of Pakistan,Take Oath As 12th President Of Pakistan,Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 3:34 pm ( 8.34GMT), dob 27july 1955 nawabshah tob unknown,Would you please look into their charts, please ?
And Where can you see his career going in the future? Thanks

From: Frances. (14 Nov 2009 12:09):
Hello Marjorie : Nick Anstee - the new Lord Mayor of London and his wife Claire Anstee - Would you please look into their charts, please ? Also the year ahead. Thanks

Maggie T - lopsided masculine v feminine From: Marjorie. (14 Nov 2009 09:43):
One thing, being fairly psychologically inclined, which has always intrigued me about Maggie T was her respect/idealisation of her father and dismissal/contempt for her mother. Women Libras often tend to drift towards father anyway but she had it in spades. She became her father - brusque, competitive, domineering - and despite her reasonably attractive appearance was exceptionally masculine in temperament. Sun Mars Jupiter Pluto.
She couldn''t relax into her feelings at all. Evidently she filled in her legal bar entrance papers in hospital after giving birth; had no casual clothes; no hobbies; OK she cooked at home but it was all very mechanical and driven. The woman was an automaton, obsessively doing and never being. Her Moon is conjunct Neptune and square Saturn so I''d imagine she''d be terrified of being sucked into mother''s neurosis if she let down her guard.
She had twins of whom she lavished rather sickening attention on Mark and almost completely ignored Carole. She was very allergic to anything feminine. As a result both her children in different ways have ended up extremely muddled. They also have strong Moon Saturn Neptune aspects - and Sun Pluto Mars and Jupiter also in aspect. So they picked up all of her lopsidedness and haven''t made much of a fist of it in Mark''s case or found happiness in Carole''s.

12th house - From: Marjorie. (14 Nov 2009 09:26):
The old astrological books were quite horrific about 12th house - incarceration in institutions, prisons etc. Not sure why they were so worked up about it. As you say James all houses have their issues. A good many politicians have strong 12th houses. Mind you I''m not sure how they cope with constant people 18 hours a day which doesn''t sit well with a 12th house Sun.
I do think certain signs sit more comfortably in the 12th. In my experience Leo has slightly more problems adapting to it since Leos'' need for attention clashes with the 12th house need for personal space and privacy. Pisces for a different reason may find the 12th house too enveloping since it doubles up their need to disappear off into an alternative reality.
It can bring wisdom if individuals are willing to work on themselves but it does require more self understanding than some other placings to work well. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown?? Not men who strike me as being too self-insightful - they create their own reality and attempt to stamp it on the world around them, which is one of the downsides of the 12th.

12th House From: tarotbird. (14 Nov 2009 07:56):
Thank you for that insight into the 12th house, James! What you say makes a lot of sense with regard to my young daughter, who has a sun Leo, with a Leo stellium in the 12th! She certainly cuts a powerful figure and possesses a ''knowingness'' as though she has been around before!

12th house From: shreya. (14 Nov 2009 06:24):
Dear James, Thanks for the new insight on 12th house, a lot of successful people have 12th house planets as well. (such as Marjorie).

the Gaugelins From: james. (14 Nov 2009 02:43):
the french couple suggested planets in this same area above the horizon, or the 12th house were especially powerful... i think this is a positive way to view 12th house planetary positions instead of the fatalistic way that they are sometimes described in astro literature.. http://www.astrologycritics.com/cosmic-influences-on-human-behavior.html

12 house planets and the number 12 From: james. (14 Nov 2009 02:31):
astrology seems to make a bigger deal out of the 12th house... i don''t think it is warranted.. what is a 12th house planet? any planet that has actually risen within the hour or 2 would be considered a 12th house planet... when the sun actually gets up in the morning and makes it out of bed it is first in the 12th house... maybe that is the dilemma... some folks have a harder time getting up in the morning! no more sleeping in, lol... now you have to confront the world even if you aren''t ready! maybe this can make for a more groggy expression of what has just risen, or for greater sensitivity due the fact of the exposure.. at any rate, i think the bigger deal over 12th house planets sets up an issue where one doesn''t exist... every house position has something to deal with... the system of houses from very long ago gives a very different picture where this house would have been viewed as the first... and the first shall be last and etc. etc.. it is just a numbering system and maybe they have the numbers backwards! numerology is a fascinating study in itself.. the number 12 is interesting.. here is a quote from a website on the number 12.... it would seem to make a certain amount of sense..." Twelve Twelve is a higher octave of the number three and is an indicator of great understanding and wisdom. Much of its knowledge is gleaned from life experiences, which enables a sense of calm to prevail in even the most turbulent of situations. Twelve is significant in ancient man’s life because there were twelve tribes in Israel, twelve disciples followed Jesus, there are twelve astrological signs in the zodiac, there are twelve months in the year, and our modern clock is divided into two groups of twelve hours. It is considered to be the ancient number of completion as it signals the end of childhood and the beginning stages of adulthood. Additionally, the ancient numbering and measuring systems are based on this number, as evidenced by terms such as a dozen (12), a gross (12 times 12), a shilling (12 pence) and a foot (12 inches). Negatively, twelve can suffer from a form of depression brought about by a feeling of resignation that life’s events have transpired in such a way." http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/numerology/numbers-meanings-numerology-esoteric.htm

re: Maggie Thatcher - the downfall From: james. (14 Nov 2009 02:10):
maggie thatcher was an interesting figure politically and astrologically... i like your overview and agree with the characterization of her as a control freak... i tend to think of this as a fixed sign trait, but more of a problem and issue when saturn is also in a fixed sign and pronounced as it was in her chart... perhaps the fact the sign scorpio is involved makes it more dangerous...saturn rising in scorpio has a particular axe to bear.. i think many of the battles she involved herself with had more to do with her own inner nature as projected onto others then she would be willing to admit.. i think this too is a general characteristic of 1st house planets pointing to a need for greater self awareness and consciousness... without opposition to these same rising planets creates the potential for more pitfalls due the lack of self awareness as i see it...... i have found planets in favourable aspect to one another in the natal chart tend to work favourably when contacting each other in other charts like the transit or solar arc chart considerations... the transit of saturn to her solar arc pluto would thus be considered positive given their relationship to each other in the natal chart... thanks for the overview..

Maggie Thatcher - the downfall From: Marjorie. (13 Nov 2009 19:51):
There was a TV drama on Margaret Thatcher last night focussing on the plotting and planning that led to her removal from office in Nov 1990 after nearly 12 years in power. The flamboyant Michael Heseltine led the first charge to topple her but like most who wield the sword he lost the throne which went to John Major who had played a slippery game under the radar to grasp the keys to No 10.
Maggie had that powerfully determined Jupiter in Capricorn opp Pluto squaring onto Mars and Sun in Libra - so pushily confident, determined on power, impatient and ego-centric. Heseltine, an upfront Aries Sun, has Uranus in Aries square Pluto so he was always going to be a catalyst for change. His Uranus opposed her focal point Sun so he was the rebel who stood up against her iron control. This reflects in their relationship chart as a composite Sun square Uranus with Sun opposition a power-struggling Pluto.
Although Heseltine had been in her Cabinet his chart sat very uneasily on her Government chart (4 May 1979 11 am) with his natal Uranus on the Thatcher Govt 10th house Mars and opposition the Govt Pluto so there were always going to be fireworks. Maggie certainly had control freak tendencies which are well reflected in that Govt Mars opposition Pluto. Heseltine''s Saturn in Aquarius squared the Government 10th house Taurus Sun and his Mars Neptune was conjunct the Govt Saturn - so a recipe for major arguments, stalemates and at the end of the day outright rebellion.
Her Govt chart also reflects clearly the moment when it would all fall apart. On 22 Nov 1990 tr Saturn was square the 10th house Mars exactly which describes a substantial roadblock and triggering the 4th house Govt Pluto as well.
Even more pointedly tr Pluto was within a degree of being conjunct the Govt 4th house Uranus which certainly describes a major upheaval (at home!) and it was indeed her own party/family which saw her off.
John Major is a more understated Aries Sun than Heseltine, perhaps with a deeply secretive plotting-and- planning 8th house Pluto, and an amiable 7th house Jupiter. His wannabe-leader Leo North Node fell exactly conjunct Maggie''s Neptune (Moon) in Leo so his ambitions hit her at her weakest point. His Mars in Aquarius was square her Saturn so he liked her no more than Heseltine did but hid it better.
When she was elected in May 1979 tr Saturn was just past her midheaven in her 10th. Saturn was always good for Maggie. She got her first cabinet post when Saturn was crossing her Descendant rising upwards. When Saturn went below her Ascendant from 1985 onwards she started to slide on banana skins. By the time she left she had far outstayed her welcome. At her election tr Saturn was also conjunct her SArc Pluto in the 10th which might sound like a setback but has another meaning of gaining ultimate power. Tr Pluto was conjunct her SArc Neptune which was conjunct her Libra Sun - that again in advance could sound like a devastating meltdown but in fact she clearly picked up the other side of Neptune Pluto which is megalomania.
It is interesting to look back on those episodes to see how the various charts interplay - Event charts and individuals. And also to see aspects which might seem negative which turn out to have a different outcome.

Sarah Brown - carving a path ahead From: Marjorie. (13 Nov 2009 14:21):
Sarah Brown continues to make a splash appearing with plunging decolletage in an eye catching outfit this week. In contrast to her poor husband Gordon who is struggling through the mire. She''s a private Sun Mercury in Scorpio with Neptune Venus also in Scorpio. Her upfront Jupiter in Aries which falls on her husband''s Ascendant is trine Mars in Sagittarius, giving her courage and vitality; though with her Mars square Uranus (Pluto) in Virgo she dislikes interference.
There are two views of her increasingly high social and public profile. One is that she''s trying to boost Gordon''s rather downbeat image. With the composite Sun of their relationship chart on his midheaven this might well be part of the answer. Their marriage was crucial for his ambitions to succeed.
But she may well be establishing a niche for herself career-wise post-No 10. There is certainly strain on their relationship come mid Dec 09 onwards as tr Saturn squares the composite Sun; hotly pursued by tr Pluto conjunct it come late January 10 onwards for two years. That will put them under major pressure. Though come late April 2010 there''s also major relief and a lucky break with tr Uranus conjunct the composite Jupiter. Which could be as he sets foot on a different career.

Gary McKinnon - hoping for a result From: Marjorie. (13 Nov 2009 14:20):
Asperger sufferer Gary McKinnon is still on tenterhooks waiting to hear whether Alan Johnson, the UK Home Secretary, will refuse his extradition to the USA on Pentagon computer hacking charges (see Nov 13 below), on grounds of his deteriorating mental health. An influential Westminster Committee has now told Johnson that he has powers to refuse extradition which he has to date been denying.
Born on 10 Feb 1966, McKinnon is an Aquarius Sun in a vague square to Neptune; with the excitable Uranus Pluto opp Saturn square Jupiter in Gemini of the mid 1960s. His natal Sun square Neptune has now moved by Solar Arc Direction to 5 degrees Aries/Capricorn which doesn''t augur well for a happy outcome since tr Pluto will hard aspect both from late Feb 10. And his Uranus Pluto opp Saturn has moved by Solar Arc to 1 and 2 deg Scorpio opp 0 deg Taurus - so he''s under a great deal of pressure at the moment with an upheaval come late Nov (tr Pluto sextile SArc Uranus). There is a faint hope from tr Pluto trine Jupiter/Saturn in late Dec/Jan 10 but tr Pluto is also in a dreary sextile to Sun/Saturn at the same time.

George Hamilton 1V - jungle miseries worth the effort From: Marjorie. (13 Nov 2009 14:19):
The perma-tanned George Hamilton IV is all set for the Australian jungle in the latest celebrity humiliation TV show.
He''s not surprisingly a 2nd house Sun, Mercury, Venus and Pluto in Leo trine a 10th house Jupiter. So he''s an entertainer, flamboyant, colourful, keen on cash and lucky on the career-front. His Sun is in a lively square to Uranus so he likes walking his own road. His self-protective Cancer Moon sits on his Ascendant.
He''ll find it quite a slog till late this month with tr Pluto trine his Saturn in Taurus, pulling him away from home comforts. Though tr Pluto sextile his Mars/Jupiter at the same time will give him quite a boost. Tr Jupiter squares his Uranus in early December which will be a wonderful relief for him and could be some success. But one way or another he''ll be pleased to be out.
No matter the result, it could give his career an upward lift since into 2010 he''s got his Solar Arc Jupiter sextile his Sun which is usually successful and financially lucky.

Roy Bennett - Zimbabwe lurching on to ???? From: Marjorie. (13 Nov 2009 14:19):
Roy Bennett, the Zimbabwean MDC member, was due to take up a Cabinet post on the day he was thrown into prison on trumped up terrorism charges. It is thought this is an attempt by Mugabe to break the unity government. Tsvangirai, the PM, withdrew temporarily but has now returned, though Bennett remains in jail.
Born on 16 Feb 1957 Bennett has an Aquarius Sun opposition Pluto which tr Neptune is hard aspecting through 10/11/12 so there''s nothing much cheerful or progressive for him in the coming three years. He''s very edgy at the moment with tr Uranus square Mars/Uranus till late Nov and then some good news with great relief from late Nov to late Dec 09 with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter/Uranus. But then he''s got tr Saturn and then tr Pluto sitting firmly on his Sun/Mars mid point at 4 Libra from late Dec 09, continuing on for two years - which will be highly frustrating and blocked.

Robert Enke - a loss From: Marjorie. (12 Nov 2009 19:25):
Robert Enke, the German footballer, who committed suicide this week was troubled by the loss of a daughter as well, and seemed to have had a history of depression. He was a Sun Virgo sextile Jupiter in Cancer and Mars in late Gemini. His Mercury in Virgo squared Mars and also squared Neptune in Sagittarius so he''d be highly strung and confused at times. There''s no birth time so no way of knowing what was really going on. Several of his Mercury midpoints were being stressed by Pluto and Saturn transits at the moment which won''t have helped. And Saturn had just moved off the exact square to his Jupiter which would depress his mood.

Mike Tyson - on edge From: Marjorie. (12 Nov 2009 19:23):
Mike Tyson, the ex-boxer was detained briefly after a fracas with a photographer at LA Airport. There are conflicting stories but the general gist appears to be an aggressive paparazzi followed him into the toilet. Both insist they are suing the other for battery.
Tyson has not had a great year with his four year old daughter being killed in a freak accident in May. He''s a Sun Jupiter in Cancer. Though his problems really stem from an exact Uranus Pluto in Virgo square Mars in Gemini possibly also square a Sagittarian Moon; with Mars square Saturn in Pisces - so he''s emotionally very volatile, troubled by what sounds like a truly horrendous childhood. His temper will be on edge at the moment with tr Uranus square his Mars; plus his Solar Arc Mars conjunct his Mercury; and his Solar Arc Mercury nearly conjunct Uranus Pluto; and tr Pluto conjunct his SArc Neptune. All in all guaranteed to make him on a very short fuse.
He''s not having an easy time ahead with tr Uranus conjunct his Saturn in 10/11 and tr Saturn, Pluto, Uranus hitting his Sun from late 10 through till 2013.

12th house From: Marjorie. (12 Nov 2009 19:22):
I''m confused about a Leo Sun and a Virgo 12th house. If you mean Virgo is on the cusp of the 12th then you''ve got an 11th house Leo Sun which is friendly, forward looking etc. Virgo as the sign on the cusp of the 12th just means a tendency to worry about trivia but also for that reason a capacity for being meticulous about planning which is a positive trait.
Which house your Sun falls in is dependent on the Ascendant which is dependent on the time of birth. There''s a free calculator on this site which gives your chart with your planets in which houses. A 12th house Sun can be creative, tends to like working behind the scenes, is private and sensitive to atmopshere.

12th in virgo From: angela. (12 Nov 2009 14:34):
i have 12th house in virgo too. it would be great to know what that means. thanks.

12th House Sun Question From: Gina. (12 Nov 2009 14:12):
Hello Marjorie: I have a couple of questions for you. Could you please explain to me (in layperson''s terms please because I do not know how to read astrology charts although I try to learn about planetary aspects)what does it mean to have a 12th House Sun? I saw the term on a blog that listed famous people with this aspect but there was no explanation of what this means. What do you look for? I am a Sun Sign Leo, 08/06/66 B-day (I hope I said that correctly) with Libra Rising with an Aries Moon. So I am fiery and temperamental with appearing to be pleasant and balanced (ha, ha). Anyway, my 12th house is in Virgo so I know I can get bogged down in details and explanation (I have been told this and I am probably doing this now to you, please accept my apologies please.) So how would I or anyone else know if they have a 12th house Sun?

Thank you so much for always trying to respond to questions. It is greatly appreciated!

Gina
Fan and Wannabe Astrologer

Obama and Afghanistan - no mission creep From: Marjorie. (12 Nov 2009 11:16):
As Obama delays the decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan under a barrage of criticism about dithering it is beginning to emerge that his stance might have some sense to it. He has now firmly said there has to be a clear exit strategy, and a responsible Afghan partner. The US Ambassador in Kabul, Eikenberry an ex-Lt General, has also said in a ''leaked'' cable that he thinks there should be a troop pullout. So a Vietnam-style mission creep is not going to be on Obama''s agenda.
The pressure is now on President Karzai to smarten up his act. With tr Saturn square Karzai''s Capricorn Sun from Nov 19th and tr Pluto conjunct it from Nov 24th he''s caught every which way. For all his haughty dismissal of outside interference he''ll need to shift.
General Stanley McChrystal is certainly not a happy man with his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars at the moment which is a total roadblock for his plans; and with SArc Mars also approaching the opposition to his Sun (conj Pluto) exactly in a couple of months he''s not winning too many battles immediately or in the foreseeable future. His SArc Mars continues on to oppose is Pluto over the next two to three years. He''ll certainly be thoroughly depressed over late Dec/Jan10 with tr Pluto sextile his Saturn in Scorpio.
His relationship chart with Obama which has a a friendly Sun Venus also has a disruptive, not always co-operative Sun Uranus. Tr Pluto has been exerting pressure on their relationship in recent months trine Pluto and is not on the confusing, uncertain sextile to Neptune.
Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary, is also very uncertain personally with tr Pluto and tr Saturn sitting on his Sun Neptune at 1 degree Libra this month; and his relationship chart with McChrystal has the highly disruptive and opposite-sides-of-the-argument tr Pluto opposition the composite Uranus at the moment in Nov with tr Saturn adding a further downbeat note.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place it''s a horrible decision to make.

Goldman Sachs - shrouded in mystery From: Marjorie. (12 Nov 2009 10:01):
Thanks for these dates. I suspect the much earlier dates of original founding and original incorporation would be the ones which worked best. But regrettably they seem to be unavailable on the net. Sometimes I can find an academic paper or an official document which gives those kinds of dates way down on google but nothing has turned up so far. Thanks anyway.

Goldman Sachs From: Peter. (12 Nov 2009 09:52):
Hi Marjorie & Helena, In 2 programs I use the date is May 4, 1999 at 9:30am EST. It was one of the largest events in the firm''s history as it went public that year according to Wikepedia . The decision to go public was one that the partners debated for decades. In the end, Goldman decided to offer only a small portion of the company to the public, with some 48% still held by the partnership pool. Regards Peter

Goldman Sachs From: Helena. (12 Nov 2009 06:21):
Hi Marjorie, re date for Goldman Sachs: Goldman has had several incarnations iirc. I got this date from an astrologer who told me the data came from a software program she purchased. Goldman: September 21, 2008, 2:30 p.m., Washington, D.C.

John Le Carre - not like his father From: Marjorie. (11 Nov 2009 13:55):
John Le Carre (David Cornwell) the spy thriller writer (Tinker, Tailor, Smiley''s People, Constant Gardener etc) is hugely successful unlike his father Ronnie who was a con-man, fraudster and did jail time. Ronnie Cornwell''s criminality was not on the epic scale of Pablo Escobar (see below) but clearly his son managed to get out from under his influence to become a different kind of person.
John Le Carre is a Sun Libra square Pluto opposition Uranus square Saturn in Capricorn which describes a control-freak father (Pl) who was discouraging (Saturn) as well as being erratic, unpredictable and whom Le Carre would fight against (Ur). Not a good role model. Le Carre also has a Mars trine Pluto which would give him courage and determination especially for his work with MI5 and MI6. His Mars in Scorpio is trine Pluto and sextile Saturn which again suggests a less than positive father.
Sebastian, son of drug cartel boss Pablo Escobar, also has a Mars trine Pluto, with Mars in aspect to Saturn and a Sun Uranus trine. It may well be the Sun Uranus aspects in particular which helped both of them move sharply away from their respective fathers'' lifestyles to become their own people with different values. Similar energies just heading in a more positive direction.

Iraq - Elections - not steady progress From: Marjorie. (11 Nov 2009 13:34):
After the debacle of the recent Afghan elections the last thing President Obama needs is a mess up in Iraq come the January 10 elections which might delay American troop withdrawals and negate the purpose of the whole costly in-lives-and-money Iraq exercise. Jan 16th is the set date though that may slide backwards if there are more arguments.
There does now seem to be agreement on election ground rules in Iraq though with grumblings of discontent over Kirkuk which the Kurds want to be part of self governing Northern Iraq. What is more worrying is the creeping media clamp down by Nuri Al-Maliki, the present Iraqi PM.
Maliki is a Sun Uranus in Cancer square Mars Neptune in Libra - so self willed, excitable, not co-operative and hates interference. He''s not the control-freak that Karzai of Afghanistan is but will be tricky to handle. His Sun Uranus trine Jupiter in Pisces - so he''s definitely lucky. Though his Jupiter opposes Saturn in Virgo so he will wobble around at times, not always having good judgement.
Intriguingly the 1921 Iraq chart has a Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Virgo - so Maliki was born in 1950 on the next Saturn in Virgo - and here he is on his second and Iraq''s third Saturn return. His relationship chart with Iraq has a Sun Pluto conjunction square Uranus suggesting power is a major issue and that major upheavals will happen at some point ahead. Plus a Jupiter square Saturn Neptune Mars so there will be suspicions around him, perhaps a thought that he''s a chancer rather than having Iraq''s interests at heart.
His life will certainly be turning on its head as tr Pluto opposes his Uranus from late Feb 10 onwards for two years - and his chart will take a major battering from then on with tr Saturn, tr Pluto and tr Uranus hitting his Sun Uranus square Mars through till 2013. Through 10/11 he has a devastating SArc Pluto conjunct Neptune and SArc Neptune square Saturn - both of which suggest a time of personal setback for him with major anxieties.
The Iraq chart is jolted and jangled come late Jan/Feb 2010 as tr Uranus makes the last opposition to the Iraq Saturn. But it is late 2010 into 11/12/13 which is the really testing time. Tr Saturn is in a very blocked square to the Iraq Pluto from late 2010 and into 11/12 tr Pluto is in a disruptive trine to the Iraq Uranus; with tr Neptune in an undermining, panicky opposition to the Iraq Sun also in 11/12. By 2012/12 both tr Pluto and tr Uranus will hard aspect the Iraq Pluto which suggests a major tussle over power. None of this suggests a country progressing steadily towards stability, prosperity and democracy.

Joni Mitchell - moving on From: Marjorie. (10 Nov 2009 19:31):
Joni Mitchell, the Canadian singer, songwriter, painter who has been singing a mix of folk rock and jazz for decades is an intense and private Sun Scorpio square Pluto; with a 10th house creative Pisces Moon conjunct her midheaven in an awkward T square, opposition Venus in Virgo squaring on to Mars Saturn in Gemini on the cusp of the 12th. That focal point Mars Saturn won''t have given her problems to seek. She had polio as a child and gave up a daughter for adoption shortly after birth when she was 22. There''s a great deal of anger and frustration tied up in her from her childhood. Emotionally it won''t have been easy for her with a Sun Pluto controlling father and a Mars Saturn Moon Mother. Plus she has Venus Neptune Mercury and Sun in the 4th so a private settled home life would always have been important to her but difficult to find.
She looks to be changing direction this year with Uranus on her midheaven and Saturn moving into her 4th also hints that she may be coming out of semi-retirement. But it''ll be a bumpy ride until she gets rid of tr Uranus off that Mutable T square - conjunct Moon and square Saturn and opposition Uranus till late 2010. Plus tr Pluto square her Neptune - so a confusing rather uncertain time. She is supposedly suffering from Morgellons Syndrome which is a skin complaint for which the medics have found no answer as yet so are busy writing off as a neurotic complaint. But she''ll definitely befit from Jupiter through her 10th from spring 2010 onwards for two years thereafter.
7 Nov 1943 10pm Fort MacLeod, Canada.

Joni Mitchell From: noah. (10 Nov 2009 11:56):
Hi Marjorie, this week is Joni Mitchell, the Canadian singer songwriter/artists 66th birthday..she is generally regarded as one of the most important people in 20th century culture...is it possible to have a look at her chart? Many thanks.

Aung San Suu Kyi - promises but difficult times to come From: Marjorie. (10 Nov 2009 11:28):
Aung San Suu Kyi, the imprisoned-at-home Burma opposition leader, doesn''t look that happy in the foreseeable future. She''s got the tr Saturn square her Gemini Sun till mid 2010; and tr Uranus squaring it through next year. Tr Uranus could bring luck breaks but tr Saturn tends to do the opposite. I suspect a good deal of pushing and pulling going on, ups and downs. Pluto she''s got a Mercury in Cancer square Neptune in Libra which tr Pluto and tr Saturn are sitting on heavily for the next year which is confusing and discouraging; plus her Sun/Saturn midpoint is 4 Cancer so again tr Pluto weighing heavily on that till late 2011 which is very downbeat.
The Burma 1948 chart has Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Jupiter at the moment which is illusory happiness, so great promises and no delivery. And there''s much the same on the Burma coup 1962 chart. There''ll be a great deal of aggravation come 2011/12 which is when Aung San Suu Kyi''s chart is also under exceptionally hard pressure - Solar Arc Pluto square her Saturn in Cancer.
So nothing that looks like a positive turnaround I''m afraid.

Beltway sniper - John Allen Muhammad - Capricorn and Mars From: Marjorie. (10 Nov 2009 09:48):
John Allen Muhammad, the Beltway sniper who killed 10 people in 2002, barring clemency, is due to be executed today.
Born on 31 Dec 1960 at 6.10 am in New Orleans, LA, USA, he''s a 1st house Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn in Capricorn opposition Mars in Cancer; with a 9th house Pluto NNode in Virgo sextile Mars and trine the Capricorn planets. So there''s a good deal of anger and frustration in there along with a ruthless need for control and outright unpleasantness. He''s also got Venus in Aquarius opposition Uranus with a Gemini Moon - so he''s emotionally detached, very changeable in his affections.
When his three week killing spree started in Oct 2002, his Venus opposition Uranus had moved by Solar Arc Directions to form a Grand square with his natal Sun Mercury opposition Mars. His SArc Pluto was just passed the square to his Saturn so pressure must have been building in the months before. And tr Uranus was square his SArc midheaven.
As he faces execution tr Saturn square tr Pluto just into Cardinals are not in exact aspect to his Sun opp Mars but heading in that direction. Tr Pluto is just off the conjunction to his SArc Neptune at 0 Capricorn. Tr Neptune is exactly trine his Moon and heading for his Venus opp Uranus by Dec. Tr Uranus is just off the square to his Moon, returning late Dec.
His young accomplice Lee Malvo, who assisted in the shootings was then 17 years old. Born 18 Feb 1985 he has a Pisces Sun opposition Muhammad''s controlling Pluto. Malvo''s passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Aries is in a wannabe-famous square Neptune in Capricorn, which sits across Muhammad''s anger-fuelled planets in Capricorn and Cancer. So a folie a deux that ended tragically for 10 victims.
Malvo is doing life without parole.

long may she reign From: jenni . (10 Nov 2009 01:15):
hey marjorie loved the stories re QE the 2 and Maggie the T but after all - re the standing for 45 mins
she is the Queen !

aung san suu kyi From: s.k.. (09 Nov 2009 20:33):
hi marjorie, some newspapers are reporting that the aung san suu kyi might be freed by the burmese government next year. they are such a ruthless regime though so i wonder if they are just calling our bluff?

thanks

Israel, I ran, Lbanon From: TutuG. (09 Nov 2009 14:24):
Dear Marjorie,

Will Israel attack Iran or Lebanon? Regards

Ladies at war - HM Queen & Maggie Thatcher From: Marjorie. (09 Nov 2009 10:43):
The frosty relationship between HM Queen and Maggie Thatcher when Prime Minister is being dramatised in a new TV series.
Born only six months apart they both have the obsessively conscientious and stubbornly determined Saturn in Scorpio very marked in their charts. The Queen''s Saturn is conjunct her Midheaven squaring onto a Mars Jupiter in Aquarius opposition Neptune Moon in Leo - so she''s definitely not for turning. MaggieT''s Saturn is on her Ascendant closely trine her opinionated 9th house Pluto so equally not one to let go easily.
The real problem however would come from MaggieT''s pushily over confident Jupiter opposition Pluto squaring onto an impatient and ego centric Mars and Sun in Libra. That focal point Sun Mars squares onto the Queen''s dedicated 6th house Pluto with Maggie T''s Jupiter opposing. Pluto in the 6th gives HM Queen very firm ideas about how things should be done. In a battle of the Titans, there are no guesses as to who would win with the Queen having seen Prime Ministers come and go.
Two prize stories. One early in Maggie''s term when No 10 phoned up the Palace to suggest that they liaise over clothes to ensure there would be no fashion clashes on formal occasions when both would be present. They were loftily told that the Queen never notices what anyone is wearing. Hah. The other was when Maggie''s buddy Ronald Reagan invaded one of her Majesty''s Sovereign Territories in Grenada without as much as a bye-your-leave. The Queen summoned the Prime Minister and left her standing for the full 45 minute dress down.

Goldman Sachs - Lloyd Blankfein - Sun God From: Marjorie. (09 Nov 2009 10:22):
Lloyd Blankfein the CEO of Goldman Sachs has managed to irritate the general public even more by referring to investment bankers as doing ''God''s work''. Presumably in response to his profession being described earlier this year by a senior UK financial regulator as ''socially useless''.
Known as the Sun God of the investment business Blankfein came out of a poor Bronx background before shooting up the Harvard ladder, buddying with Ben Bernanke there before setting foot into the lucrative world of high finance. He paid himself circa 68 million dollars USD in 2007 as an annual take home.
Born on 20 Sept 1954 he''s a hard working, practical Sun Virgo sextile a definitely lucky Jupiter Uranus in Cancer. Uranus Jupiter square Mercury Neptune in Libra so he''s intuitive (Nep), at times fanatical (Ur Nep), can be vague. He''s also got an obsessively meticulous Saturn in Scorpio in a disciplined and at times ruthless sextile to Mars in money-making Capricorn exactly conjunct his Moon''s North Node.
Although 2010 will have its ups and downs for him with tr Uranus and tr Saturn hard aspecting his Sun; he''s also got tr Uranus trine his Jupiter Uranus which will bring sudden lucky breaks, strokes of good fortune coming out of left field. Where his woes start to mount is 2011/12 as tr Pluto sextiles his Saturn which is an uphill slog. What follows is worse with a thoroughly suppressive tr Pluto conjunct his Mars and North Node in 2013 at the same time as his Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct his Neptune. That will be his nadir.
NB: Does anyone have a date for Goldman Sachs? Started 1869, incorporated 1885, NYSE listing 1896. Most grateful for accurate dates.

Lincoln Centre/The Met New York From: Deidre. (09 Nov 2009 01:11):
Dear Marjorie - thank you so much for your comments re the Lincoln Centre/Metropolitan Opera New York. Like all of us, they/it get to go thru the grind but looks like they are using these hard aspects by working thru and, it seems, re-inventing themselves. So it''s all good. Thanks again.

Iran - moment of truth drawing closer From: Marjorie. (08 Nov 2009 11:57):
More demonstrations in Iran hint at trouble ahead with tr Saturn now into Libra heading to a jolting square to the Iran 1906 Uranus from mid Dec 09 and the more disruptive tr Pluto conjunct the Iran Uranus hitting exact by late Jan 10.
The chart of Revolutionary Iran (1 Feb 1979) is also showing signs of a huge upheaval with SArc Pluto conjunct Uranus over the next few months.
The key figure is the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei (17 July 1939). His Solar Arc Uranus is moving over the next eighteen months to square his Saturn, conjunct his Pluto and opposes his Mars - all of which suggest a toppling from power.
His Leadership chart (4 June 1989) also has Uranus at 4 Capricorn like the Iran 1906 chart - so he''s going to pick up the tr Saturn and tr Pluto hard aspects in a very disruptive way. There''s also an insecure tr Uranus trine Mars at the moment till late Nov 09.
On the sidelines watching intently are the deposed Shah''s widow Farah Pahlavi and his son Reza. Not that anyone is suggesting that a Monarchy would be wanted in the aftermath of a revolt against the Clerical Theocracy that is in place at the moment. But they''ll certainly be shadowing events closely.
RezaP is a vague though intense Sun Neptune in Scorpio sextiling onto a confident Jupiter in Capricorn trine Pluto in Virgo. He looks to be getting his life and career direction together towards 2011/12 though there are some immensely sticky moments before then. However he does look buoyed up through the events from Jan 10 onwards.
His mother, the courtesy Empress Farah, is a Sun Libra opposition an 8th house Saturn, trine Jupiter in Aquarius; with a Gemini Moon square Mars Neptune in Virgo. So she''s a curious mix of charming yet distant, self doubting and confident, emotionally detached and excitable at the same time. She''s on tenterhooks at the moment, devastated over the NYear period perhaps because of brutality occurring then. But like her son very buoyed up come late Jan 10 and through the next two years.

Escobar - redeeming a life from the sins of the father From: Marjorie. (08 Nov 2009 11:01):
Pablo Escobar, head of the Colombian Medellin drug cartel, was one of the most feared men in Latin America until he was gunned down in 1993. His son Sebastian now living under a different name in Argentina was critical of his father''s lifestyle to his face as a teenager and has now aged 32 decided apologise to sons of two prominent Colombian politicians, murdered at the behest of his father. He has made a documentary, entitled Los Pecados de mi Padre (The Sins of my Father), which is his attempt to make his peace with his past.
Pablo Escobar (1 Dec 1949 11.50 am Medellin, Colombia) was a Sun Sagittarius square Mars Saturn in Virgo and trine Pluto in Leo - so he had a capacity to be cruel and was certainly controlling. His Sun trine Pluto sextiles onto an 8th house Neptune which accurately describes making money out of drugs. When he was finally killed his Solar Arc Pluto was square his Uranus and his SArc Uranus was conjunct his Pluto - so a major double whammy of life changing events.
His son Sebastian, now an architect, is a Sun Pisces trine Uranus and very widely square Neptune so a softer character in nature and keen to walk a different road from his father. What defines his chart is a Mars opp Saturn square Uranus in Scorpio. Where his father''s Mars Saturn was used for acts of cruelty, the son''s Mars Saturn brought out his sense of unfairness at the way he and others were treated. That squares onto a focal point Uranus, pushing him to make a real difference. He also has a Mars trine Pluto which can be suppressed, determined or ruthless. It is intriguing to see how the son''s chart indicates the unpleasantness of his father and yet he seems to have turned the energies round to use similar aspects more positively.
Sebastian''s Sun was conjunct his father''s Pisces Ascendant. This could indicate that the son''s Piscean energy would lead his father down a better path - or it can lead to competition. His Pluto is conjunct his father''s 8th house Neptune so he wanted to control his father''s illegal activities. Sebastian''s Mars opp Saturn square Uranus all were in hard aspect to his father''s Pluto - so the son''s reforming instincts were pitted against the father''s power hungry drive.
Just goes to show there is redemption - though it took another generation to manage it. And that the sins of the father are not always visited on their children. There is a way of turning things round.

Lincoln Centre - Pluto in Capricorn cultural revival From: Marjorie. (07 Nov 2009 18:23):
There are two start dates for the NYork Lincoln Centre for the Arts - 22 June 1956/14 May 1959. Both - as is the way of significant moments - are relatively similar. The idea got under way in 1956 with a 1 degree Cancer Sun sextile Jupiter Pluto in Leo which in turn squared Saturn in Scorpio - so it was creative (Cancer) and a flamboyantly big idea (Jup Pl). Then when the first spade when in for construction in 1959 the Taurus Sun (also creative) was opposition Jupiter and square Pluto - so again an expansively large concept.
Both charts are labouring under the tr Pluto, tr Saturn and tr Uranus over the next three to four years in hard aspect to key planets; and tr Neptune is not making for vigorous progress either till it clears aspects to those late Fixed signs and aspects to early Water signs as it moves into Pisces - so really 2013 onwards.
Where both charts look to be picking up considerably more buoyancy, enthusiasm and success is in five to 8 years time as Solar Arc Suns get together with Jupiter on both charts which is definitely good news. So perhaps once the worst of the difficulties of Uranus and Pluto''s upheavals get out of the way and Pluto in Capricorn can mobilise its culture-promoting drive without as many financial distractions - a revitalised Lincoln Centre might start to emerge.

English Premier League - raise a glass for 2013 From: Marjorie. (07 Nov 2009 18:21):
English premier League Football was set up in 1992 Feb 20. It doesn''t look too cheerful over the coming two or three years. There''s a Solar Arc Saturn conjunct Sun in 2010 which is major obstacle time. And then SArc Venus Mars square Pluto in 2011/12 which is also very stuck. Tr Pluto will trine Jupiter by 2013/14 which could see a revival of their fortunes. They really do need to change and some of that may be happening at the moment with tr Uranus trine Pluto and sextile Sun till late Nov 09. But there will be a few reverses before they get back into forward gear, I''m afraid.

Mahmoud Abbas - bleak times ahead From: Marjorie. (07 Nov 2009 12:18):
The threat of Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, to resign come January in the face of a deadlock in the peace process has got even the Israeli Government worried. He''s seen as a moderate who can negotiate with the West. Though even he has become enfuriated.
He''s a 4 degree Aries Sun so has tr Pluto and tr Saturn fast approaching hard aspects to his Sun from late Dec 09 and continuing through 10/11 - so he will feel the pressure for change. Tr Uranus is trine his Jupiter at the moment so he may have a feeling of release and relief at having come to the decisions. Though it could also be a leverage ploy to kick start a stalemate situation. He has a Cardinal T square of Mars opp Uranus square Pluto so he''ll be fairly controlling, not one to give away power easily - tr Uranus will trine his focal point Pluto from late Dec as well as oppose his successful Jupiter/Pluto midpoint which might indicate some positive shifts. He''s certainly confused and depressed at the moment with tr Pluto square Mars/Neptune. But he''s now 74 so may be relishing the thought of backing away from the dangerous front line. It does look like a fairly slog ahead for him through 10/11 with tr Pluto sextile his Saturn and square his SArc Mars. But whether that means he''ll struggle on or just be depressed from the sidelines isn''t clear without a birth time.
His 15 January 2005 Presidency chart is certainly showing signs of a huge upheaval from late Dec 09 with tr Uranus square Pluto and trine Saturn; and tr Pluto sextile Uranus come Jan 10 - so his Presidency will certainly not have smooth progress ahead.

Nidal Hasan - overloaded Virgo + Saturn Neptune Mars From: Marjorie. (07 Nov 2009 11:57):
The Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan who went on a shooting spree on a Texas base appears to have been born on Sept 6 1970. An American Muslim by birth of Palestinian parents, he trained as a doctor largely funded by the US military, but seems to have become increasingly unhappy post 9/11 when the US war effort was directed against Afghanistan and Iraq. Though whether it was his political views which motivated his actions or just a mental meltdown brought on by years of overwork and listening to the horrific stories of returning soldiers who were PTSD sufferers isn''t clear.
He was a Sun Virgo with Mars, Pluto, Mercury also in Virgo - his Sun was on his Mars/Pluto midpoint which Ebertin describes as ''the ability to work till collapse or complete breakdown, injury, accident, violent measures.'' What is dominant in his chart is a neurotic (+ creative, compassionate) Neptune opposition Saturn square his Virgo Mars. Such an emphasised focal point Mars indicates a highly strung temperament fuelled by a good deal of irritability. More than anything this kind of personality needs to learn to wind down regularly otherwise they overwork themselves to the point of exhaustion or breakdown. Especially since his Mars fell in Virgo he would tend to channel his anger into his work.
9/11 would hit him very hard indeed as the transitting Saturn opposition transitting Pluto were exactly square his Sun; and tr Uranus was hovering around the square to his emphasised Saturn and thus rattling his neurotic, over worrying T square of Saturn Neptune Mars. In the years following 9/11 tr Uranus continued jangling his T square and tr Saturn and tr Pluto moved through the hard aspects to his overly intense Mercury Pluto in Virgo. Mercury Pluto in Virgo is another indicator in his chart of nervous irritability and a tendency to overstrain his nervous system.
So it would have been a fairly unrelenting time for him especially as tr Neptune moved up from 2008 to square his Saturn which would raise his anxiety levels and amplify his inner fears - he''d veer towards paranoia.
There''s no birth time so no real way of knowing exactly what made him snap though tr Pluto was trine his Mars (exactly if he was born early morning) which would produce high frustration and a very trapped feeling. Plus tr Uranus was exactly sextile his natal Saturn and tr Pluto was opposition his Solar Arc Saturn - so his natal T square was under serious pressure as was his Solar Arc T square.
In different circumstances - ie. without the Muslim Palestinian connection - I''d have said he just plain snapped through mental overloading of his highly strung nervous system.

Bryn Terfel - over his mid life crisis From: Marorie. (06 Nov 2009 11:58):
Bryn Terfel, the Welsh opera singer, is a Sun Neptune in Scorpio sextile Uranus Pluto in Virgo - so he''s intense, creative, vague, and quite rebellious. Plus his Uranus Pluto oppose Saturn and square Mars in Sagittarius - so he''s part of that mid sixties generation whose lives are subject to sudden changes. When he withdrew from performances in 2007 to be with his sick son amidst a hail of criticism tr Pluto was conjunct his Mars (frustrated and angry) and tr Uranus was stoking up his mid life crisis in opposition to his natal Uranus.
He seems to have gone back to performing since then on the international stage. He''s still got tr Uranus square his Mars through 2010 which is insecure and prone to irritable gestures; plus tr Pluto conjunct his SArc Sun, and sextile his SA Uranus Pluto - so he will feel the need to alter his lifestyle in some way with some confusion around that as tr Pluto is conjunct his SArc Neptune in 10/11. There''s no birth time so it''s difficult to see which way his career is going but I''d think he''s over the worst of his wobbles. Though given his temperament he''ll probably have a few more.

Penny Marshall - Saturn Mars getting rattled From: Marjorie. (06 Nov 2009 11:57):
Penny Marshall, the American actress/film director, did seem to have been in hospital which sent the blogosphere into a tizzy with tales of brain tumours. Her publicist says she had flu. Whether it is somewhere in between I wouldn''t know. She''s not in the easiest of times certainly.
She''s a Libra Sun trine Mars Saturn in Gemini, sextile Jupiter in Leo - so charming, sociable, hard working, argumentative, lucky and talented. Plus an earthy Taurus Moon trine Venus in Virgo.
The tr Saturn opp tr Uranus have been rattling her Mars Saturn in Gemini and tr Uranus will come back to square her risky Mars/Saturn midpoint later in Dec 09 and then thro'' 2010 square her Saturn which is jolting and jarring. I''m not sure what''s been going on in her life but she''d grind to a halt with her SArc Sun opposing her Saturn in 2008. And tr Neptune opposes her SArc Mars in 2010 which is rather undermining.
I wish her well whatever is going on.

From: SD. (06 Nov 2009 11:21):
Thanks a lot for clarifying the Saturn/Jupiter square issue; I also think it is probably more about being too scared of failure to actually try things as according to my chart Saturn does square Jupiter and I can get this feeling.

Seperate question, but would it be possible to do a chart for the English Premier League? [main English soccer league]. I''m interested to know the future of it as financially it''s very unbalanced and lots of clubs are riddled with huge debts.

Metropolitan Opera New York: From: Deidre. (06 Nov 2009 08:58):
Marjorie: Thank you for your comments re the opera singers. I am an opera buff and enjoy the seasons of performances provided by the Metropolitan Opera of New York as special cinema showings. I read an interesting story in a recent (?July) magazine, "Town & Country" about the wondrous upgrade/expansion of the Lincoln Centre in New York of which the Met and other wonderful theatres is a part. They have committed to over a Billion US dollars but then the down turn seems to have caught them. Can you provide any astrology on this please. As the Lincoln Centre is really a Centre for the World, let alone US or NY, I hope they will prevail. Thanks Marjorie. (Sorry, I have no dates.)

From: lily. (05 Nov 2009 20:57):
It looks like Penny Marshall is sick (Oct 15, 1943, 9:32am bronx, NY) there are reports/rumors that she just had a brain tumor removed and has either liver or lung cancer.

From: Mary Jones. (05 Nov 2009 19:47):
Dear Marjorie,
Could you please look at the chart of Bryn Terfel the very popular Welsh opera singer. He recently announced that he wanted to spend more time with his family and less time travelling around the opera houses of the world. Where can you see his career going in the future.
Thankyou.

Jupiter Saturn - making it happen From: Marjorie. (05 Nov 2009 19:33):
It was Marc Edmund Jones who said a Saturn square Jupiter was a last chance lifetime. Not sure in what context he said it. It''s more of a (possible) lost chance lifetime which is marginally less dramatic. Balancing the practicality of Saturn with the enthusiasm of Jupiter is tricky in a square. The tendency is to fly too high, fail and then Saturn''s self doubt and discouragement creep in so you don''t try again. Sometimes with Jupiter Saturn hard aspects people try harder since they really loathe failing and therefore succeed. But others are so scared of failing they don''t even try. I think it''s more that end of it that he might have been talking about.
The combination of Saturn and Jupiter needs to be about cautious expansion and perseverance. Jupiter hates all that patient persistence and self discipline but it''s important to get the better end of Saturn to make it happen.

Native American Indians - get Obama''s respect From: Marjorie. (05 Nov 2009 19:26):
Barack Obama may not be winning the big battles but he''s doing his bit to spread some decency around. For the first time ever a sitting President met representatives of all 546 Native American Indian tribes and promised them a better deal over broken treaty promises, healthcare etc.
There''s no chart for the indigenous American peoples. Though there are markers along the way from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (11 Mar 1824) and Sitting Bull''s victory at the Battle of Little Big Horn (25 June 1876) to the Wounded Knee Massacre (29 Dec 1890) when they were a spent force.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has a ruthless Mars in Libra opp Pluto square Jupiter in Cancer opp Neptune (conj Uranus) in Capricorn. It has moved by Solar Arc Direction a half zodiac since then so that Cardinal (early degree) Grand Square is being heavily activated by SArcs and by transits at the moment and thro'' Obama''s term.
The unexpected victory of the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne against General Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn happened with a Jupiter opposition Pluto square Uranus in place which is fairly good astrological description of a surprising (Uranian) result due to the Indians'' superior numbers (Jup P). Custer a Sun Saturn in Sagittarius had natally a ruthless Mars Pluto square which had moved by SArc in 1976 to be right in the firing line by hard aspect from the tr Pluto Jup Uranus - he was killed.
The Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 saw a good many Native American women and children killed - then there was a very different Venus opp Neptune Pluto square Mars opp Saturn in place then - chaotic and cruel.

From: SD. (05 Nov 2009 19:04):
Why is the Saturn/Jupiter square in a person''s chart sometimes called the ''Last chance life?'' I''ve just come across this expression and it''s intriguing....

Angela Georghiu - Draculette with problems From: Marjorie. (05 Nov 2009 15:15):
Angela Georghiu, the Romanian opera singer and quite a diva by all accounts - with sackings, walkouts, no-shows a common occurrence is back in the headlines. Nicknamed Cruella de Vil, Madame Ceaucescu, Draculette she has withdrawn from Richard Ayre''s Carmen due to debut in New York in December. Her reason for withdrawing was the casting of her about-to-be-ex-husband Roberto Alagna to sing in the production.
She''s a 2nd house Sun Virgo in a close conjunction to rebellious Uranus Pluto and closely opposition an 8th house Saturn - so she has all of the mid sixties tumultuous energy very focussed on her chart. She likes money but doesn''t handle it or close emotional relationships easily. In addition she has a Mars Neptune in Scorpio in the 4th trine her Saturn and sextile Sun Uranus Pluto, so she has very ambivalent attitudes to her home life from a difficult childhood. On the upside she has Venus in Libra trine Jupiter in Gemini, both sextiling Mercury in Leo - so she can be charming when it suits.
Her husband Roberto Alagna, with whom she made a great success as a singing duo, is a Gemini Sun in a controlling square to Pluto. His Pluto is close to her Sun and she complained he was possessive, disliking her singing with other stage partners. He has probably a Full Moon in Sagittarius, possibly squaring onto Pluto, maybe also square Mars Uranus in Virgo. With those Moon aspects and Venus square Saturn he''s clearly used to a difficult emotional life. He has a more typically opera singer placing of Mercury Venus in Taurus (= throat). Though she has Mercury Sun, Uranus, Pluto in her 2nd house which is Taurus''s natural home.
Their relationship chart has a glitzy but over hopeful and not realistic Jupiter opposition Neptune; with the constantly-changing Saturn opp Uranus Pluto; and a fiercely argumentative Mercury square Mars - so not really enough to hold them together for a lifetime.
Alagna looks enfuriated at the moment with his life turning upside down as tr Pluto trines his exact Uranus Mars conjunction; and tr Neptune in an emotionally disappointing square to his Venus. But he should bounce back reasonably quickly with tr Saturn heading upwards for his Descendant and Jupiter across his midheaven by 2011 which will do his career good. Though Pluto hits his midheaven by 2012 which can go either way - more influence career-wise or hitting a real block.
She''ll move into a better place career-wise from late 2010 with 2011 a good year with tr Jupiter through her 10th. But she''ll face major problems, perhaps financial or work-related as tr Pluto goes into her 6th from 2012 onwards; and then tr Pluto sextiles her 8th house Saturn and trines her Sun in the years following; with tr Neptune through her 8th at the same time which can be financial disappointment.

more mooniness From: susi f. (05 Nov 2009 12:25):
Interesting Xtina that you find Sun Pisces easier than Moon Pisces! Me too! I don''t feel the disconnect that Marjorie speaks of with my Gemini Moon but I''ve noticed I do tend to be able to use my thoughts to change my moods - whereas I''ve noticed that Pisces Moon people (as well as the other water Moons)cannot do that. Their emotions seem to swamp them like an emotional flu and they can''t do anything but wait for it to pass. I find it painful to witness and always want to help somehow but often don''t know how.

From what Maggie and James have said it seems that people with water Moons do identify with them more. Maybe we all feel the emotional part of us is the "realest" bit? And maybe...watery Sun signs experience life through their emotions anyway so our Moons represent something a bit different? Or something. I''m getting tangled up here and will stop now! :))) Is the Moon in Gemini today perchance???

Sandra Bullock - domestic drama From: Marjorie. (05 Nov 2009 12:03):
Sandra Bullock, the comedy movie actress and producer, is in the middle of a messy public custody dispute over her step-daughter with her present husband motor-cycle freak Jesse James and his ex-wife, mother of the five year old, porn star Janine Lindemulder. Lindemulder is just out of prison for tax debt.
Bullock is a 2nd house Sun Leo so focussed on money; with a good-organiser Saturn on her midheaven. Though her Saturn is opposition Uranus Pluto in the 4th so her home life will always be subject to upheaval. She''s got a ditzy Jupiter opposition Neptune square Aquarius Moon opposition Mercury in Leo - so she will off-the-wall and fairly fixed. She''s also got a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Gemini on her Ascendant. She''s got tr Saturn moving through her 4th at the moment so there will be tensions and effort involved in family and domestic matters. Her career should be due a boost with tr Jupiter into her 10th from early 2010 for a year ahead.
Jesse James, a television presenter and motor-cycle builder, is a hugely fiery Venus, Saturn, Mercury, Sun in Aries trine Jupiter in Leo; with a rather fearsome Mars in Taurus trine Uranus Pluto in Virgo and opposition Neptune. There''s not a huge cross-over between their charts and their composite is tricky with a ''romantic dream'' Venus opposition Neptune. There''s also a decidedly more difficult and unstable composite Sun square Uranus Pluto and square Saturn. That is all being jangled at the moment by tr Uranus right through 2010.
Janine Lindemulder is a Sun Neptune in Scorpio sextile Pluto Jupiter in Virgo. So in a clash of elements with her fiery ex-husband. She''s got Pluto Jupiter conjunct Uranus Mars in early Libra which the tr Uranus opp tr Saturn is catching every which way till late 2010. Plus
tr Pluto is upsetting her applecart as it squares her Uranus in late Nov/Dec 09 with tr Pluto square her Mars late Dec/into 2010 so hugely frustrating and unsettling. Not a great time for her.

More mooning From: xtina. (05 Nov 2009 11:12):
What an interesting discussion about Moons! So many insights. Thank you all. But I''m with Marjorie on the disconnect thing (Gemini Moon here too: getting information makes me feel cosy, that''s why I love this site). I''m sure element has a lot to do with it. I have a watery Sun squared by sign to that air Moon and the friends I feel most comfortable with myself with are fellow Pisces. And despite my gender (female), I don''t feel more Moony or more Sunny, I feel both. Interestingly, I notice that people with the Moon in my Sun sign often make me feel swamped and tend to project far more than others. I wonder if anyone else finds that, contrary to popular astrology, Moon/Sun conjunction in synastry can be kind of suffocating.

Moons From: Maggy van Krimpen. (05 Nov 2009 08:48):
The Moon, James, as you say is felt more than the Sun (just in my opinion) by women. With the Moon in Cancer, all my life I have had Cancerian friends (girls), and still have them 40 odd years later - the others come and go but we "know"each other inside out, or feel so comfortable on the "real"level we can meet up after 10 yrs or longer and still carry on exactly from where we left off. A lot of astrologers believe that Moons in the same sign or conjunct are a sign of having been emotionally involved (whether as child/parent, partners etc) in past lives. Being not interested (yet!) in reincarnation, it may or may not be but for sure you will feel deeply comfortable with anyone in your own Moon sign. It is as though you can jsut be yourself, warts and all, and it''s enough - how often does that happen in life??!

Have fun in BC, a nice place.....

Siegried''s Journey From: FW. (05 Nov 2009 07:35):
Marjorie, many thanks for the insight into Siegfried Sassoon.
To anyone who isn''t acquainted with his poems/diaries: go get.

From: james. (04 Nov 2009 22:03):
thanks! music tour in the interior of b.c.

From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 21:45):
James, Bon voyage.

From: james. (04 Nov 2009 20:27):
i will be gone for the next week beginning tomorrow...

sun moon and element combos From: james. (04 Nov 2009 20:23):
marjorie, the idea of the elements as conveyed in traditional astro literature always led me to believe that fire and air, or water and earth share some things in common... what i had to learn over the course of a lifetime, with much insight from others is how the other combos work out elementally.. liz greene in her stupidly titled book ''star signs for lovers''( title was the editors choice) lays out some excellent thoughts on this matter which i read many years ago.. water and air are very different as are fire and earth..perhaps one could look at it that air and earth are more logic, tangible orientated, whereas fire and water are more intuitive emotional orientated.. in this regard air and earth share something in common as does fire and water... where it gets more challenging is with fire with earth, and water with air... there seems to be a deep attraction within these opposites as they help compliment the other but from a very different vantage point.. having a sun moon combo involving either of these two are more challenging, but potentially more productive as well.. i encourage anyone interested in this topic to pick up liz greenes book that i have mentioned, with steven arroyo''s book on the elements also a good book for insights into the elements... regarding both animika and susi f''s comments - thanks to both of you for sharing your personal perspective as well as marjorie for mentioning her moon position.. it reinforces my basic understanding that the moon is such a important point in a womens chart, however important the sun is to all this..women identify in many ways much more strongly to the moon sign then the sun sign.. i find this the case with men as well, but it is less obvious perhaps.. i have also found that often women will be drawn to men that reflect the characteristics of the womens sun sign, or mars sign to a lesser extent... other factors can alter all this, but it''s a general observation of mine that has rung true.. as i said before when i first met my wife i sensed cancerian energy which is what her moon, not sun sign is... i don''t think this is coincidental as it has happened too often for it to be... the moon sign holds a much greater insight into a person (man or women) then the sun sign as i see it.. as to moon in air, the air element is characteristically detached, which is basically the opposite of a moon in water... this i think partly explains the great attraction between these very different elements.. the same goes for the fire earth combo... all interesting stuff for those of us interested in astrology and wanting to understand our own and others natures more strongly.. thanks for your comments..

Siegfried Sassoon - the lessons of the past From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 20:12):
The archives of the World War One English poet Siegfried Sassoon - journals, letters and poems - has been funded to stay at Cambridge University.

Born on 8 September 1886 Sassoon he was the highly educated son of an Iraqi Jewish Indian born father and a Catholic mother from a family of sculptors. He volunteered in his late twenties and fought with gallantry from 1915 until the horror of the senseless waste of the war provoked him into standing defiantly up to the incompetent generals and politicians who were prolonging the soldiers'' agony. That part of his life was dramatised in the film of Pat Barker''s book ''Regeneration'' when he was undergoing treatment by the psychiatrist W. H. Rivers who pioneered the care of shell shock/PTSD sufferers. He met Robert Graves, Rupert Brookes and Wilfred Owen during these years.
Sassoon''s poetry and novels brought home the realities of WW1, so devastating with 15 million killed, that it was deemed to be the War to End all Wars.

''You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you''ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go."

''Soldiers are citizens of death''s grey land, drawing no dividend from time''s tomorrows''

''But the past is just the same,� and War''s a bloody game. . . .
Have you forgotten yet? . . .
Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you''ll never forget.''''

And here we are ninety years later and plus ca change.

Sassoon was a Sun Virgo sextiling onto a Saturn in Cancer trine Mars in Scorpio. His Sun was exactly on his Mars/Saturn midpoint and in a wide square to Pluto - so he was communicative (Virgo), brave but also angry (Sat Mars) and would have issues with authority figures (Sun Pl). His Capricorn Moon was possibly opposition his Saturn. His Neptune squared Mercury Venus in Leo which would sensitise him to the cruelty which he reflected in his writings. What probably propped up his morale was a lucky, optimistic Uranus Jupiter in Libra which trined his Pluto.

When he started to fight in 1915 full of high hopes and heroism his SArc Jupiter was conjunct his Mars. But the bleak tr Saturn Pluto conjunction was also on his Solar Arc Neptune Pluto conjunction which is an unbelievably chaotic, insanity-producing mix. When he made his Declaration against war in 1917 - ''I am making this statement as an act of willful defiance of military authority'' - he was on his first Saturn return.
It was once remarked of him that he lived his life posthumously after the war until he died in 1967, never really recovering, as most didn''t, from the damage it inflicted. Though he wrote three well received novels, married and had a son.

Lisbon Treaty - bucking bronco ride ahead From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 18:37):
The final hurdle of the EU Lisbon Treaty cleared at 3pm on 3rd Nov in Prague. This puts Pluto on the 27 Sagittarius MC squaring Saturn in the 7th opposition Uranus on the Ascendant; with an intense Sun Mercury in the 8th. At its worst it''s a control-freak chart trying to hold together opposing the forces of Uranus and Saturn. The original Lisbon Treaty declaration of 15 Dec 2007 12.15pm Lisbon also had Pluto in the 10th close to the Sun with Saturn again on the Descendant and Uranus in the 1st.
Getting it this far has been a ratchety, stop start process. Since tr Uranus and tr Saturn will be pulling this way and that on the midheaven of the LT09 and the Pluto Jupiter of the LT07 charts through 2010; and tr Uranus will also close the opposition to the 09 chart to exact by mid 2010 and turn Pluto upside down in 2011 - it is not going to be a smooth ride putting it into practice. It could all go seriously up in the air certainly towards 2011.

Spanish flu From: LL. (04 Nov 2009 14:39):
Thank''s Marjorie!

Moons and elements From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 12:35):
Maybe it''s a Water Moon thing. I''ve been reading the discussion with interest but feeling strangely disconnected from it - Gemini Moon! I do think the Sun Moon combination is very key but there may be more obviously felt contradictions with a Water Moon/Sun and the Sun/Moon in a different element. I think James pointed out some time back that Water and Air can be a tricky combination. Though so is Water and Fire.
The house placings also make a huge difference. I''ve got an Earth Sun in a Water house and an Air Moon in a Fire house which could be a recipe for chaos or a toe in all camps.
Water Moons do feel more deeply and are more sensitive to hurt so self protective - or perhaps Moons in other elements just have better avoidance mechanisms which keep them away from what might hurt.
Hmm not sure I have any great conclusions at the moment.

Claude Levi Strauss - Pluto midheaven From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 12:23):
Claude Levi Strauss, one of the towering French intellectuals of the 20th century and father of modern anthropology has died aged 101. His life''s work was in the search for the underlying patterns of thought in all forms of human activity - myths are often the same in many different cultures.
He was a sharp witted, communicative 3rd house Sun Sagittarius trine a self reliant Saturn in Aries. Sagittarians are often good at thinking on the broad sweep. What dominates his chart is Pluto close conjunct North Node in Gemini exactly conjunct his midheaven. And he did become a legend in his lifetime, a figure of great influence which is one of the meanings of Pluto MC. He''d also be controlling and not always co-operative. He had the generational Neptune in Cancer opposition Uranus in 10th/4th - so could be fanatical but also inspired. With Uranus in the 4th he clearly liked a home life that was constantly moving as he explored across the cultures; and with Jupiter in Virgo in the 12th was also happy in his own company. His Pluto was trine a passionately enthusiastic Venus in late Libra and Mars in early Scorpio - he''d be very charming and quite ruthless when it suited him and undoubtedly had the courage to explore dangerous parts of the world in his work.
When he died just short of his 101st birthday his natal Sun trine Saturn had moved by Solar Arc to pick up his Neptune opposition Uranus (Sat conj Nep); with SArc Neptune conjunct his Venus; and SArc Jupiter within a degree of his IC.

Sun and moon combos From: susi f. (04 Nov 2009 12:08):
That''s interesting Animika as I feel the opposite! I have Moon in Gemini and Sun in Pisces and I feel absolutely compelled to be social and chatty when I''m with other people (I can''t sit in a corner and dream even if I really want to)but am glad to "relax" into my more reflective and quiet Pisces self when I''m alone. People always think I''m a Gemini- no-one guesses I''m a fish :)

Simon Mann release - not everyone happy From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 11:55):
The fallout from the surprise pardon and release of Simon Mann from an Equatorial Guinea life sentence over a failed attempted coup will be interesting.
Mark Thatcher has already received a suspended sentence and fine in South Africa for his part though he denies knowing what was going on. Ely Callil, a Lebanese born London businessman was named by Mann as the key coup motivator though he denies any involvement. There are suspicions that various Western governments knew and were not unhappy about a regime change in corrupt, resource-rich EGuinea.
Thatcher''s chart does hint at extreme edginess till late Dec 09 as UK police decide whether there are grounds for an investigation. But apart from tr Pluto square his Solar Arc Mars in 10/11 which admittedly could be scary and frustrating - there are no other major influences. He''s now lost the panicky, sinking tr Neptune opp Mars, Sun, Pluto which were around from 2003 to late 2008. He''ll certainly be facing a meltdown of sorts in 2012/13 as his SArc Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune but that may be over other matters.
Ely Callil - a Sun Mercury Venus in Sagittarius trine Mars Pluto in Leo with Sun opp Uranus thus an adventurer and quite ruthless about gaining his ends - looks much unhappier with his SArc Mars in an undermining panic and failure conjunction with his Neptune in 2009 and early 2010. He''s got a really heavy duty tr Pluto square his Sun/Saturn thro'' 10/11; plus tricky, jolting, risky transits to midpoints and Solar Arcs at the same time.
Callil''s relationship with Simon Mann is under heavy pressure now with tr Pluto trine the composite Saturn till late Nov and then tr Uranus and tr Saturn bouncing off the composite Sun square Uranus through coming months till the end of 2010.

Barack Obama - can he walk his talk? From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 10:52):
While off-year elections don''t really mean much Barack Obama certainly doesn''t seem to be winning much at the moment. The US economy while better than it might have been isn''t in great shape, the healthcare reforms are progressing at minimum speed; Afghanistan is worse and the Middle East peace process isn''t going anywhere.
He''s got the final hit of the tr Uranus opposition Mars from today till late December 09 which is insecure, agitated - this has been around before over the past year plus including during his election campaign without much visible sign of its effect, mainly because his Mars is deeply buried in the 8th. But even no drama Obama must have his sleepless nights. Coincidentally his relationship chart with Hillary Clinton has tr Uranus opp the composite Sun at the same time (now till late Dec 09) which is upsetting and separating - as she managed to put her foot in the Middle East peace process by praising the Israel obdurate stance on settlements (!!??). She''s now backtracking furiously.
Tr Pluto is also opposition Obama''s 5th house Venus till late Nov 09 which in part has to do with his popularity - so charm turned on full blast but dark feelings lurking below and intense emotionally charged arguments. Tr Saturn also squares that Venus later this week from Nov 8 to 18th so feeling unloved and unsupported.
He''s also got tr Neptune square his Mars/Saturn till early Dec which is sinking, confused, damaging.
All of this could change in the blink of an eye - a week''s a long time in politics - if Healthcare gets signed in some kind of a fashion and Iran does a deal over the nuclear argument, then he''ll look great again. If Obama''s birth time is right then he''s got tr Uranus trine midheaven from mid April 2010 which is a positive change of direction; even before then he''ll get some uplift from tr Uranus trine Mars/Jupiter in March 2010. But there''s nothing much of huge cheer before then.

sun and moon combinations From: anamika. (04 Nov 2009 10:08):
hi james, thanks for your post on sun/moon combos. i''ll have to try and read up on it. i have a personal theory that the moon is one''s inner and private personality and the sun is what we choose to show the world.

Spanish Flu - Saturn Neptune From: Marjorie. (04 Nov 2009 10:07):
The Spanish flu outbreak started in 1918 and killed 50 to 100 million people, an estimated 3% of the world population - more than seven times the number killed in WW1 - with 30% of the global population being infected. It ''launched'' in March 1918 when there was an exact Saturn conjunct Neptune in Leo. Saturn Neptune is the major astrological significator for epidemics and we don''t have one at the moment. Next Sat Nep conjunction is due in the mid 2020s and the next Saturn hard aspect to Neptune is late 2016.
There are some nasty diseases out there - haemorrhagic fever, ebola, malaria, staphylococcus infections are on the rise, MRSA and even standard flu kills more than you might expect. Life is dangerous. But health officials - and the media/bloggers - tend to get us strung out over the edge about anticipated horrors which (cross fingers) don''t turn out to be as catastrophic as they had predicted.

Ukraine situation getting worse... From: LL. (03 Nov 2009 23:13):
Hi Marjorie!

Ukraine is having big problems right now with H1N1 - Looks like symptoms are the same as 1918...

...."The more severe manifestation of ARI cases are clearly hemorrhagic disease that fills lungs with blood and produces bleeding at all orifices, which are stark reminders of 1918 pandemic cases which were also linked to a swine H1N1"...(From Recombinomics.com - Henry L. Niman)

Are we due for another worldwide 1918 situation?
(Can you tell us Ukraine coordonates please)

Thank''s
Linda

From: lily. (03 Nov 2009 22:16):
I''m a big fan of Penny Marshall both as an actor and director. She hasn''t done anything in a while (2001) someone said she had retired or maybe she is sick. She just had a birthday (Oct 15, 1943, 9:32am bronx, NY) and I was wondering can you tell from a chart if someone was retired or had a long term illness?

bjork From: sharon. (03 Nov 2009 21:38):
dear marjorie, thanks for your post on bjork. i''m glad she''s going to continue to be creative.

sun moon combos and Anamikas comment From: james. (03 Nov 2009 21:31):
anamika - i enjoyed reading your comment on your sun/moon polarity.. you raise an interesting topic.. nothing operates in isolation to the rest of the chart.. one has to learn how to integrate the different energies.. dane rudhyar has a very good book that discusses this issue, i forget the title... Dane Rudhyar the Lunation Cycle via google... in this book he explains the unique relationship between the sun and moon as it relates to the cycle from new moon to full and back again... the sun is seen as our path of individuation while the moon is highlighting a certain phase of this process necessary for completion... i think it is something like that! balancing ones personal needs as represented by the moon with the positive traits of ones sun sign is a trick of integration.. going fully into the moon energy while ignoring the aspirations of the sun energy would seem to be staying in ones cocoon or shell and ignoring our greater calling as suggested by the sun sign.. the hindu and many in the asian world view the time of a full moon as particularly auspicious.. it could have to do with a greater awareness of these divergent energies and the need to externalize what is contained in the solar energy which is made more pronounced during a full moon... all speculative ideas to ponder. thanks for your comments..

Bjork - a one off Scorpio From: Marjorie. (03 Nov 2009 17:50):
From last year: Bjork, the Icelandic singer, song writer, composer and producer is a Sun Neptune in Scorpio with a Scorpio Moon as well (not conjunct) which does make for powerful intensity. On this birth time she has the revolutionary Uranus Pluto conjunction exactly conjunct her midheaven which makes sense of a singer who is constantly pushing the boundaries, has an extraordinarily wide and at times eccentric range of musical styles. She has a passionately enthusiastic Mars Venus in Capricorn in the 3rd opposition Jupiter in Gemini in the 9th - so is communicative, adventurous, keen on making money but not always practical.
Her career should be moving into a more ambitious phase with tr Saturn into her upper quadrant for the next six years, perhaps taking on a more executive producing role. Though she''ll have a few blips along the way with Solar Arc Mars square her Neptune in 2009 which is rather undermining and panicky; with more of the same when her Solar Arc Neptune conjuncts her Mars in 2010 - with tr Neptune square her Sun at the same time. In four years time her Solar Arc Uranus Pluto start to conjunct her 12th house Moon which will cause some emotional upheavals for a couple of years.
21 Nov 1965 7.50 am Reykjavik, Iceland.

Homeopathy - Hahnemann From: Marjorie. (03 Nov 2009 17:49):
There''s no chart for homeopathy but it started with Christian Hahnemann (10 April 1755 11.59pm Meissen Germany). He was an Aries New Moon; with a 9th house Jupiter in Virgo opposition Uranus Mars Venus in Pisces square Pluto on a Sagittarius Ascendant. So he was broad minded and thoughtful (9th), good with health (Jup in Virgo), willing to take risks (Jup Ur Mars) and controlling though also ahead of his time (focal point Pluto). He also had a quite mystical Neptune in Leo in the 8th (house of intangible things) in a creative, sensitive though also neurotic opposition to Saturn. When he first published on homeopathy his passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars conjunction had moved by Solar Arc to trine his 8th house Neptune and tr Uranus was conjunct his Moon.

British Airways - flying into fog From: Marjorie. (03 Nov 2009 17:48):
The two start dates for British Airways are 1924 and 1974 - both 31 March/1 April giving a 10 degree Aries Sun so not auguring well for the longer term of the next three years. Venus is at 24 degrees Fixed (Taurus/Aquarius) in both charts - which doesn''t look great for the Xmas period since tr Neptune is in hard aspect from early Dec 09 to mid Jan 10. Tr Pluto is also square the SArc Sun which is pretty blocked. There are one or two brighter influences around but that particular period does look sticky.

Drug Companies and Homeopathy From: nina. (03 Nov 2009 12:41):
Drug Companies and Homeopathy
I have several friends who are heavily into Homeopathy (most using it as part of their day to day work and manner of earning a living) and they are really worried about the heavy hand of the drug companies seeking to remove Homeopathy so that it cannot be used in this country. Do you have any astrological views on this. I do not know of any charts I could use and did wonder if a Horary question would deal with it - but my first port of call is your forum - which I read every day with great pleasure .

Bjork From: sharon. (03 Nov 2009 12:32):
Dear Marjorie, Is it possible to have a look at the chart of the singer Bjork? I find her to be a very interesting person.

Thank you

Sharon

Happy Christmas from BA From: lj. (03 Nov 2009 11:36):
BA cabin crew are threatening a Christmas strike. Results of a ballot will be announced on 14th December and then action will start on the 2lst December right over the busy holiday period. Majorie, what do you think the chances of this strike going are? As a mother who hopes to have her young return home then, with prebooked BA air tickets, its not the most brilliant of news. Many thanks.

Rooney Jnr - running on Mars From: Marjorie. (03 Nov 2009 10:01):
The baby of Wayne and Coleen Rooney - Liverpool footballer for those of us who are sports-challenged - is certainly going to be a complicated personality. With Jupiter on the Aquarius Ascendant he''ll appear to be amiable, outgoing, mischievous. But with a 9th house Scorpio Sun opposing a Taurus Moon square Mars and opposition Ascendant (Jupiter) - he''ll be hugely stubborn, immoveably so (multi-fixed planets), at times impatient (Mars), adventurous and not always sensible (Mars Jup). He''ll see his parents as at least hugely different probably incompatible personalities and it''s not beyond the bounds of possibility they do split (Full Moon). He''ll be angry at both of them (Sun Moon Mars).
Plus he''s got the tough Saturn opp Uranus square Pluto - a similar configuration in the early 1930s of Saturn opp Pluto square Uranus produced a good many notable successes though they tend to be driven, not always happy individuals. Rooney Jnr has Saturn in the 8th as well as Venus - so intimate relationships won''t come easily to him. Uranus in the 2nd plus Mars Jupiter suggests his handling of money will be erratic. Moon in the 3rd could suggest comfort from brothers and sisters so perhaps there will be more to come. A far travelled 9th house Sun and so much in 2/8th might suggest other interests than sport though he''ll definitely be fuelled by high octane energy.
His father Wayne is a Sun Pluto in Scorpio square Jupiter in Aquarius - so controlling and pushy; with a Pisces Moon and Venus in Libra. His mother Coleen is unbelievably a Sun Aries with perhaps an Aquarius Moon so she''ll have a tough time with two Scorpios on her hands. Though her Jupiter in Pisces will help; and she has a Venus in Taurus opposition Pluto squaring onto her Moon which is perhaps why she''s attracted herself into such an emotionally intense family.
2 Nov 2009 1.45pm Liverpool, Eng

Michael O''Leary - fuelled by Mars, running into blocks From: Marjorie. (03 Nov 2009 09:09):
July 22nd 2009: The mouthy head of Ryanair, Michael O''Leary is throwing brickbats at the UK Government again for not reducing airline taxes, as other countries have done, to help a sagging industry. He''s possibly a last degree Pisces or possibly a zero degree Aries Sun square an angry, combustible Mars in Cancer. With a fiercely intense Mercury opp Pluto and Mercury trine Mars. His Sun sextiles Saturn in Capricorn Jupiter in Aquarius so he clearly has a vision if not much patience. His multi-aspected Mars is in a ruthless sextile to Pluto and in a publicity seeking trine to Neptune.
He''s clearly feeling the pressure at the moment with tr Pluto sextile his Mercury and tr Neptune in a panicky opp to his Solar Arc Mars. Tr Saturn is aiming for the conjunction to his Sun late this year, with tr Uranus picking up the square into 10/11. Then Saturn from late 2010, followed in 11/12/13 by Pluto and Uranus hard aspect his Mars so - it looks like being a long haul till he gets his business back the way he wants. Indeed he could even pack his bags at one point since tr Pluto opp Mars can be a grounding marker altogether.

Simon Mann - coming out but not happy From: Marjorie. (03 Nov 2009 09:07):
Simon Mann, the old Etonian British mercenary in jail for staging an attempted coup against the Government of Equatorial Guinea now appears to have been pardoned one year into his sentence.
Mann is a Sun Venus widely conjunct Uranus in Cancer so is creative, ambitious, home loving, patriotic and rebellious. What probably gives the key to his character is the Sun Venus trine to a ruthlessly determined Mars in Scorpio. Plus an indulgent Jupiter in Taurus in a forcefully confident and pushy square to Pluto and a flamboyant Leo Moon. Moon Pluto oppose the Moon''s North Node in Aquarius which will have tended to give him a strong sense of mission to which he would be willing to sacrifice his life, as well as a fairly condescending attitude. His Sun also squares Saturn in Libra giving him a driving need to do better next time. Uranus squares Neptune also in Libra making him fanatical, resistant to practical advice.
When he was arrested in March 2004 in Zimbabwe his Secondary and Tertiary progressions were pulling together by aspect an unholy mix of Saturn Mars and Sun Mars Pluto. What is interesting to note is that his Tertiary Mars went direct this July/August 2009. It went retrograde in mid 2004 after his initial arrest. Robert Blascke says of retrograde Mars - will and vitality are sapped, it often starts with a sudden shocking violent experience and is followed by a time of alienation and introspection, repetition and time disorientation. When it goes direct it often coincides with a crucial turning point in life.
He certainly looks more upbeat at the moment till late Nov 09 with tr Pluto opp Sun/Jupiter and Jupiter/Pluto with tr Pluto square Jupiter/NNode into Dec 09. But the future doesn''t look that easy with tr Saturn and tr Pluto hitting his 4 degree Cancer Sun from late Dec/Jan10 onwards which is fairly held back. Plus tr Pluto trine Sun/Mars. He does have health problems which may be part of what those trickier aspects are about. But the next several years will be tough going for him with his Cancer Sun square Saturn in Libra picking up the tr Pluto, tr Saturn, tr Uranus hard aspects.

Rooney baby From: Maggy van Krimpen. (03 Nov 2009 08:51):
Marjorie, could you pse take a look at the Ronney baby''s chart, Kai born 2.11.09 Liverpool 1.45 pm. I took a quick look myself - two t-squares fixed, cardinal), Aquarius rising - do you consider Saturn or Uranus to be the chart ruler of that sign? They are in opposition and a tight t-sq to Pluto from Uranus....complex!

He has Mars/Jupiter across the ascendant in a t to Sun Merc at the top of the chart - thus does he inherit his father''s sportiness? It was Full Moon as well, so quite a dramatic chart potentially - thanks for your time and patience.

The Buccaneer From: Tius. (03 Nov 2009 08:13):
Have you ever done a profile of Michael O''Leary and Ryanair, Marjorie? Seems like an obvious enquiry as the Buccaneer is seldom out of the news these days. Full of surprises, he has the enviable knack of being the centre of attraction in a group with a line of chat that would stun one of those laughable American business guru''s with their collective slant on human nature! How can he pick your pockets, raid your bank account, con you into getting an Electron card because you believe it will save you money "In the long term", and leave you smiling? Never mind kissing the Blarney Stone, I reckon this fellow must have swallowed it whole. If he ever shakes your hand; count your fingers, check your wallet, and make sure you are still wearing your Timex! And we still fly Ryanair - like I will be at the end of the month.

The Australian Situation From: Debra. (02 Nov 2009 23:25):
Hi Marjorie Love your comments...particularly what you have said on the fate of the World Bank and world economies. Just wanted to know what you see for Australia''s Kevin Rudd and the current Australian Federal Labor Party. Will Kevin Rudd achieve his ambition of getting a seat on the U.N? Also what do you see happening with the current issue of boat people trying to get to Australia? There seems to be a growing undercurrent of hostility towards these "boat people" from the Australian public, reading the papers as well as questions being asked about current levels of Muslim immigration to this country (Liberal Party Kevin Andrews recent comments)which seem to have hit a raw nerve with many people in forums supporting Kevin Andrews stance and asking for a proper discussion on this issue. What do you see happening? (Sorry I''ve asked so many questions)

Forum From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 19:48):
No Julia - you strayed across the line and I won''t have this forum turned into a sniping match. It''s for sensible astrology.

Site malfunction? From: Julia. (02 Nov 2009 19:44):
Is there something wrong with this site? Because my posts have been disappearing repeatedly during the last week.

Alan Johnson Home Secretary From: Chris B. (02 Nov 2009 17:25):
Alan Johnson seems to have dropped himself into a mess re his drug advisors any info on him and when is the Gordon Brown string going to unravel...?

CIT Inc - old lady not in good shape From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 17:04):
The financial CIT Group Inc has now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is moving forward with a prepackaged reorganization plan and expects to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of the year.
Founded on 11 Feb 1908, it has an Aquarius Sun trine Pluto in Gemini. Pluto is now being thoroughly unsettled by a transitting Uranus square exactly now which usually accompanies huge upheavals. That disappears in late Nov 09 but CIT will hit a few more bumps in the road before it emerges into clear daylight. Tr Uranus will conjunct Saturn Venus in 2010 which will be jolting and unwelcome changes. Even before then tr Pluto starts to hard aspect the Solar Arc Pluto and from late Dec 09 through 2010; then Pluto opposes Solar Arc Venus and Saturn in 11/12. So it''ll be a long haul forward.

Ford Motors - up now, not great later From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 17:03):
Ford Motors has posted surprise profits for its third quarter in part due to the uplift from the Cash for Clunkers scheme. They are now forecasting a solidly profitable 2010.
Their surge comes from the final lucky tr Uranus trine their Jupiter which runs out in late November. But this buoyancy won''t hold with their Neptune at 3 degrees Cancer and Mars at 5 degrees Libra about to be assaulted first by tr Saturn from early Dec 09 for a few months and then by tr Pluto late Dec 09 for two years ahead - both of which indicate severe setbacks, indeed meltdown at some point ahead. Pluto square Mars is definite catastrophe time so they will find themselves struggling badly.

interesting sun and moon combinations From: Anamika. (02 Nov 2009 15:24):
I have sun and rising sign in libra and moon in pisces. As a result, half of me wants to go out, party and be around people whilst the other half wants to stay at home and meditate, do yoga, read deepak chopra books. Plus it''s playing havoc with my value system. Half of me is a slick sophisticated socialite who loves armani clothes and gucci bags and knows how to play the game in the rat race. The other half is a total hippie who can very effortlessly and involuntarily daydream for days and loves wearing old ripped jeans and not combing her hair. I was thinking that i should have hypnotherapy to combine and reconcile these two halves.

Nicholas Cage - undone by Jupiter From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 14:21):
Nicholas Cage, the actor, is facing major tax defaults, according to him because of an ex-business manager''s mishandling of his affairs. He is having to sell off properties and assets and could owe 20 million dollars.
Cage is an earthy Sun, Mercury, Mars in Capricorn with his Sun in a laid back square to Jupiter in Aries in the 4th. His Sun trines a 9th house Uranus Pluto in Virgo - so he''s quite a maverick. He also has a public career Moon in Libra in the 10th in an impatient square to his 2nd house Mars; with Venus Saturn in Aquarius also in the 2nd. He''s ambitious about money but probably also compulsive in spending.
At the moment he''s got his Solar Arc Uranus conjunct his Moon which is a major and emotional shock which will also have career repercussions. Plus he''s got Solar Arc Mars moving towards the opposition to his Pluto by 2011; and then his SArc Saturn is conjunct his 4th house Jupiter by 2012 which will affect his home life. So the few years ahead will be frustrating and enraging.
What is lucky for him is that tr Saturn is moving towards his midheaven by late 2010 to stay in his upper high success quadrant till 2017 giving him a chance to recoup his losses since he''ll be working exceptionally hard.

From: TutuG. (02 Nov 2009 14:12):
Dear Marjorie,
What is going on vis-�-vis Toney Blair and EU presidency? How is it going to end? Regards

Afghanistan - progress in reverse From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 14:02):
The mess that is Afghanistan just got messier with the cancellation of the election run-off later this week. Hamid Karzai will be deemed President on the basis of a massively fraudulent first round. This doesn''t leave the US or UK governments or indeed other countries in a happy place having risked troops lives to get a legitimate government in place. However Karzai is going to find himself under extreme pressure especially from late November as tr Pluto returns to conjunct his Capricorn Sun and trine his Pluto - he may be a control freak but he''s going to have to change whether he likes it or not. And with tr Pluto square his Solar Arc Uranus from late December it may be a forced, jolting transition.
His relationship with US envoy Richard Holbrooke (the bulldozer) - a Sun Venus Saturn Jupiter Uranus in Taurus, Pluto in Leo and Mars in Aquarius so utterly immoveable when he''s on track - is not good at the best of times and worsening from late Nov 09. Tr Pluto will be trine their composite Saturn and opposition Uranus - with tr Saturn also square the composite Uranus from mid November. So there is going to be a fair amount of tension-spilling, heavy leverage and outright table slamming to get life shifted in a better direction. Presumably towards a more unity government including Karzai''s main opponent Abdullah Abdullah. Holbrooke''s fiery temper is even more inflamed than usual this year and into next with his SArc Mars conjunct his Merciry in Aries; but he may feel more on top of things with tr Pluto trine his Sun and Venus through 2010/11 from Jan 10 onwards.
The Hamid Karzai Presidency chart from 7 Dec 2004 has the controlling Sun Pluto conjunction closing to exact by progression over this coming year - so it''ll be a massive tussle to get him to shift.
There''s not much in the Afghanistan chart to suggest improvements soon. It has a Leo Sun opp Uranus square Neptune - all in late Fixed signs - and it''ll be 2012 before tr Neptune clears its undermining hard aspects round the T square. In many ways 2010 could be even more anxiety provoking with tr Neptune square the focal point Moon and a highly insecure (and explosive) tr Uranus trine Mars and opposition Venus at the same time. SArc Saturn is in a jolting square to the Afghanistan Uranus over coming months as well and conjunct the Afgh NNode in Scorpio.

Eurozone - muted rumblings building From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 12:00):
The other vexed question in currencies is the highly (over) valued Euro given the parlous state of many of the Eurozone economies - Italy, Spain, Greece etc etc.
The ECB (EU Central Bank) have managed so far to steer a determined but quiet course. There''s nothing as difficult on their chart as on the Bank of Japan. But there will be strains from late Nov 09 as tr Pluto trines the financial Venus so changes will be made under pressure; with the even more significant tr Pluto trine Moon from late Dec 09. The ECB chart has a Mercury, Mars, Sun opposition Pluto square Moon - so any transits to the Moon will affect that whole T square. Expect some angst, aggravation and frustration as more forced measures are taken. Tr Pluto through 10/11 will square the SArc Jupiter so there''ll be an attempt to brazen out any crisis but with tr Saturn catching the opposition to Jupiter from Sept 10 onwards there will need to be a sharp retraction. And it''s from that late 2010 period onwards that there are major conflicts, perhaps even separations, in the composite charts of Italy and the Eu, Germany and the EU, UK and the EU. It wouldn''t be beyond the bounds of possibility that Italy for one didn''t pull out of the Euro if it refuses to depreciate. Germany is certainly extremely unhappy with the way things are going with rumblings of their discontent growing louder from late Dec 09 onwards.

Japan economy in freefall From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 11:33):
With the focus firmly on the sliding dollar and pound what seems to have escaped notice is the shaky state of the Yen and the Japanese economy as a whole.
Expert comments run from: "The debt situation is irrecoverable - they will not be able to fund their deficit. There will be a fiscal shutdown, a pension haircut, and bank failures that will rock the world. It is criminally negligent that rating agencies are not blowing the whistle on this."
''This is incredibly dangerous - the rate of deflation is shocking. The debt dynamics are horrible and there is the risk of a downward spiral."

The chart of the Bank of Japan is certainly facing a raft of challenges and jolts in the time ahead. Solar Arc Uranus is trine Pluto in effect over coming months which means the old stuck-in-the-mud approach won''t wash anymore. There will be forced changes. In November tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspect the BoJ Jupiter so they''ll attempt to maintain their confident stance but it won''t work. Tr Neptune picks up the undermining conjunction to the Progressed/SArc Sun from early Dec 09, continuing on to square the BoJ Saturn which indicates panic and confusion from mid January 2010 onwards. Tr Pluto squares Solar Arc Saturn from late December 09 which is deprivation, hard ship and major strains; with a frustrating tr Pluto sextile Mars in January 2010 onwards for two years. As if this wasn''t enough the Solar Arc Sun squares Saturn over coming months which is usually hit-the-buffers time.
The Japan country chart has tr Saturn square Jupiter at the moment and returning on and off till mid 2010 which is about the need for financial cutbacks, with confidence dipping. Tr Saturn is conjunct the Solar Arc Pluto in mid November 09 which is blocked. There will be high insecurity from mid Feb till early March 2010 onwards with tr Uranus conjunct the Japan Mars. But their nadir comes possibly towards 2011 with SArc Uranus in a jolting conjunction to the Japan Sun (opposition Saturn). By that time tr Neptune is squaring the Japan Neptune Pluto conjunction for the three years following.
Yukio Hatoyama, the new Prime Minister, has an Aquarius Sun conjunct the Japan Sun and he also has a massively jolting SArc Uranus opposing his Sun in 2010. His Presidency chart has the ''economic downturn'' Saturn conjunct Sun opp Uranus squaring onto a 2nd house Pluto - so all the pressures of his term will be focussed on the country''s finances - with major hiccups from late Dec 09 onwards. Unfortunately his Presidency chart also has a showy Venus Moon in Leo opposition the head-in-the-clouds Jupiter Neptune - so the policies may not be realistic.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/6480289/It-is-Japan-we-should-be-worrying-about-not-America.html

Mel Gibson Jnr Mark V111 From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 10:59):
Mel Gibson and his fianc� Oksana Grigorieva appear to have had a baby girl last Friday. This makes for a Sun Scorpio square Mars in Leo so an energetic, impatient temperament reflecting her father. She''s also got the gritty Saturn in Libra square Pluto with Saturn opposition Uranus (and probably Moon in Pisces/Aries) - so not the happiest or easiest of emotional and family lives ahead - unpredictable, erratic and at times quite bleak. The saving grace is a light hearted, socially charming Venus in Libra trine Jupiter Neptune in Aquarius which will bounce her up.
Though her father''s rather unnervingly hard Mars Saturn in Scorpio will damp down her Jupiter Neptune considerably. Her Uranus (Moon) fall on his midheaven indicating that she changed the direction of his life; but with a close Saturn Pluto conjunction in the composite chart, perhaps resentment on his part for that, although there is also a good deal of affection as well from a Sun Venus.

Countess of Wessex - cuspal From: Marjorie. (02 Nov 2009 10:26):
If the Countess of Wessex was born before 9am she''s a Capricorn, later makes her an Aquarius. She''s got a Virgo Moon. Prince Edward is a Pisces with an early (9 degrees) Aquarius Moon which might suggest she''s more likely to be Aquarius. There''s a birth time floating around of 12.46 pm tho how solid it is I''m not sure.

moon as connection to the past and what you are comfortable with.... From: james. (01 Nov 2009 21:39):
these are issues that revolve around the moon as i see it... freedom can come with an understanding of the past and how it impacts the present.. the habits we form may or may not serve us well, but they''re our comfortable connection to the past and difficult to let go of.. perhaps something happens to point out how unhelpful some of these same habits are to our well being and we then reconsider a position we hold ( habit ) that is counter productive and interfering with our living fully in the moment ( freedom )..... it seems to me in what i know of the polarity of taurus/scorpio that the idea of ''being attached'' verses ''letting go'' serve 2 very different purposes, both connected to the cycle of growth from the individual to a more social level... the moon as ''insecure needy baby energy'' is always looking for it''s needs to be met no matter what part of the cycle it''s located, but it''s very different depending on where the moon is in this same cycle.. i think the tendency towards unhealthy or destructive habits is a much greater risk with moon in scorpio then taurus... i think scorpio can generally see past the tangible securities that taurus actively seeks out, so is less interested in the surface stuff... perhaps human nature, especially youth) is not given over to looking within or contemplation, but i''m not sure... perhaps it''s a part of the cycle many have yet to consider... i suppose that is why i continue on with astrology in a search for greater understanding, with love and compassion central guiding principles.... no one said it would be easy, lol...

The upcoming election From: jaysangels (anpomaja@gmail.com). (01 Nov 2009 20:35):
Hi Marjorie; I wonder if you could comment on the coming elections. Looks like the republicans feel they are likely to have an upper hand. But with the health care bill looming I hope the states stay with the democrats. What do you think is the trend? Thank you. Jay

From: sue. (01 Nov 2009 20:06):
James, would you mind emailing me at slshawaii@gmail.com I wanted to ask you a question. You were nice enough before to comment about a post I made. thanks

Indira Gandhi - a Saturn Mars in Scorpio assassination From: Marjorie. (01 Nov 2009 17:31):
25 years ago Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984 in revenge for the Amritsar temple massacre which she had ordered five months earlier against Sikh militants. Following her death 3000 Sikhs were killed in the days running into her funeral on November 2nd.
Indira Gandhi was a self willed, autocratic Saturn opposition Uranus squaring a Scorpio Sun. She had a career-success Jupiter in the 10th with a ruthless Pluto sextile a 1st house Mars in Virgo.
When she was killed tr Saturn in Scorpio was exactly conjunct her Solar Arc Mars and both exactly conjunct her I.C. Which is a pretty apt astrological depiction of murdered at home.

David Hockney - Earth and Water From: Marjorie. (01 Nov 2009 16:48):
David Hockney, the artist, despite his 72 years is busier than ever with his epic landscape paintings about to debut in New York, a major retrospective opening in the UK next month, and his most ambitious exhibition aimed at 2012, when the Royal Academy has invited him to fill the entire gallery for the Olympic year.
He is a home loving Sun Cancer trine a determined Mars in Scorpio, both sextile a creative Neptune in Virgo. He''s also got an Earth Grand Trine, good for business and the real world - of Neptune trine Uranus trine Jupiter in Capricorn. With Uranus in an excitable adventurous, hates-interference opposition Mars, making his Grand Trine into an even more talented Kite. His Jupiter is also in a pushily confident opposition to Pluto. He''s a complex man, clearly helped to success by having such a mix of creativity and a well-earthed attraction to money plus luck.

Berlin Wall - celebrating its downfall From: Marjorie. (01 Nov 2009 16:48):
The Berlin Wall started to come down on 9th November 1989, twenty years ago. It happened when the Saturn Neptune conjunction in Capricorn was exact and exactly opposing Jupiter in Cancer; with Uranus Venus in Capricorn also conjunct Saturn Neptune. So the much feared triple conjunction in Capricorn having a good result. It was also boosted by Mars Pluto Sun in Scorpio - so a build up of very strong energies.
The order to close the East West border and to start building the wall came on 13th August 1961 when there was a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Capricorn trine Mars in Virgo. What went up on one Saturn in Capricorn came down on the next - twenty eight years + later.
Germany was the country most obviously affected and with their 10 degree Capricorn Sun picking up the conjunction exactly from tr Saturn Neptune and with tr Jupiter exactly opposition the G Sun and exactly conjunct the G Cancer NNode and conjunct MC it was obviously a time for celebration and some anxiety about what lay ahead. The Scorpio Sun on 9th Nov 1989 was exactly opposition the Germany 8th house Pluto with tr Pluto rapidly approaching that opposition as well - so a considerable shift under great pressure.
Russia which was about to lose its Empire had tr Pluto just minutes of a degree past the Russia Scorpio Sun with tr Uranus conjunct the Russia NNode and trine the Russia Mars in Virgo - so a tremendous upheaval bringing some anger and frustration as well as insecurity. The tr Saturn Neptune in Capricorn had in the previous months been opposing the Russia 10th house controlling Pluto and tr Uranus was soon following opposing it - so the power base was fragmenting.

Stephen Fry - highly strung and talented From: Marjorie. (01 Nov 2009 11:39):
The ubiquitous Stephen Fry (Jeeves and Wooster, Bones etc etc etc) the top rated Twitter has now reversed his decision to leave his million tweeting fans. He became upset when a disgruntled tweet was sent to him and he said there was too much unpleasantness and unkindness around in cyber space. Hhmm. Too true.
Fry who has been diagnosed with a mild form of bi-polar disorder was born on 24 August 1957 (no b time) in London. He''s a very pressured and controlled Sun Pluto in Virgo widely conjunct Mars in Virgo square Saturn in Sagittarius - so he''s an over worker, over worrier and felt very held down in childhood. Saturn in Sag tends to be very sensitive to criticism. Fry has also also got Mercury in Virgo. Luckily his Saturn makes an innovative trine to Uranus in Leo and both sextile onto lucky and charming Jupiter Venus in Libra.
In his late teens he ended up doing three months in prison over a stolen credit card before going on to flourish at Cambridge University. At that point His Mars Saturn square had moved by Solar Arc to hard aspect his Mercury in Virgo creating major nervous tensions; and tr Pluto was conjunct his emphasised Jupiter Venus (Jupiter Pluto can often be found around transgressions of the law).
Then in 1995 he walked off the London stage and fled to the continent in a nervous breakdown. That was when his Mercury was again under huge pressure from a tr Saturn opposition, tr Uranus Neptune trine and tr Pluto sextile. Even more pointedly Solar Arc Neptune had moved to conjunct his Saturn which would be highly neurotic, confusing and self doubting.
He''ll always have his ups and downs but he''s undoubtedly an interesting talented man.

Abdullah Abdullah - stuck but some chinks of light coming From: Marjorie. (01 Nov 2009 10:56):
Abdullah Abdullah, the only opponent to Hamid Karzai in the run off Afghan elections scheduled for November 7th has now withdrawn. His demand for the election overseers from the previous heavily rigged election to be removed has been denied. Where that leaves the legitimacy of this run off is a huge question mark.
Abdullah has the highly frustrated/enraged and risky tr Pluto square Mars/Saturn till late November 09 with tr Saturn in opposition across Nov 7th. But there may be some positive movement from his point of view since Nov/Dec see tr Uranus square his Mars/Jupiter midpoint which usually brings some relief and a lucky break. By late December he looks in a more confident position and through 2010 despite some risky transits to midpoints he also has the successful tr Pluto sextile Jupiter/NNode.

moon and memory From: james. (31 Oct 2009 21:14):
sometimes it is best to put others on ''ignore''... using the internet as a medium for communication has some limitations.. i wanted to mention how it seems to me that moon in cancer has a particularly sharp memory... i was thinking this might have to do with holding an image in ones mind is like retaining a photograph of history and cancers seem particularly drawn to history, especially their own personal past..perhaps it acts like a watershed to draw from at different points in life and in older people it is especially valuable... moon in scorpio seems to hold onto memories that might not be in it''s own best interest.. it is interesting what one chooses to remember, but for this i think a look at a persons moon will say something about...

From: S. (31 Oct 2009 20:30):
Will Pluto''s passage through Capricorn mean a coalescing of rule on Earth into 3 large powers - China, America and the EU? I read on another astrology site that this was the most likely case.

From: Julia. (31 Oct 2009 20:18):
I''m gonna add two more things...

RE: Amazon''s growth in profits, etc. That''s funny about Jeff Bezos. My sister, who works for Amazon.co.uk, is also a Sun Capricorn! :) Just like Jeff. She has a stellium of Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Capricorn, and all three sextile her Saturn in Scorpio. She takes her job very seriously (even though she complains like hell about it quite frequently), and she has managed to rise to supervisory managagement level after only working there for less than a year.

RE: animals and astrology. One of the dogs I had growing up was a Sun Gemini/Moon Scorpio. She''s still alive, though I hardly see her these days. She lashes out in jealousy if someone pets one of the other dogs or cats who are near her. It''s hilarious. :-o ''Rex'' (Sun Gemini/Moon Scorpio) had a traumatic enough puppyhood (!) because she managed to scamper down some pipe and get stuck undergound for two days. At one point, we all thought we would never get her out of there, but as Lady Luck would have it, Rex was taken out from the underground pipes safely and soundly. But like a true Moon in Scorpio doggie, she probably carries the scar of the experience! LOL.

cats and dogs and sexy moons From: james. (31 Oct 2009 17:54):
animals are either realy good at taking projections from those close to them, or they do indeed exhibit the astro traits of us astro nuts.. i liked what the two of you both said about your cats! this dog of ours is like an old lady, very protective of what she knows to be ''her home'' although she would never hurt anyone, she lets us if anyone is around.. she has the worrying nature down in spades, and if it looks like she is going to be left behind can be seen gulping over the thought of being deserted... unlike most dogs that would sit in the living room in the company of us, she always retreats to the bedroom hiding her head under the bed and prefers the solitude and quietness of her most cherished space - our bedroom... she''s a shaggy dog with hair hanging down over her eyes so one never knows if she can see anything most of the time, but she definitely does..she has pisces rising, so maybe some of the water traits are further amplified with this rising sign.. she is very attached to us and is always very happy when we hug one another.. she just knows when the scissors are coming out to cut off some of her mats.. she will go hide under the bed before my wife can get a chance.. she loves to have her belly rubbed and a favourite ritual is for her to jump up on the bed in the morning and rollover on top of us to have her belly rubbed! that seems to be a strong cancerian thing - having your belly rubbed! us animal lovers, love our animals.... as for sexy scorpio moons, i''m not sure about that! intense perhaps... any pluto dynamic or strong scorpio vibe will give the intensity.. the problem with having the moon in this sign is intensity combined with subjectivity is a potentially dangerous combo... but then i suppose it wouldn''t be intense if it was detached... maybe it''s a fixed sign characteristic being more focused on something while canceling out all else.. each season has the concentration of it''s energy in the middle, or what are the ''fixed'' signs.. perhaps the desire to move within associated with the fall that gains intensity during the middle part that leads to a connection of scorpio to issues of sexuality, death and transformation.. i think scorpios are definitely more drawn to this energy... a strong pluto will do it too.. i think i might have a bit too much of it in my chart, but on the surface one might not immediately notice it.. i am not sure how others see me exactly... moon on the horizon makes for a more subjective orientation, as does all the personal planets below the horizon line..

The Blair Witch Prospect ... From: FW. (31 Oct 2009 17:51):
Marjorie, thanks so much for all this. Fascinating reading.
And you were right all along.

From: halia. (31 Oct 2009 16:25):
Hi Majorie I would like to know if the Countess of wessex is a capricorn or aquarius? What is her rising sign? Thanks! Halia

Whither Tony Blair - out in the wilderness From: Marjorie. (31 Oct 2009 11:38):
Where does the grin go now? He has the usually successful Jupiter in his 10th till Feb 10 with a change of direction coming in March 10 as tr Uranus sextile his midheaven.
However he also has both tr Saturn and tr Uranus hard aspecting his Sun/Moon midpoint at 28 Pisces; and he has tr Pluto going through his 8th. The first of these will put him into a quandary about what he really wants from his life and indeed from his marriage. So he''ll be hopping backwards and forwards until early 2011. Pluto through the 8th gives a sense of being trapped, not free to follow his own pursuits, weighed down by old obligations. Often it coincides with a time of debt or financial blockage which is clearly not the case here, though he may well feel trapped by his wife''s determination to turn him into a money machine.
By 2011 tr Neptune squares his Jupiter which is high hopes turning into disappointment and then by 2012 tr Neptune is squaring his Mars which is outright failure and squaring his Ascendant which is very undermining for his image.
At that point in 2012 tr Neptune moves into his 11th for many years thereafter making him slightly directionless vis a vis future plans. His life will get a very major jolt come 2015 with SArc Sun conjunct his focal point Uranus and his SArc Pluto moving to conjunct his Neptune and Saturn in the two years following - that will be a challenging time when he is facing his worst ever crisis.
On his astrocartography his most successful regions are the Far East - Singapore, Hong Kong, China so if he wants to make it big he needs to head oriental.

David Cameron at odds with Sarkozy/Merkel From: Marjorie. (31 Oct 2009 10:53):
David Cameron, the UK Opposition leader generally deemed to be the next resident at No 10 isn''t making himself popular with European leaders. He has been publicly supporting the Czech President in his stalling tactics on the Lisbon Treaty as well as splitting away from the Centre Right EU parties to ally with questionable far righters.
Cameron, a Sun Venus in Libra has a flamboyantly confident Mars in Leo which falls conjunct both Sarkozy and Merkel''s Pluto - so a definite fight politically, resentment, bitterness etc. Especially with Sarkozy who has an intense Mercury in Aquarius opposition his Pluto which catches Cameron''s Mars in the wrong place. Cameron''s Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn in Pisces also falls across Sarkozy''s Virgo/Pisces Asc/Dec - so an unsettling and dampening interface. Communication with Angela Merkel will also be difficult as Cameron''s intense Mercury in Scorpio is conjunct her Saturn - so she''ll stonewall him.

Levi Johnston - earthy and stubborn From: Marjorie. (31 Oct 2009 10:34):
The Sarah Palin family roadshow rolls in. Ousted Levi Johnston, the unmarried father of her grandchild, is about to appear full frontal in a magazine shoot and saying he''s being denied access to his son. Born on 3 May 1990 he''s a determinedly stubborn Taurus Sun opposition Pluto; with Jupiter in Cancer in an adventurous, not always realistic opposition Uranus Neptune in Capricorn; and Virgo Moon probably in an impatient-with-women opposition Mars in Pisces. So lots of oppositions pulling him in different directions. Plus he''s got a highly emotional Water Grand Trine of Mars trine Pluto trine Jupiter - he''ll be tough, courageous, ruthless and lucky.
He was never a natural match for Bristol Palin (18 Oct 1990) since she''s a New Moon in Libra with Venus also in Libra and Jupiter in Leo - a momentary fling which should have been able to move on without encumbrance.
He certainly clashes mightily with Sarah Palin with his Taurus Sun opposition Pluto at odds with her equally fixed Mars Saturn Sun Aquarius square Neptune. Plus her Uranus Pluto is on his Moon and opposition his Mars. So no chance of a smooth relationship there.
Tripp Palin (28 Dec 2008) has a ferociously strong chart with a Sun Mars Pluto conjunction in Capricorn; with the Saturn opposition Uranus widely square Mars Pluto. Luckily Saturn is in a stabilising trine to Jupiter Mercury in Virgo - but he''ll be a force to be reckoned with one way or another.

james et julia From: jenni. (31 Oct 2009 02:12):
seems to me to be very scorpio moon to live on an island - they are protective of their privacy and dont like to be interfered with too much hey ! so do u and julia excude a sexy seductive vibe into your immediate surroundings as marjorie says !

Celestial cats, dogs and horses From: Marjorie. (30 Oct 2009 19:13):
Chuckle. I once had a chestnut mare who was foully bad tempered and she had the most criss crossed Mars you''ve ever seen in her chart. Also a Sun Cancer Maine Coon cat with a heavy Water Grand Trine to Pluto and Saturn - her litter sister who came with her died very young. And she was definitely stay at home, you couldn''t budge her outside. She died very suddenly when tr Saturn was trine her 8th house Pluto and opposition her Uranus. So it all keeps working no matter the species. Whereas I now have two practically feral Aries cats with Gemini moons - wanderers both but with Sun Venus trine Pluto they can be distinctly possessive as well. All part of life''s rich tapestry.

Scorpio, etc From: Maggy van Krimpen. (30 Oct 2009 18:58):
James, I loved it about your dog having Sun/Moon in Cancer - it is amazing but animals DO respond EXACTLY LIKE HUMANS if you know their birth times. I think I already mentioned on here some years ago (!) that we had a Sun/Moon Taurus cat, Jomo (named after Kenyatta of Kenya as he was born during his reign) - he used to go bananas if we ever moved his plate - it HAD to be on one side of the kitchen, in the same place, or he would thump, sulk, howl and scream but never cross the great divide - how Taurus is that?! Since the death of our old street dog from the middle east, we have a Border Collie - he is the last degree of Pisces but with Mars Jupiter Neptune and mercury with the Sun smack on the MC - is he going to be a starZ??? you can guess what his Terrible Weakness is.... shoes (we have very many one legged pairs available!), he hunts them down. Does your dog run the house? (perfect housekeeper sun/moon Cancer!! bet he puts the milk bottles out, cooks fabsulous souffles or sushi and studies history (and collects antiques) in his spare time!!!! Love it!!!

Tony Blair retrospective From: Marjorie. (30 Oct 2009 18:56):
These are the previous two posts.
Post July 15 09: I was indeed gloomily perusing the runes to garner a few nuggets of hope that Tony Blair''s ambition to take over the world and re-carve it in his own image might hits the skids along with his No 10 old swinger. I hate doing astrology when I have a deep personal interest in skewing the result. But alack we astrologers are but humble interpreters of the straws in the wind, unable to affect them, more''s the pity. Many a time I have cursed GWB''s Jupiter which fished him out of trouble every time I reckoned from the evidence he ought to be getting barbecued on a kebab stick.
The good news (being entirely objective) is that Blair''s relationship charts with both Nicholas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel are less than amiable through August/September 09. Sarkozy was initially for TBlair as King Europe (POTEU), Merkel less so. Then Sarkozy''s enthusiasm waned and the move is afoot one gathers to downgrade the job to something less grand and glorious which means TB probably wouldn''t feel it fitted his status. Why Europe would want the man who refused to go into the Euro and dragged an unwilling home population mendaciously into a support-GWB-because-I-want-invited-to -Camp-David-and-ensure-my-post-PM-US-income is beyond me. The French would have lynched Chirac if he had defied their wishes and gone into Iraq.
However the Presidency won''t be decided till after the Irish referendum in Oct 09 on the Lisbon Treaty so presumably late 09/10. Blair looks somewhat battered, bruised and unloved this Oct so something isn''t going his way. But he does have a supportive (upwardly mobile) Jupiter in his 10th till early 2010 and tr Uranus sextile his midheaven from March 2010 which is a positive change of direction.
On balance I''d think not. If he does by mischance slide through a crack onto the EU throne then he is at definite war with Sarkozy in 10/11 - real aggro as tr Pluto trines their composite Mars and sextiles Saturn. A real foot-dragging swamp of resentment. But that could be because Sarkozy stymies Blair''s chances since he really needs all the glory for himself.
Not at my most detached as you can hear which you need to be to prioritise the conflicting data.
PS The David Kelly Affaire having been resurrected won''t play well in this.

Posting OCT 3 09: Compared to the world''s woes it is only a minor blip. But it''s all too depressing for words - headlines saying Tony Blair is a certainty for the Presidency of Europe. I do hate doing astrology when I''m really determined on the answer since that way you clutch at straws and get it seriously wrong.
The bad news first is that TBlair has transitting Uranus trine his Solar Arc Jupiter through October which although it pains me to say it is good luck, success etc. Apart from that however there''s really not much on his chart of note though tr Jupiter is still in his 10th till early 10. He does have a couple of setback tr Saturn opp Jupiter/MC and Mars/MC in Oct which are faintly hopeful as career setbacks and rejection. He''s also got tr Saturn opp his Sun/Moon late Oct which for normal folks is about marriage chills but for politicians can sometimes be about sagging popularity. He also has the transitting North Node exactly on his midheaven - so maybe he''ll think his moment of destiny has come.
Commentators are mixed about the support of Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy who are deemed to have the loudest voices on the subject. One report said Merkel/Sarkozy were intent on the old Franco-German lead for the EU which would not include an outsider Brit at the helm. Especially one as razzamatazz as TBlair since it''d steal Sarkozy''s thunder.
The Blair/Sarkozy composite chart is under black clouds exactly now with tr Saturn opp Sun Mercury and square Jupiter - but lifts through October. Though a very frustrated, bad tempered tr Pluto opp Mars/Pluto is around till mid month with one or two sinking Neptune transits to midpoints.
Merkel was always though to be the less keen of the pair on Blair. There''s nothing too major showing up on that relationship chart - just some minor not-singing-from-the-same-hymn sheet and rather jangled ones thro'' Oct with a major upset one as well.
TBlair on the EU chart - shows arguments, sharp words, confusion and high insecurity.
Cherie Blair has tr Saturn conjunct her last degree Virgo Sun in late Oct which is usually downbeat. But she may well be not that keen on her husband taking the prestigious job which would put paid to his mega-million pound directors'' contracts, lecture fees etc. She is running into a very blocked 2010/11 with her SArc Sun square her Pluto.

IF YOU SUFFER FROM TONYPHOBIA ... From: FW. (30 Oct 2009 18:31):
... Have a look at Wise Marjorie''s postings on Tony Blair. Going way back. All the more Fascinating, in the light of recent developments.

maggy moons part 2.. From: james. (30 Oct 2009 17:46):
read maggys post... she said it a lot better then me!

maggy moons From: james. (30 Oct 2009 17:43):
i always really enjoy reading your posts maggy...maybe it''s the water which acts like a refreshing drink or something!! when i am not drowning, i am okay, lol... seriously though, the moon has to be one of the most fascinating parts of the chart from my pov.. it is indeed a point of great vulnerability like saturn, but for different reasons and from the most personal angle which helps to understand a person much more deeply.. the moon is protective and like the crab likes to hide under a saturn rock when uncertain which is often!! i guess one can understand this energy when the crab gets out to explore a bit more....what are some of the needs it''s seeking to fulfill? so what am i trying to say? perhaps the ideas associated with scorpio take on more relevancy to a moon in scorpio then a different moon placement.. i was thinking how some of the lower emotions - jealousy, resentment, and etc are harder to hide for a moon in scorpio and interfere with the moons protective side which likes not be seen!! cancer moons are more visible thru the nurturing and caring, (or smothering) ways they seem to express.. all the moon signs have certain inclinations that display those special ways a person has to get closer and more personal with others.. i find the whole thing fascinating! my wife is a moon in cancer as well, as is our dog a sun/moon in cancer.. i am surrounded by water and live on an island, lol...it is what i am comfortable with... that is a moon thing - finding what one is comfortable with without necessarily paying attention to how central that is to ones sense of self... look to the moon for greater understanding of yourself and others.. it holds a few very special keys without a doubt..

Prince Edward & Pa - Royal banana skins From: Marjorie. (30 Oct 2009 13:51):
Prince Edward appears to have put his foot firmly in his mouth on an Australian tour suggesting the death of a boy out hiking is somehow an added attraction for those wanting to take part in The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. He''s been compared to his father who has a propensity for gaffes.
There are similarities with both being impulsive Sun Mars types; and both with a very strongly aspected Mercury in Water signs. Prince Philip is a hasty, impatient Sun Mars in Gemini with an intense Mercury in Cancer conjunct Pluto trine Uranus. While Prince Edward has a Sun Mercury Mars in Pisces opposition Pluto Uranus trine Neptune. They don''t seem very alike in lifestyle but clearly neither are good at thinking before they speak.

Ukraine - From: Marjorie. (30 Oct 2009 13:27):
Like most of the Post-Communist bloc Ukraine won''t have its problems to seek over coming years but there''s nothing that looks especially like an epidemic. More financial pressures I''d imagine.

Jacques Chirac - Saturn Uranus jolt From: Marjorie. (30 Oct 2009 13:25):
Jacques Chirac, former President of France might be up on corruption charges if a magistrate has his way, the first time a former head of state will have been charged. Though Sarkozy is against the move since it would undermine the masses'' opinion of the political establishment and it could be appealed.
Chirac, always known as a slippery operator, is a Sun Sagittarius square Mars Neptune in Virgo with Jupiter also in Virgo. If his mid day birth time is right he''s got Venus in Scorpio in the 8th square a 12th house Saturn in Aquarius.
He does have his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Uranus exact within weeks and hanging around for the next few months which will bring a considerable jolt. And his natal Sun square Mars Neptune has moved by Solar Arc to pick up the transitting Neptune hard aspects over coming months which is rather debilitating. So it could stick or at least cause problems till it is made to go away.

Where Blair? From: Dakini. (30 Oct 2009 13:16):
The papers seem to think that Blair''s bid for Euro presidency is unlikely to succeed. Do the stars concur and what might be in store for him if he fails to get it?

Ukraine From: elina. (30 Oct 2009 11:13):
Mysterious virus in the Ukraine It has been reported in some media that a deadly virus (not the swine flu type) is on the rise in the Ukraine. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Many thanks!

Scorpio, etc. From: Maggy van Krimpen. (30 Oct 2009 10:30):
James, your Scorpio Moon naturally is fundamental, you mentioned the difference between Scorp/Cancer and described the Cancer protective thing beautifully. Having one myself, it is hideously difficult to step out of (being protective) and I''ve been accused by my own kids of being "too"- but the Moon is the deeply irrational side of us, and while we can fool the world with clever Mercury or gung-ho Jupiter or even a wise and sedate Saturn, the Moon part of us remains childish and vulnerable - perhaps its what makes us most human and personal.
The transition discussion - Scorpio is always associated with "death"but it takes many years to grow up and realise the "death"of anything is going on all the time! how have we changed our political views since early youth? who have we dumped or clung on to forever in relationships? is our view of the world after decades of experience the same? No, and that''s the point. Scorpio is much more comfortable with these issues because (like other water signs) it "knows" that is real life, real relating, real development. Painful but once you are past the first flush of (astrological!) youth everyone knows life is a trade off and grown up people can accept that it is never all roses and live with that. Nobody knows better than Scorpio that life can change from one day to the next - the difference is, they quite thrive on and accept the drama.

deidre and mia / scorpio From: james. (30 Oct 2009 06:30):
deidre - thanks for sharing that... life is what one makes of it.. saturn can operate as a kick start and it sounds like it has for you! mia - i want to say momma mia to your post! get your friend to give you a better description as venus in uranus doesn''t cut it! perhaps she was saying uranus is transiting your venus for the next few months... that is more likely given what you have said, but i am not a great translator of others conversations.. if it is what i intuit then you might find relationships take on a more uranian flavour and that you are drawn to unorthodox and odd people, or that they enter your life out of left field in an unexpected way.. astrology is like a game of chess.. to think that one move holds the fate of the game may be true, but it also hinges on what is going on with the rest of the board.. astrology is like that too.. one needs to understand all of the relationships in place, before saying just how one move or transit will impact the rest of the chart... scorpio is a sign i have always been fascinated by... perhaps it is a connection to an inner world, or a letting go of the past to get on another level, trans-formative quality that scorpio implies that is of such fascination to me.. the idea of transformation is a striking and stimulating one.. that someone could wake up and see the world with new eyes is exciting and frightening too i suppose.. the caterpillar becoming a butterfly, or any type of shift like this makes me think of the sign scorpio..

Saturn cometh: From: Deidre. (30 Oct 2009 01:36):
As a Virgo saying ta ta''s to Good ''ol Saturn as it rolls off my Virgo sun sign and in to my Libra Asc, I hesitated to share this with you but now I see the concerns raised about Good ''ol Saturn tr one''s sign, here it is: despite my fears, I always felt a sense of protection as "play the game right girl and you will be alright" and I was. I was also nudged, and nudged again into finding my right calling in life. This amazes me after so many stop-starts in life. Also, I got a good psychological clean-out, lost my defensiveness, fearfulness and paranoia - I am strengthened and can now ''stand my ground. I also gained deep self-knowledge and of human nature. So, fear not Librans! (Incidentally, as Saturn hit my 29th degree in the last week, I was moved to totally clean house working up to midnight, couldn''t stop working!)

venus in uranus From: mia. (29 Oct 2009 22:42):
my friend is trying to learn astrology and she said that venus is in uranus in my chart at the moment for a few months. she thinks this might meen that i''ll meet a romantic partner on the internet however i feel that this is very unlikely. are there any other meanings to venus in uranus? thanks

Carla Bruni - the new Marie Antoinette From: Marjorie. (29 Oct 2009 19:02):
Carla Bruni, the Italian wife of France''s President Nicholas Sarkozy, has been written off as another Marie Antoinette by the leading French society magazine. It depicts her as a daffy multi-millionaire socialite who does very little real work and is completely out of touch with ordinary people.
Marie Antoinette was the unpopular and hugely extravagant Austrian Queen of King Louis XV1 - she followed him to the guillotine during the French Revolution.
Oddly enough there are some similarities. Marie Antoinette had a 5th house party loving Sun Venus in Scorpio; while Carla has a Venus Neptune in Scorpio in the 5th. MAnt had Uranus on her midheaven square Pluto; while Carla has a (Moon) Pluto Uranus conjunction opposition her midheaven and square her Sun. So they aren''t a million miles apart - both quite divisive, restless personalities. MAnt was more so with Uranus on her midheaven and also much more emotional with a Water Grand Trine of a 1st house Mars in Cancer trine her Sun Venus trine her Pisces Uranus. She also had a Mars opposition Saturn square Libra Moon - so not an easy emotional life to put it mildly. Carla is better organised with a self reliant Saturn in Aries on her midheaven square her hard working 6th house Capricorn Sun and much earthier.
Marie Antoinette married at 14 but the marriage was not consummated for seven years and there were suspicions that most of her children were illegitimate. When she was beheaded aged 38, her Solar Arc Neptune was conjunct her Virgo NNode to within 6 minutes of a degree which is a sacrifice of sorts; her Solar Arc Pluto was conjunct her Saturn which is bleak and trapped and her Solar Arc Saturn was within a degree of her midheaven - and so she met her end.
Carla is having a disruptive year in 2009 with her Solar Arc Mars on her MC and opposition her Uranus; and both tr Pluto conjunct her Sun and tr Saturn square it in November 09. 2010/11 will be tough going with tr Pluto square her 10th house Saturn. Her relationship chart with Nicholas Sarkozy is downbeat at the moment with tr Saturn square the composite Moon at 29 Gemini. That rolls back and forwards till mid 2010; and picks up the upsetting transitting square from Uranus into 2010. So not a good time for them.

From: CS. (29 Oct 2009 18:11):
Fellow Librans - I wouldn''t worry about Saturn. (Of course I have Saturn in the first and am rather used to his presence.) He indicates where we are being forced to grow up, but, (in my experience) it''s not the ruthless, tsunami experience that Pluto brings. With Saturn you kind of know it''s good for you and you take your medicine. Pluto predicts a whole other ball game and I am in for a long ride with Pluto squaring so many of my Libra planets in the next decade. Still...they are all lessons, we aren''t victims, keep your eyes open, take deep breaths and pass on your notes.

Saturn in Libra - co-operation and fairness From: Marjorie. (29 Oct 2009 13:45):
Henry, I always think of Saturn as being relatively happy in Libra. It depends not just on your Sun but also what house it is in. Plus whether you have a Saturnine chart or not. Some people thrive on Saturn since it consolidates. OK so it''s hard work and does require you to jettison what isn''t working in your life but usually there''s a positive outcome on the far side.
Go ask Virgos who''ve just been through it how they fared.

George Santayana - like Merton a Sun Moon Uranus From: Marjorie. (29 Oct 2009 13:40):
Just a quick thought on George Santayana, the Spanish American essayist, philosopher, poet who was born on 16 Dec 1863 at 9pm in Madrid.
Like Thomas Merton (see below Oct 26) he had a fractured childhood and spent his adult life unmarried. Both had Uranus in hard aspect to Sun and Moon, as well as Sun Moon in hard aspect. Merton was a Sun Uranus opposition Moon and Santayana was a Sun opposition Uranus square Moon. Merton lost his mother to cancer at 6 and his father travelled constantly, dying when he was in his late teens. Santayana was left with his father at 5 years old when his parents split, then two years later rejoined his mother, at which point his father left.

Angela Merkel - firmly at the helm for rough seas ahead From: Marjorie. (29 Oct 2009 12:40):
Angela Merkel has been sworn in for her second term as Germany''s Chancellor at around 11.15 am on Oct 28th.
Her First Term chart (22 Nov 2005 4 pm) had Pluto in the 8th thus financially very trapped with a rather vague 10th house Neptune, a dependent-on-coalition-partners 7th house Sun; with the uncertain Neptune opposition Saturn squaring onto a frustrating 12th house Mars in Taurus. So not an easy term.
This 2nd Term chart which finds her in a stronger position vis a vis her political partners has a higher profile 10th house Sun. It does square an 8th house Mars indicating that financial pressures will still loom large and cause aggravation. The Sun is sextile a 1st house Pluto so she''ll be more in control and at times difficult to read since she''ll put up a defensive shield. The Saturn opposition Uranus is 9th/3rd so it''ll be frantically busy, with perhaps legal issues looming large. The NNode, Jupiter and Neptune are in the 2nd which indicates a degree of over optimism where German finances are concerned.
Her own chart now has Saturn aiming for the midheaven come 2011 so she''ll be at her peak. Though her SArc Pluto is conjunct her midheaven as well as SArc Saturn conjunct her 1st house Mars in 2010 so she''ll be running into major aggravations and setbacks. And by 2012 she has SArc Mars opposition Pluto which is very trapped and frustrated - so she's got a tough time ahead.

Hugh Hefner - empire drawing to a close From: Marjorie. (29 Oct 2009 12:23):
Hugh Hefner, the ageing Playboy founder is facing even more staggering financial losses at the moment than the print media in general. His daughter Christie who ran the company for years resigned this January to apply herself to ''charitable'' activities.
Hefner is a 7th house Aries Sun square a 10th house Pluto in Cancer. He likes to be in charge (Pl 10th) but he also likes he support of a partner (Sun 7th) - multiple partners as it happens since changeable Uranus is also in the 7th conjunct his Descendant. Pluto is also trine Moon Venus in Pisces so he is persuasive as well as controlling and possessive.
He also has an adventurous, dynamically aggressive Mars Jupiter in Aquarius in the 5th house of entertainment, with Jupiter opposition Neptune square an obsessively determined Saturn in Scorpio. He will be very stubborn not sharing power easily.
Playboy was launched in December 1953 when tr Jupiter was on his midheaven though he didn''t know then whether there would be a second issue. At that point there was a Mars Neptune in Libra (& Saturn) trine Jupiter, mirroring his natal Mars Jupiter opp Neptune square Neptune. More pertinently there was a sexy Venus Mercury in Scorpio square Pluto. And a Uranus opp Capricorn NNode square Neptune Mars - it started a new counter-culture (Ur NNode) trend towards more explicit sexuality in mainstream magazines.
Quite how he got on with his daughter Christie who took over in the 1980s as CEO is unclear. She''s a determined Sun Scorpio opposition Jupiter in Taurus square Pluto opposition NNode in Aquarius - so fairly immoveable herself. Though perhaps with a 4th house Pluto she was used to being controlled by her father and with Jupiter on her Ascendant was used to smoothing round rough edges. But she''s a quite combustible Mars opposition Uranus square Saturn Neptune in Libra so would struggle to cooperate herself. Their relationship chart has a fearsome Sun Mars Mercury Venus opposition Pluto square Saturn in Scorpio - so a very locked down relationship but with a megaton of anger bubbling inside. Jupiter also trine Pluto and sextiles Mars Sun Mercury which would have made their interface marginally easier.
Both Hugh and Christie have been struggling badly with a sinking tr Neptune moving round their Fixed planets in the past three years or so. Plus she''s had SArc Pluto hard aspecting her Uranus opp Mars square Saturn Neptune conjunction for the past three years. This year SArc Pluto is conjunct her Saturn (very blocked and discouraged) with the conjunct Neptune (very confusing and uncertain) coming in 2010 - so she''s not feeling remotely happy. She''ll bounce back in time. Though her father who is 83 has tr Saturn now moving through his lower profile, less successful 1st quadrant and with SArc Sun conjunct Pluto in two or three years time may live to see the end of his empire.

julia - sorry, not julie! From: james. (29 Oct 2009 06:43):
...

julie - moon in scorpio From: james. (29 Oct 2009 06:42):
hi julie, if you read closely i never said that moon in scorp wasn''t protective.. i said ''wasn''t that protective'', and then went on to compare it to moon in cancer, probably the most protective position for it to be in... sorry for any confusion... also, i always make a distinction between men and women when it comes to moon signs and how they express.. i think women get into the moon sign much more then men... men tend to be attracted to women who reflect their own moon sign, but are not as aware of their own emotions nearly as much... for the record, i''m married to a scorpio sun sign, and i have a moon in scorpio myself.. thanks for your comments..

Eurozone - central bank nightmares From: Marjorie. (28 Oct 2009 19:31):
Looking for hints of what is undoubtedly serious pressure on the Euro chart from late October 2009 right through to July 2010 there are now fears that the Eurozone (and the USA) are heading for deflation. Bank lending to firms and households in the eurozone has fallen for the first time, raising fears of an economic relapse.
Despite shoals of government money having been put into the system nothing much seems to be lifting the underlying economy. ''This threatens to become a central banker''s nightmare. Nations can endure high debt, or deflation: both together are toxic.''
The ECB''s former chief economist, told an Open Europe forum in London that policymakers are entering treacherous waters. "Nobody can be sure that we have a self-sustaining recovery. The challenges facing the ECB (European Central Bank) are tremendous," he said. The bigger danger lies in the South. Italy''s public debt will reach 125pc of GDP next year. From late 2010 on the Italy chart tr Saturn will square Moon Saturn and Jupiter Sun and conjunct Mars - so crunch time could pick up within a year''s time if not sooner.

Satun in Libra From: s. (28 Oct 2009 19:19):
Wishing all fellow Librans a MASSIVE GOOD LUCK for Saturn in Libra. It doesn''t have to be a bad experience. Some astrologers say it''s actually a good thing. I think it might help to go with the flow and not fight it.

Saturn in Libra From: LIBRASON (hdobry@maspethfederal.com). (28 Oct 2009 16:04):
Hi Marjorie!

On Friday Saturn will ingress into Libra. For a sun and ascendant Libra like me, I really dont know whether to panic or rejoice about it. The last time Saturn was in Libra, I was a young student so my awareness was quite limited at the time to judge it this time around. I am sure other Libras are also wondering what will happen this cycle. I also look forward to picking up the lessons again once my weekends settle down from relocating, etc. Thanks for this informative site and for the astro.

Scientology - storm clouds brewing From: Marjorie. (28 Oct 2009 11:35):
The Church of Scientology was this week found guilty of fraud in France and fined more than 500,000 pounds GB. Several of their leaders in France were accused of extorting money from ''vulnerable'' people who had become Scientology followers or employees. There''s also been a public denunciation from Crash film director Paul Haggis for their anti-gay stance and for separating members from their families - he had been a member for 35 years.

The Church of Scientology was started on 10 September 1952 by Ron Hubbard, emerging from his earlier Dianetics Research Foundation. This gives a Virgo Sun trine an acquisitive Jupiter in Taurus and square an aggressively crusading Mars in Sagittarius. But more pointedly there''s a Pluto opposition Aquarius NNode square Jupiter - so pushily confident, a law unto themselves. Uranus is also in the highly strung, can-be-fanatical square to Saturn Neptune in Libra. Hubbard himself had a very marked Neptune opposition Uranus Mars (8th/2nd) with both Uranus and Neptune aspecting his Pisces Sun. When Scientology was launched in 1952 the tr Saturn Neptune was on his midheaven, putting his warped vision into gear. And Uranus was exactly conjunct his 8th house Neptune giving his Neptunian money-making schemes a kick start. He certainly wasn''t the sanest or most straightforward of men.
There''s little indication from the Scientology chart of either of this week''s events causing much angst from an organisation which has been attacked vociferously over the years (with good reason). A Scientology spokesman was dismissive of the French conviction saying it was all bark and no bite. Though France being also a Virgo Sun may well have their measure. The France Uranus is conjunct the Scientology Pluto so not a co-operative combination with the France Uranus opp Pluto square Mars in Scorpio meeting the Scientology Pluto opp NNode square Jupiter in all the wrong places.
Where real problems start to show up is from late 2010 when Scientology hits its first Saturn Return which is grow up and get real time. At that time as well tr Saturn is squaring Venus at the start of what will be a long haul of tr Pluto, tr Uranus following denting its popularity. 2011 especially looks a devastating year with Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Neptune and a jolting, upsetting Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Sun in the following year which for Scientology will be the eye of the storm - with tr Pluto and tr Uranus exactly hard aspecting Venus and aiming for Saturn. It can''t come soon enough.

Same degrees - all on or all off From: Marjorie. (28 Oct 2009 11:05):
Hi I''m not sure I know what the significance of 0 degree planets is.
What is true is that people who mave multiple planets at roughly the same degree will have different kind of life pattern to those who have more spread out planets. Major transits to one planet will affect all the others at the dame degree. So they''ll have periods of intense activity and then longish stretches with no major influences to their chart. It depends which planets of course but it can make life marginally easier as well as more difficult. Becuase if Saturn and Jupiter are involved then even in ''bad luck'' phases there''ll be some silver linings; though the reverse is also true - never all good, always some pot holes around.

Amazon - on a Jupiter Uranus high From: Marjorie. (28 Oct 2009 10:57):
Amazon have published good results pushing their shares to an all-time high, surpassing the bubble days of December 1999. Their third 2009 quarter surged 28% to 5.45 billion dollars USD. The company''s market value now stands at 51.2 billion dollars USD.
Amazon went public on May 15 1997 and that chart has Solar Arc Uranus conjunct Jupiter (fittingly enough for a dot com in Aquarius) this year which is often seen in years of high profits. Plus there''s a Solar Arc Sun conjunct Venus as well this year - Venus being money rather than romance in the world of business. Amazon may have a minor sag across the New Year but with tr Pluto sextile SArc Jupiter the good news will roll on for Amazon for at least another year.
The original incorporation of Amazon on 5 July 1994 also indicates success and confidence with tr Pluto sextile Jupiter in 2010/11.
Jeff Bezos, the founder, born on January 12 1964 is an ambitious Sun Capricorn - Capricorns always have an eye to the long term which is just as well given Amazon''s long slog towards profitability. It didn''t start making money till late 2001. His Sun is very heavily aspected being conjunct a dynamically practical and competitive Mars in Capricorn, sextile an intuitive Neptune, square a risk-taking Jupiter in Aries, semi-sextile Saturn in scientific Aquarius, and in a controlled and controlling trine to Pluto. Pluto is conjunct Uranus in Virgo so he was one of the mid 1960s rebels and innovators.
He''s got tr Uranus sextile his Sun/Mars midpoint and then his natal Mars next year so new ideas will continue to spill out. And with his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Mars in 2010 as well his confidence will be rewarded.
Where all three charts start to show a slow down is towards 2012.

00 degree houses From: Deidre. (28 Oct 2009 08:43):
I have just seen a most interesting chart, an acquaintance of mine and wondered why we got along. The answer to that is, I feel, his Jupiter at 00 degree Virgo near my 3 deg Jup in Virgo. But what a chart he has! 5 houses with 00 degree planets, thus: Mars/Sag 01; Saturn/Sag 00; Jup/Vir 00; Uranus/Leo 00; Nepturn/Scorp 00. I know that planets at 29 degree are spiritually significant in terms of the soul''s journey of "leaving the sign (and what that implies) behind and moving on" - but what about the spiritual/destiny implications of having so many 00 degree placings. I can''t work it out. Many thanks for your comments.

Peter Andre From: bella. (28 Oct 2009 00:45):
You did a profile on Katie Price/Jordan. What do the next few years hold for Peter Andre? Is it more positive, is he going to have a happy personal life now? and is he going to fade into obscurity? Thank you.

From: Julia. (28 Oct 2009 00:25):
@ jenni - I have a Scorpio Moon and I''m not reclusive. I''d love to be, though, if I had the opportunity! One of my lecturers said recently, "I''d never leave the house if I had the luxury of doing so. The only thing that makes me come here is the money." It''s always wonderful to encounter someone who loves their job! Lol. I admire his frankness, though. Who the hell wants to spend 70%+ of their lifetime in the company of other people? I don''t get it. As much as I''m a dab hand at the whole sociability circus, I''ve nevertheless lost count of the times I''ve been amidst a group of people and I''ve thought, "God, I can''t wait ''till I get home, so I can be on my own and relax properly". Jesus, I probably need to find myself a new hobby if I''m sitting/standing around and finding myself getting excited at the prospect of being on my own a couple of hours later.

@ james - I disagree that a Scorpio Moon native (or ''sufferer'', lol) isn''t protective. I was once friends with this girl who had this moon placement, but her Moon in Scorpio was conjunct Pluto in Scorpio, both of those sat in her 1st house, and they were also conjunct her Scorpio Ascendant. Finished off nicely with Sun Pisces conjunct Mercury and Jupiter in Pisces. She put the ''motion'' in ''emotional'', to say the least.. She was obsessively protective of her whole family, even though her father was an on/off alcoholic bastard. I know that she actually underwent two years of counselling to overcome her pathological (and irrational) fear of her family possibly dying. I kid you not. This was a genuine fear of hers, even though it sounded (and still sounds) daft to me. Her family were the centrepiece of her whole life - particularly her mother.

Jean-Pierre Treiber - on the run but not for long From: Marjorie. (27 Oct 2009 11:54):
A French fugitive from justice is catching the headlines, having posted himself out of prison in a cardboard box and is now evading the gendarmerie''s long and muscular arm much to their irritation.
Jean Pierre Treiber is facing trial for the murders of two women, one an actor''s daughter, whose credit cards were found in his possession and whose burned bodies were found near where he lives. He''s a forestry worker so capable of living rough and surviving in the extensive woods in Burgundy. He is claiming he escaped to prove his innocence.
Born on 8 April 1963 at 2.45pm Mulhouse, France he''s an 8th house Aries Sun with Jupiter in Aries also in the 8th. He has the Uranus Pluto in Virgo on his Ascendant so will be a loner or at least a rebel from the bourgeois life. He has a (wide) T square of Saturn opposition Mars square Neptune so will be slippery. His Jupiter is in a confident trine to Mars.
Tr Pluto is square his Jupiter and tr Pluto trine his Uranus at the moment so he''ll be elated that his bold plan worked. But his enthusiasm may not last long with tr Saturn about to oppose his Jupiter in November.
When the two women were murdered on Nov 1 2004 his Solar Arc Saturn was exactly conjunct his Jupiter (to within two minutes of a degree = one thirtieth) which proves nothing except that his sense of himself as lucky would be sharply brought down to earth with a bump. His Solar Arc Uranus was also approaching (1 degree) to a conjunction with his Moon - which could cover the shock of being charged and imprisoned.
There was a tr Saturn square tr Mars on Nov 1 2004 with Mars sextile Pluto - but nothing hits his chart or his midpoints especially then. He was out of tr Pluto square his Solar Arc Mars by late 2003 which does look more like murder. But it really wasn''t in gear by late 2004.
He might well be innocent as his fellow villagers claim. Though I suppose at a stretch SArc Saturn conjunct his Jupiter in Nov 2004 would pull in his 12th house Mars which is trine his natal Jupiter. But it hardly looks like a killing spree.

Moon in Scorpio - a powerful aura From: Marjorie. (27 Oct 2009 10:58):
One thought about Moon in Scorpio in celeb charts - Scorpio has a powerfully sexy, seductive aura which projected out into the public arena can make for quite a presence. Movie stars often have strong 8th houses which is Scorpio''s natural home. At a stretch you might say they project out an image which they themselves don''t live out in their personal lives. Not sure I''m aware there are more than average but might be a reason why some have it.

John Ibrahim - non-stick coming unstuck From: Marjorie. (27 Oct 2009 10:52):
John Ibrahim, known as Teflon John, has legitimate interests in Australia in nightclubs and property but is widely assumed to have links to organised crime drugs and outlawed motorcycle gangs. Two of his three brothers and a cousin are doing long prison sentences. He is Lebanese Australian by birth.
He is a Sun Virgo conjunct Mars in Leo which sits on the point of a T square to a Neptune opposition Mars. He certainly likes to be flamboyant (Mars in Leo), aggressively so. Mars square Saturn is tough; with Neptune added in drugs make sense as does an ''evasive'' lifestyle. Neptune can also have a slippery stone aspect so getting a grip of it can be tricky.
His Sun is sextile a wealth-attracting Jupiter in Scorpio. Saturn is also trine a Pluto Mercury conjunction in Virgo so he''s tough minded and tough talking.
At the moment tr Neptune in Aquarius is wading its way round his Fixed T square undermining his security and solidity from 2008 to 2011; after which tr Neptune opposes his Virgo Sun in 2012 so he''s in a long debilitating phase. Plus his Fixed T square of Sat opp Nep square Mars has moved by Solar Arc into early Cardinal degrees so is picking up the tr Saturn, tr Pluto, tr Uranus hard aspects over the next three years as well. Plus His SArc Neptune is square his Uranus this year which is highly strung and jumpy; with SArc Mars and SArc Saturn crashing into his natal Uranus over the next four years - not a good time for him.
P.S. John Giotti Jnr, the Mafia boss up on charges in New York at the moment is a Sun Saturn Mars square Neptune which is similar to Ibrahim's T square. But there again his chart is similar to Sarah Palin's and Glenn Beck's - so it can work in different ways.

2012 - and life goes on From: Marjorie. (27 Oct 2009 10:23):
The expected panic attacks about the end of the world on December 21 2012 have started to mount with a new disaster movie out. I''m not sure what an End of Times chart would look like but what''s around then doesn''t look too unnerving. It will be certainly unsettled but hardly catastrophic.
The revolutionary-prone Uranus in Aries square Pluto picks up exactly from mid 2012 but is not exact late in the year. By then Saturn has moved out of Libra into Scorpio and is exactly sextile Pluto which is reasonably tough. On December 21st the day of the Capricorn Ingress there will be a Sagittarius/Capricorn Sun widely conjunct Pluto square Uranus Moon in Aries which does look highly strung, on edge and there could certainly be surprising upheavals around - but again nothing that looks terminal. The world has lived through a lot worse. There''s also a Venus in Sagittarius opposition Jupiter square Neptune in Pisces - so there''ll be a deal of illusion, delusion and religious murmurings ongoing.
Looking back on the previous Total Solar Eclipses there''s nothing pass remarkable about Dec 2012. Though the previous Total Lunar Eclipse charts do indicate some unease. The Dec 2010 Lunar Eclipse chart is being jangled quite seriously on Dec 21 2012 with transitting Uranus having closed the square to Pluto to exact, with the Eclipse Pluto being conjunct Mars - Uranus on Mars Pluto is quite explosive. Tr Mars is also keying up the very emphasised Uranus Jupiter square the Full Moon. The June 2011 Total Lunar Eclipse has tr Uranus back to its Eclipse position in Dec 2012 and tr Mars trine tr Mars. The Feb 2008 Total Lunar eclipse has tr Saturn trine the Eclipse Mercury with tr Neptune within a degree of being conjunct the Eclipse Sun.
So there will be happenings of a major and perhaps catastrophic variety in the world somewhere but life will go on as usual bumping its way through the Uranus Pluto square till mid decade.

From: Margo. (27 Oct 2009 07:12):
Can you look at the chart of John Ibrahim. He is a well known businessman/underworld figure who has risen from poverty to running Kings Cross in Sydney.

P.S Please do not put my email on the forum.

From: Mas. (27 Oct 2009 07:02):
How about Sagitarius with moon in Gemini..

moon in scorpio From: james. (27 Oct 2009 03:56):
the moon is reclusive on its own regardless of sign... put it in a more reclusive sign and it just emphasizes it more.. sometimes subjectivity is so pronounced expressing oneself publicly isn''t an issue and it is viewed more as emotional self expression or release... moon in scorpio isn''t that protective.. moon in cancer is more so... moon in scorpio has a need to understand the motives and psychology of others, but most importantly of itself... it is a good place for a person interested in knowing why they do what they do... perhaps that is the scorpio part, although not all scorpios are that advanced... some of them are stuck in stinger mode, lol... both moon and scorpio are super sensitive... this is a good thing, but it might be a bad thing if you don''t see it or know that about them!! i don''t know if this moon sign shows up more regularly then others in the context you''re suggesting.. i doubt it...

scorpio moon query From: jenni. (27 Oct 2009 02:53):
why are scorpio moons reclusive ? and if so, why is it that so many entertainers/public folk have them !?

Thomas Merton - searching for peace From: Marjorie. (26 Oct 2009 11:31):
Thomas Merton certainly had an interesting life. Born in France to a New Zealand artist father and a Quaker mother he lost both parents when young - his mother when he was 6 and his much travelled father in his mid teens, being brought up mainly by his American grandparents. He led a fairly riotous life at University, women, women and jazz before gradually moving into Catholicism and taking a 10 year vow of silence when he was 26, becoming a Trappist monk. He later wrote copiously on spiritual matters and promoted inter faith dialogue.
He had an 11th house Sun Uranus in Aquarius opposition a Leo Moon which fairly accurately describes ruptures with both parents and an independent-minded personality who was at ease in groups and keen on creating a better society (11th house). He also had an at-peace-with-his-own-company Jupiter Mercury in Aquarius in the 12th. Saturn Pluto were on his IC which is an apt description for a difficult at times bleak childhood, with Saturn Pluto opposing Venus conjunct midheaven square Ascendant. So he had grit and the ability to stand hardship.
His 5th house Neptune in Cancer is on the focal point of a Yod to Jupiter Mercury sextile midheaven - this certainly suggests someone who had difficulty finding peace of mind, yet desperately needed an ideal to aim for. Bil Tierney remarks that such individuals may work quietly behind the scenes or underground before they surface to offer their contribution to the world.
When he entered his 10 year silence his SArc Pluto was conjunct his natal Neptune adding Pluto''s power to his Yod. In addition tr Neptune was square his natal midheaven; and opposition his Solar Arc Jupiter and trine his SArc midheaven. Plus his Solar Arc Neptune was opposing his natal Aquarius NNode and about to oppose his natal Mercury Jupiter. All the pieces of the jigsaw finally fitted into place.
In 1966 he fell in love which severely tested his vows of celibacy when tr Pluto was conjunct his SArc Neptune keying up his Solar Arc Yod. Tr Uranus Pluto were conjunct his Descendant, with tr Uranus opposing his SArc Mars on his natal Ascendant and. He didn''t succumb though it was clearly a challenging time for him. He died two years later with tr Pluto square his natal Saturn and opposition his SArc Mars which is very heavy duty.
It''s truly fascinating to see the interplay between transits and the natal chart moving by Solar Arc Direction at major life stages.

Radavan Karadzic - Pluto on Mars, a fitting end. From: Marjorie. (26 Oct 2009 10:53):
The trial of Radavan Karadzic has now started at the Hague though he has refused to appear. He has been arrested to face war crimes charges for his part in the genocidal massacres against Bosnian and Serbian Muslims in the 1992-95 civil war which left 1000,000 dead, 2 million non-Serbs driven from their homes, and rape used as a tactic of terror. Born on 19 June 1945 he is a Sun Gemini with Uranus also in Gemini, both square Jupiter in Virgo and has a Libra Moon. So he is emotionally detached communicative, an adventurer, a chancer and overly confident. In adult life he was a psychologist and a poet before embarking on his reign of terror. He was born in a stable, the son of a Serb guerrilla who was in jail for most of his childhood. His emotionally unhappy childhood is reflected in Saturn in Cancer close to the NNode with a paranoid Neptune in square. His absent father is well described by a (very wide) Sun Uranus conjunction, leaving him with a rebellious, uncompromising temperament. He also inherited his father''s brutal streak with a Pluto square Mars and Venus in Taurus. Mars Pluto is ruthless, criminal, hugely angry, power hungry, often associated with rape especially associated involving a fixed sign Venus.
He was arrested when transitting Uranus was opposition his Mars/Pluto which is rather ironic. It describes a time of calamity as well as having associations with brutality and violence.
Karadzic is dragging his heels insisting he needs more time to prepare his defence but his stalling tactics won''t get him far. He''s got tr Pluto in an intense-discussion opposition to his Mercury at the moment; then tr Saturn and tr Pluto both hard aspecting his Neptune later this year which is undermining and uncertain. Tr Saturn is also squaring his Gemini Sun from Oct 09 to mid 2010 which is a face reality time. And into 2010 tr Pluto trines his Mars for two years which is trapped and enfuriated. So it won''t be going his way.

John Howard Griffin, a great man From: Deborah. (26 Oct 2009 10:01):
It was such a pleasure to see your post on John Howard Griffin. I got to meet this remarkable man in Ft. Worth, Texas many years ago. One of his most treasured friendships was with the Trappist monk and author/poet Thomas Merton; it was Griffin who was responsible for Merton''s late-blooming interest in photography, as Trappists could not own cameras and Griffin loaned the monk a fine 35 mm. The most interesting story I ever heard from Griffin was that Merton had a prescient dream of an "oriental" street that he felt might be connected to his death...as you may be aware, Merton died in an accident with an electrical fan after showering at a retreat he''d been given permission to attend in Thailand. The last image on the camera, which was returned to Griffin by Merton''s abbot, was of a Bangkok street that exactly matched Merton''s description of his dream-image. Griffin was often ill and a bit of a hypochondriac besides--who could blame him, after everything his body had endured?--but he was truly a "great souled man."

katie price From: s. (26 Oct 2009 06:58):
i feel very sorry for katie price/jordan''s children, especially the blind one.

From: Julia. (26 Oct 2009 00:33):
While I would normally loathe to even acknowledge the existence (whatever about anything beyond that) of someone as ghastly and as puddle-deep (IMO) as Katie Price/Jordan, I''m gonna break the habit for once... Her Gemini Sun in opposition to a Scorpio Moon would be an accurate fit because her parents split up when she was a child. It would also point to her repeated see-saw fragmented relationships... Aside from indicating emotional negativity, I''ve read that transiting Saturn square natal Venus isn''t usually a portent of financial growth either. I don''t wish anything bad on the woman, but she could benefit from embracing maturity a bit more. Seriously, it isn''t a model of sophistication to tsunami your way around clubs donning as little clothes as possible at 31 years of age, whilst being at the helm of a brood of three children. **Cringe** If she''s aiming to continue being a major player in the fashion and cosmetics industries (I was going to mention the literary world as well, but her ghost writers deserve the credit, not her), she''ll be hard-pressed to command any respect. Her ex-husband, Peter Andre, seems really sweet and earnest, and it looks like he''ll come out of this marital mess smelling like roses.

John Griffin Howard - turning difficulties to good end From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 17:20):
The last time Uranus was in Pisces some 84 years ago Saturn was coincidentally in Virgo - so there was the same Saturn opposition Uranus which we are still living under at the moment.
Born at that time was an extraordinary man John Howard Griffin (16 June 1920) who clearly lived off the Uranian end of his opposition. He was a decorated solider in WW11 and lost his eyesight for ten years from the late forties as a result of an accident. Once his he had regained his vision, he blackened himself up and toured the US Southern States to understand what the African-Americans there had to suffer in the way of social stigmatisation. In his best selling book Black Like Me he described the hatred he often felt from white people he encountered in his daily life - shop clerks, ticket sellers, bus drivers, etc. Even after publication he was harassed and once beaten violently. He continued writing and lecturing on race relations and social justice, as well as becoming more involved in his religious faith.
He was a Sun (Moon?) in Gemini in a fiery trine to Mars in fair minded Libra; with a faith-oriented Jupiter Neptune conjunction in Leo. He had Mercury and Pluto in Cancer with his Pluto sextile/trine his Uranus opposition Saturn.
When he went blind in 1947 his Solar Arc Neptune was opposition his Uranus and conjunct his Saturn so clearly a confusing and uncertain time; with tr Uranus in an upsetting conjunction to his Sun. During his ''dark'' decade he converted to Catholicism which is apt for the bleak tr Saturn Pluto crossing his Jupiter Neptune - out of adversity comes faith.
When he emerged from the darkness into sight in 1957 his SArc Pluto was approaching a confident conjunction with his Jupiter and almost exact when he started his sojourn as a black man in the southern states in 1959. During the time he as being pilloried and hated for his ''colour'' he had tr Pluto conjunct his Saturn and opposition Uranus as well as tr Saturn trine his Saturn, opposition his Pluto and sextile his Uranus.
He does seem to have used some extraordinarily difficult influences to their most positive effect; and indeed found the better end of his chart which could have been lived out in a very different way. There''s no birth time which is a pity.

London Upheavals From: Lizzie. (25 Oct 2009 15:10):
Dear Marjorie,

I''ve read the post below on London and it seems to make sense that London could have key virgo planets as there is such an emphasis on hard work and work culture here. However, I''m writing as I''m getting worried about the upheavals to come. You mention that London "is going to go through another upheaval over the next few years especially with Uranus Pluto in Cardinals". Is it possible for you to please let us know approximately when this upheaval is going to start. Thank you very much for all your good work. It''s very interesting and helpful.

Andrew LLoyd Webber - another 8th house Aries Sun From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 12:38):
Another 8th house Aries Sun widely opposition Neptune (like Elton John) is composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. He has early stage prostate cancer it has just been announced, with the hope that treatment will be effective.
He has an extraordinary chart with a charming, vocal Venus in Taurus on his midheaven (Taurus = throat) square Pluto Saturn Mars in Leo in the 12th making for a fairly strained emotional life; with Leo Moon also in the 12th. He has Uranus in the 10th (= unusual career) in a lucky, risk taking opposition to Jupiter on the cusp of the 5th house of entertainment squaring onto his Aries Sun. It''s a very fixed, intense heavy chart so he won''t be the easiest of people to live with or work with.
At the moment tr Pluto is on the final square to his very emphasised Sun bringing pressures till late November. He''ll be slightly down not surprisingly at the moment as tr Pluto also opposes his Venus/Saturn, Saturn/MC and Mars/NNode. Then tr Saturn opposes his Sun from Nov to mid 2010, picking up the enthusiasm-dampening square to Jupiter en route. But by 2011 despite tr Uranus conjunct his Sun bringing a few financial ups and downs he''ll be bouncing back to high confidence with tr Pluto sextile Jupiter/NNode and Jupiter/MC.

Iraq - no peace in sight From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 11:32):
Another day, another 90 dead in Baghdad. A major upsurge in violence following on from from August this year is being blamed on foreign insurgents - Al Quaeda or Syria - trying to de-stabilise the country head of next January''s elections.
On the broad sweep Iraq has tr Neptune opposition the Sun in 2011/12 which is undermining, confused and directionless so there''s a long way to go before it emerges from the post-Attack chaos. Tr Uranus will return to oppose the Iraq Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Virgo from November till Feb 2010 across the elections which will be jolting and unsettled.
Further on tr Saturn picks up the Iraq Pluto in Cancer from late 2010 into 2011 which is stuck; then into 2012/13 tr Pluto and tr Uranus both hard aspect that Pluto which will be more rebellions, disruptions and chaos.
In the short term tr Pluto trines Mars/Saturn in late Dec into Jan 2010 and again later in 2010 which is high risk and bloody with a good deal of confusion and uncertainty around as well.
It is difficult to see when calm will return, certainly not before mid next decade.
The USA seems unduly troubled about the situation from late Dec 09 into Jan 2010 and beyond.

Davild Milliband - does No mean Yes? From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 09:49):
David Milliband, the UK Foreign Secretary, is now being talked up as the new EU Foreign Minister once the Lisbon Treaty is signed - despite hot denials to the contrary. It is a possibility as Tony Blair''s chances of becoming supremo recede with a less flashy Eurocrat President being thought the way to go. And the Foreign Minister job would anyway be a more powerful position than the largely titular POTEU.
Born 15 July 1965 (no birth time) he''s got a complex, talented and lucky chart. He''s a Cancer Sun trine Neptune trine Saturn in a Water Grand Trine, formed into an even more fortunate Kite by Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto. So he''s highly emotional, difficult to fathom since he''s self protective, but keen on a better, fairer society (Nep Sat) and quite a reformer (Ur Pl). His Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto also square onto a confident, communicative Jupiter NNode in Gemini. His NNode Jupiter are widely trine Mars in Libra possibly trine Moon in Aquarius making an Air Grand Trine which again depending on the Moon''s position could be a second Kite with an opposition to Venus Mercury in Leo which squares onto Neptune. So a highly complicated and very knitted together chart.
He does have tr Uranus trine his Cancer Sun from early Nov 09 for two months which does suggest a positive change of direction with a tr Pluto trine his Jupiter/Saturn from late Dec 09 which could be a positive step forward career-wise.
His relationship with Gordon Brown has always been edgy with a definite streak of power play going on (composite Sun Jupiter trine Pluto trine Mars). It has been under huge stress thro'' 08/09 with tr Pluto conjunct Mars so bitter arguments would have raged. Tr Pluto is trine the composite Pluto, then trine Jupiter in late Nov which suggests one will win and the other lose. Tr Saturn also squares the composite Mars in November so there''ll be a rift of sorts.
Milliband''s Cancer Sun falls in the EU chart''s 10th house so a good combination for career success on both sides; with his emphasised Jupiter in the EU''s 9th house of Foreign Affairs; and his Aquarius Moon in the EU''s centre stage 5th house. It might just work and he''d be a fool to turn it down.
He certainly has a very confident tr Pluto opposition Sun/Jupiter in 10/11 so he may be going up as his party goes down. Not that it''ll all be singing and dancing since he''s got other less desirable influences thro'' 10/11/12 as well.

Katie Price - star crossed and confused From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 09:21):
The indescribable Katie Price (ex-Jordan)is not having a good month/year with her lingerie line cancelled in a supermarket chain as her unpopularity soars in the wake of her divorce from Peter Andre. She now appears to have split from her present beau.
She''s a Sun Gemini (perhaps) opposition a Scorpio Moon which may also be tied into a Mars Saturn in Leo square Uranus in Scorpio - which would make sense of her constantly shifting and ratchety lifestyle. Her Venus at 0 degrees Cancer (conjunct Jupiter) has had tr Pluto in opposition thro'' 08/09 as her much publicised split occurred and tr Saturn will move on to square her Venus this Nov, returning in early 2010 - so not a positive time for her emotionally. Tr Neptune is also in a confusing uncertain opposition to her Saturn in 09/10, perhaps hard aspecting her Moon as well. Tr Saturn will square her Jupiter in Cancer from late 2010 which is often cash cutback time.

Renee Zellweger - looking for love From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 09:20):
Renee Zellweger, is having as little luck as Bridget Jones in her love life as another maybe-partnership splits. She''s an 8th house Taurus Sun conjunct Saturn in late Aries with Venus in Aries also in the 8th - so won''t find intimate relationships easy or supportive. She''s also got a restless, argumentative Mars in Sagittarius in her 4th house of home and family in a difficult square to Pluto in her 1st. She''ll tend to attract fairly controlling partners then end up feeling trapped.
Her 1st house Pluto Jupiter Uranus conjunct will give her confidence and push when it comes to promoting her image though she''s difficult to get to know (Pluto in 1st) and rather changeable and uncompromising (Ur in 1st).
There''s some possibility of a romance that sticks in a few years time circa mid next decade as her Sec Progressed Venus is conjunct her Sun. But she''s some changing to do before then with tr Pluto trine her 8th house Sun in 10/11.

London Calling ... From: FW. (25 Oct 2009 09:16):
Hail, Marjorie!
Thank you very much for the overview of London. As always, much appreciated.

Elton John - facing rocky road ahead From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 08:57):
Elton John has had to cancel a concert as well suffering from flu. He''s got a stick time coming up with an Aries Sun at 4 Aries opposition a 9 degree Neptune in Libra. Tr Saturn will oppose his Sun from mid Dec 09 with the tr Pluto square picking up from mid Jan 2010 - both of which will be discouraging and difficult, financially and emotionally. Plus his Solar Arc Saturn will oppose his Sun exactly in 2011 though in effect before then which is blocked. He does have tr Uranus trine his 4th house Jupiter in 2010 which will lift his spirits at home and with his family.

Morrissey - Sun Pluto under strain From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 08:56):
The singer Morrissey has collapsed on stage in the UK with breathing problems and is now in hospital. He''s a Sun Gemini square Pluto, and evidently fairly reclusive. Tr Pluto is trine Pluto at the moment which will be pushing him to change at some profound level, not easy for a Sun Pluto type. There''s not much else showing up on his chart apart from a maybe tr Neptune square Scorpio Moon and a ticky tr Pluto trine Mars/NNode later this year. But he should bounce back next year with some upbeat Jupiter transits.

Amira Hass - Israeli voices for equality From: Marjorie. (25 Oct 2009 08:33):
Amira Hass, the Israeli journalist has won the International Women''s Media Foundation 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the only Israeli journalist to have lived in and reported from Gaza and Ramallah for much of the last two decades. Writing for Haaretz. the Israeli newspaper, on the effects of occupation on the Palestinian inhabitants, she has been attacked by Israelis and Hamas.
Her mother survived a concentration camp and her father the ghettos of Romania and Ukraine. "What luck my parents are dead," Hass wrote at the height of the Gaza operation in January. "They knew what it meant to close people behind barbed-wire fences in a small area." Only a Jew can invert the "never again" logic of the Holocaust that is used to justify Israel''s least justifiable actions. It is that very experience, Hass argues, that should teach Israel to behave differently. CNN''s Christiane Amanpour describes Hass as "one of the greatest truth-seekers of them all."
Born on 28 June 1956 she''s a Sun Cancer with a flamboyantly determined Jupiter Pluto in Leo square an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio. Her Mercury in communicative Gemini is in an angry, argumentative square to Mars. Her Progressed Sun was conjunct her natal Pluto and square her Saturn during the Gaza Attack over the New Year into 2009 which is very downbeat and stuck; and her Progressed Sun is now approaching the 'success' conjunction to her Jupiter in 2010. She has said she regards her life as a failure presumably because she has not seen justice for the caged-in Palestinians - perhaps the success that comes with SArc/Prog Sun conjunct Jupiter might hint that she sees more progress next year towards a just outcome.
Her Cancer Sun is close to the Israel Venus so she''s obviously fond of her country; but with her Uranus in the Israel 10th close to the Israel Moon she''d like it to take a different direction. Her Jupiter Pluto is conjunct the Israel Mars and her Saturn squares it so she''ll throw her wholehearted energy towards changing Israel''s aggressive policies and causing a fair amount of aggravation in the process.
Interestingly Richard Goldstone, the respected South African lawyer whose recent Gaza Report is mired under the usual barrage of denial and vituperation has his Uranus (= thrust for reform) conjunct the Israel 8th house Sun with his Pluto conjunct the Israel Moon - both in their way trying to make their country see sense and move onto a better track.

London - rolling back to returns From: Marjorie. (24 Oct 2009 18:58):
London was founded circa 47AD after the Roman invasion but there''s no date regrettably for the first mud brick, nor for the following markers in 866 or 1075 with the first London citizen''s charter.
The first real date is 9th September 1835 which would make it Virgo which doesn''t feel that sound. Traditionally London was supposed to be Gemini or Virgo or Leo - so you can take your pick.
What''s interesting looking back on the major symbolic times in London''s history - there''s a an emphasis on outer planets in Cardinal signs which you would expect from a thriving metropolis which keeps reinventing itself and also on Mutable.
47 Ad and 866 AD both have the North Node in latish Gemini and both have Neptune at around 0 degrees Pisces. 47 AD has a Saturn Pluto in Capricorn (returning late next decade) and Uranus in Libra. 866 AD has Pluto in Aries with Jupiter in Libra. The Great Fire of 1666 which nearly destroyed London has Pluto in late Gemini and Neptune Saturn in Capricorn. So the 1666 Neptune Saturn would be conjunct the 47 AD Saturn Pluto - not a happy mix. And that also makes sense of the 1665 Great Plague which killed an estimated 100,000+ the year before since Neptune Saturn is the astrological signature for epidemics.
There are various returns coming up therefore - Neptune moving back into Pisces as well as the Saturn Pluto in Capricorn in 2020. So the old lady is going to go through another upheaval over the next few years especially with Uranus Pluto in Cardinals for almost the next decade.
Now that I look at it the London Blitz started 7 Sept 1940 and it had a Mars, Sun Neptune in Virgo trine Saturn Uranus in Taurus - so a Virgo Sun or key Virgo planets may not be so far off.

From: Julia. (24 Oct 2009 18:49):
RE: Rosie O'' Donnell. I''m not surprised she has her Mars in Aries opposing Pluto and conjunct Jupiter, which opposes Uranus. I have always found her very brash and hard-headed in how she comes across. I imagine she has an easily roused and fiercesome temper and that she''s really touchy about minor things, whoch no doubt wouldn''t make her a picnic in the park to live with. I''m sure she has a really tender and easily wounded heart underneath all the brawn, but she clearly has a few personal issues she needs to work through. I hope she finds greater contentment inwardly in the near future.

@ susi f (comment about male Pisceans - excluding male Piscean artists/musicians - not handling the placement well). I think you''re spot on about that. If you look at any of the Pisces men in, say, the business world, or in sports, there''s certainly nothing watered-down and docile about them. A couple of examples being Rupert Murdoch and Steve Jobs. My own father is a Sun Pisces and you would be delusional if you accused him of being ''soft'' or sensitive. He only has a Sun-Venus conjunction in Pisces, that trines Mars conj Saturn in Cancer. Add to that an Aries Moon partaking in a jovial and buyoant (ha, as if) cardinal T-Square with that Mars-Saturn and Jupiter and Neptune, and farewell so-called gentle Pisces! He doesn''t take any sh*t from anyone, which is obviously a double-edged sword.

People talk about "poor, little sensitive" Piscean Kurt Cobain (the late Nirvana frontman)but Courtney Love (his widow) has admitted of late that "he was very much a man''s man" and "he was no saint". Kurt even wrote the song ''Dumb'', which features the lyrics: "I''m not that dumb but I can pretend...". Granted, he had something like an astonishing eight out of his ten planets in water signs, but you don''t hold all that incisively perceptive water (especially Mars In Scorpio) and end up being a total idiot in navigating your way through the waters of life... Sun Pisces females are much more gentle. Some of my best friends are Sun Pisces and I find them very easy to get along with.

RE: piece written about the Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen on October 16th... I was born six days after her (but w/o my Venus forming a quincunx to Pluto - just Mars), and I can''t say I''ve ever been endangered by any ''dark'' situations or people. I mean, you learn early in life how to spot weirdos and you give them a wide berth. Only an idiot would leave a nightclub after having a few drinks with some foreign man they barely know. That''s just thick. That guy who raped and murdered her probably came across as a total sleazebag (those Middle Eastern ones always do, I''m sorry to say), yet she somehow overlooked that. Well, with a (possible) Leo Moon, she was probably milking the attention he was giving her. Anyway, I feel sad for her parents having lost a daughter. No parent should have to bury their own child.

Rosie O''Donnell - Sun Moon under assault From: Marjorie. (24 Oct 2009 18:16):
Rosie O''Donnell, the stand up comedian, actress, author and media personality is supposedly splitting from her long term partner Kelli Carpenter with whom she entered into one of the first same-sex marriages in San Francisco in 2004. She''s active in childrens'' charities, vociferous in her opposition to the Iraq War and to the pro-gun lobby.
She''s a Sun Aries with her Moon opposite in Libra, thus a Full Moon baby and will be conflicted about what she really wants. Her Mars is in an angry, determined opposition to Pluto, with Mars conjunct a crusading Jupiter in Aquarius opposition Uranus in Leo. Her Venus in Aries is inconjunct Neptune which will give some emotional strain. Kelli Carpenter is a Gemini Sun probably also a Full Moon (No birth time). Her Venus in Cancer is very emphasised being on the point of a T square to a Mars opposition Saturn - so it''ll have been a struggle for her to find happiness, though she''s undoubtedly good at PR.
Their relationship chart is under strain with tr Pluto trine Sun this year and next. And it is a relationship that was always destined to go through huge upheavals with Saturn opposition Uranus Pluto. Tr Saturn as well as tr Uranus have both been squaring the composite Mars leading to arguments and aggravations this year. It needn''t be a terminal split looking at the relationship chart though Rosie O''D has her Sun/Moon midpoint at 2 degrees Capricorn. That is the marriage significator and it''s under assault from tr Pluto, tr Saturn and in 2011 from tr Uranus; as are her Sun and Moon. It''s difficult to see how a close relationship could survive through that. Plus this year she has her SArc Uranus exactly in opposition to her Venus which is an emotional upheaval. But there are children involved so perhaps they''ll patch up a compromise.

Zimbabwe - lurching even further downwards From: Marjorie. (24 Oct 2009 16:36):
Zimbabwe isn''t going anywhere good with the Morgan Tsvangirai''s MDC Party offices being searched by police.
Last week, Mr Tsvangirai suspended MDC participation in the unity government accusing President Robert Mugabe of oppressing political opponents and failing to implement last year''s unity deal.
The Zimbabwe country chart has Solar Arc Saturn about to conjunct Pluto over the next few months which is a major blockage and very depressed; especially since the Zimbabwe Pluto opposes the Aries Sun. And tr Neptune will return throughout 2010 to oppose the Zim Mars which is sinking failure.
Morgan Tsvangirai himself (10 March 1952) looks unsurprisingly discouraged in late Oct/Nov 09 with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun/Saturn with the high risk tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspecting his Mars/Pluto in Dec/Jan10 and again later in 2010. He''ll be confused and uncertain about the way ahead thro'' 10/11. It''s difficult to see where the kickstart to a new Zimbabwe is going to come much before 2014 or thereabouts.

Maybe it''s Because I''m a Londoner ... From: FW. (24 Oct 2009 08:02):
Hello Marjorie,

I wonder if you could have a look at the chart for London. My birthplace and home town has been through such a huge amount in her history, yet she somehow seems to keep her head above water - no matter who or what comes along. There must be something very special about the place, and I hope the future is positive! Any thoughts ?

Cruel Fish From: susi f. (23 Oct 2009 19:13):
I think Pisces energy is really feminine and sits really badly with men. They don''t know how to express the extreme sensitivity so either distance themselves from emotions or become overwhelmed.

Except for artists/musicians and so on.

I know quite a few Pisces men like that. It suits us Fish Girls much better :)

Angela Lansbury - Maggie Thatcher-like grit From: Marjorie@astroinform.com. (23 Oct 2009 17:50):
Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote) multi award winning English actress is one of the Margaret Thatcher/Gore Vidal month so is a Sun Libra square a confident Jupiter opposition Pluto. She also has an obsessively conscientious Saturn in Scorpio in a gritty trine to Pluto in Cancer which is in an innovative trine Uranus in Pisces. Though her Neptune on her Leo Ascendant softens her image somewhat (Maggie T has Saturn on her Scorpio Asc which is much more fobidding).
Angela Lansbury has had a career spanning seven decades, winning a nomination for her debut in 1944 in Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer and not stopping since.
She could be lucky next year with the Tony Awards in June since the tr Jupiter Uranus conjunction in Aries will be picking up her Libra Moon and trine her Leo NNode. Though she''ll need to slow down thereafter with tr Saturn square her SArc Mars from late 2010; and tr Pluto conjunct it in 11/12 + tr Uranus - and her SArc Pluto conjunct her Mars in 2011. It''ll be a tricky time for her, fairly blocked.
16 Oct 1925 12.45 am London, England.

NCIS - full steam ahead From: Marjorie. (23 Oct 2009 15:57):
NCIS, the USA TV naval crime drama, now into its seventh series is topping the US ratings; and its newly launched NCIS: Los Angeles coming second.
Mark Harmon, lead in the Number One NCIS which launched in 2003 was once voted the sexiest man on TV. He''s a Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon in Virgo; with a powerfully ambitious Mars in Leo in the 10th and a controlling Pluto also in the 10th. His Jupiter in fiery Aries trines Mars and Pluto giving him confidence and luck; and Jupiter is opposition Neptune square Uranus in the 9th so he''s quite an alternative thinker.
Tr Jupiter was conjunct his Virgo planets when the series launched in 2003. With tr Pluto trine the NCIS 2003 Jupiter thro'' 2010/11 it should continue to prosper. Though Harmon looks as if he may pull back from such a heavy work schedule after 2012.
Of the two stars of the NCIS:LA - Chris O''Donnell is a Sun Cancer square Uranus so another restless character with a gritty Saturn trine Pluto with Mars in Cancer sextile/trine Saturn Pluto so has enough edge to play tough. He''ll have his ups and downs as tr Saturn and tr Pluto hit his Sun square Uranus (both 4 degrees Cardinal) in Jan 2010 onwards, followed by tr Uranus. But that could just be the price of success in overwork.
Rapper LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James) plays his sidekick. He''s a Sun Capricorn trine Uranus Pluto in Virgo; with Jupiter also in Virgo opposition Mars so he''s a mover and a shaker (Ur Pl) ambitious and willing to take risks (Mars Jup). He looks in for a successful two years ahead with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter though with tr Pluto sextile his Mars it''ll be challenging; and tr Pluto is aiming to square his Saturn in Aries from 2011/12 which will be quite a drag.

Angela Lansbury From: SW. (23 Oct 2009 15:54):
Hello Marjorie. Angela Lansbury has been nominated for another Tony on Broadway and at 84 still going strong. What is your insight into her chart? Thank you in advance.

Pamela Anderson - deflating prospects From: Marjorie. (23 Oct 2009 13:32):
Pamela Anderson of celebrity and frontage fame appears to be broke with a mite in the bank and a ton of money owing to builders of her new no-expense-spared-in-the-pursuit-of-bad-taste Malibu home including platinum floors, gold tiles and mirrored mosaics.
She''s a Sun Cancer in a downbeat square to self reliant Saturn in Aries. Her Aries Moon is trine a 4th house Venus in Leo so she would undoubtedly opt for a flashily opulent home. But with her Moon opposition Mars in Libra in the impulsive 5th squaring onto Mercury in the 2nd, perhaps doesn''t have too much sense about budgeting. She also has Uranus Pluto in her 4th suggesting a home and domestic life which will always be subject to major upheavals. She may get some mileage out of Jupiter about to move into her 10th from Nov 09 for a year ahead which should boost her career prospects. Plus Solar Arc Jupiter will conjunct her Uranus Pluto in 10/12 which should provide her with a stroke of luck. But for all that her Sun Saturn square will be assaulted on all fronts by tr Saturn, tr Pluto and tr Uranus from late 2010 right through till 2013 - which will be a total life disruption. At which point tr Pluto goes into her 8th which is generally not good for debt or money in the years following.

Israel - at odds with the rest of the world and itself From: Marjorie. (23 Oct 2009 12:12):
The Israel/US relationship is back under the same kind of strain at the moment it was over the Gaza attack which started this year as controversy rages over the Goldstone Gaza Report. The Israel/US chart has tr Pluto square the composite Jupiter Neptune conjunction from mid Oct to late Nov 09 which is confusion, disappointment, old dreams and illusions brought down.
J Street the new liberal, pro-Israel pro-Peace campaigning group which was started in 2008 as a counter balance to the trenchantly pro-Israel-whatever-it-does AIPAC, American lobbying group, is holding a dinner next week at which the Obama Admin is sending national security adviser Jim Jones as the keynote speaker. Two New York senators have declined. Tzipi Livni, who''s playing a quietly confident political waiting game sent a very polite no thank you but made it clear she''s not against their aims.
Now Turkey has unexpectedly postponed military exercises with Israel as a way of expressing its continuing displeasure over Gaza. Secular Muslim Turkey is (or was) Israel''s best friend in the Middle East, an important and influential ally for trade, military co-operation, with Turkey acting as mediator in talks between Israel and Syria, as well as the Arab Gulf states.
The Israel/Turkey relationship chart is aggravated at the moment by tr Pluto trine Sun/Mars till late November 09 as a forerunner to a major shift with tr Pluto trine Uranus come 2010 which will completely redefine their relationship. With tr Uranus trine Pluto in 2010 as well which does much the same. Israel, still clinging fervently to the belief they were justified in Gaza, is brewing up complex reasons for Turkey backing off.
Tensions and pressures on the US/Israel front will continue from late Nov 09 thro'' 2010 as well with tr Pluto continuing to oppose the composite Mercury Venus (Dec/Jan) with tr Saturn square Mercury Venus hinting at real coldness and separation in policy before this year''s end. Then Pluto is sextile Pluto (2010/11) - so there will be some shift though only after huge challenges and with a good deal of insecurity and aggravation as tr Uranus trines the composite Mars as well.
J Street was founded on 15 April 2008 give it a hugely determined Saturn trine Pluto trine Sun. Mars opposes Jupiter squaring onto the late Aries Sun so it will be pushy about promoting itself.
Israel itself is facing a difficult turn of this year into January 2010 as tr Saturn and tr Pluto both hard aspect the Israel Venus (natally square Neptune) - so emotionally distraught, feeling unpopular. Tr Uranus returns to shake the Israel Uranus opp Jupiter through 2010, with tr Saturn dampening enthusiasm in square to Jupiter in the first half of 2010. More pointedly tr Neptune opposes the Israel Mars from mid April 2010 till late 2011 which is failure and panic. With tr Saturn conjunct the Israel Neptune from late 2010 which is confused and uncertain. Tr Uranus then wallops that Venus Neptune square through 11/12 with tr Pluto and tr Uranus hard aspecting the Israel Neptune in 13/14 - so nothing that looks calm and secure.

pisceans From: k. (23 Oct 2009 08:07):
it''s strange that some pisceans can be so nasty. my dad is a piscean and he used to be an extremely cruel and selfish man. plus i used to have a co worker who was pisces too and she was a psycho. my dad is pisces sun and scorpio moon which has made him quite a slippery slidy and controlling person.

The Nazi side of Pisces + Pluto From: Marjorie. (22 Oct 2009 15:09):
Both Josef Mengele (Angel of Death Nazi Doctor) and Adolf Eichmann (Architect of the Holocaust) were Sun Pisces. And both had Sun square Pluto, while Girffin has a Sun opposition Pluto. Pisces can have a chillingly cold side, so wrapped up in its ''vision'' it sees nothing else. And Pisces Sun + Pluto does have echoes of Neptune Pluto which can have a megalomaniac streak.
Mengele and Eichmann had the generational fanatical Uranus opp Neptune. Griffin has Uranus square Neptune. All three had/have Venus in Aries which can be self centred and in all three cases there are difficult aspects to Venus. Both Eichmann and Mengele had Uranus opp Neptune square Venus. Griffin has Venus sextile Mars, square Saturn, inconjunct Neptune and widely inconjunct Pluto.

Jack Kerouac - unhappy icon From: Marjorie. (22 Oct 2009 14:46):
The iconic Jack Kerouac died forty years ago yesterday aged 47. An author, poet, painter he is considered a pioneer of the Beat Generation. His received little critical acclaim in his lifetime but is now considered an important and influential writer.
He was a heavy drinker who finally succumbed to cirrhosis while back living with his mother from whom he could never quite separate. She was later found to have forged a will which purported to leave most of his estate to her.
Kerouac was a 7th house Sun Venus in Pisces. Uranus also in Pisces was opposition his Virgo Moon Ascendant square Mars in Sagittarius in the 4th so mother was not exactly fun - erratic, unpredictable, angry. He also had a 10th house Pluto thus the controlling mother. His Neptune which was trine Mars, sextile Jupiter is in the escapist 12th. His Mars was sextile his Saturn. In many ways he must have taken to drink to soak up his anger. His very emphasised Mars which would want to explode is trapped every which way by Neptune and by his over-controlled Pluto. His communicative Mercury was trine Jupiter and widely opposition Neptune but not really prominent in his chart.
When he died tr Pluto was trine his Solar Arc Mars; tr Uranus was conjunct his Saturn; tr Saturn was sextile his Pluto and approaching the conjunction to his SArc/Progresssed Sun. Not a happy man.
His daughter Jan Kerouac, who only met her father twice, was a wild child with a drug habit who inherited her father''s wanderlust, became a writer and died young as well aged 44. She was a Sun Aquarius in a controlled (trapped in her case) opposition to Pluto, with Pluto square an intense though frustrated Mars in Scorpio. Her adventurous Jupiter in Aries opposed Saturn Neptune in Libra and squared Uranus; with Neptune conjunct Moon square Venus. She''d be scared of failure and fairly up and down (Jup opp Sat); at times self willed (Sat Ur), at other times devil-may-care (Jup Ur). Her heavily aspected Neptune made her creative but also escapist and addiction prone.
Jack Kerouac 12 Mar 1922 5pm Lowell, MA, USA
Jan Kerouac 16 Feb 1952 12.30 am New York, USA

From: susi f. (22 Oct 2009 14:11):
Thanks for the analysis of Nick Griffiths, Marjorie.

Depressing to find he is a Pisces as he must really,really believe the horrible stuff he peddles. He must feel like a prophet in the wilderness :(((((

He''ll probably go down with the ship, singing plaintively.

Uugh.

Richard Rogers - win some lose some From: Marjorie. (22 Oct 2009 11:49):
Sir Richard Rogers, the British modernist architect, has won this year''s Stirling Prize for his design of Maggie''s Clinic, a cancer patients'' centre in London. It gives him a lift in a difficult year which earlier saw his design for an apartment complex at Chelsea Barracks being stymied by Prince Charles.
Rogers (23 July 1933) is a flamboyant Leo Sun Moon, Mercury, Venus with his Mercury opposition a scientific Saturn in Aquarius. His Uranus in fiery Aries is trine Venus in Leo perhaps a hint of why he likes modern rather than traditional and is in a status-quo upsetting square to Pluto.
His chart sits very uneasily with Prince Charles'' since Rogers Saturn opposes PChas''s Pluto and Rogers'' Uranus sits in PChas''s 10th conjunct his Taurus Moon - so a clash of tastes and temperaments. Their relationship chart is even more starkly reflective of a mismatch with a Uranus opposition Saturn which is a blissful illustration of the modern versus the classical. With a disappointing Neptune Sun Mercury Venus; and a power-struggling Pluto square Jupiter, Jupiter conj Mars.
There may be more tensions on this front since tr Uranus has another year of opposing their composite Sun Neptune.
Interestingly the motivation behind the Maggie''s Centre - was Maggie Jencks, wife of American architect Charles Jencks, who herself died of cancer. She believed people with cancer would be helped by having a beautiful centre to visit during their treatment and she left instructions for 10 such centres designed by modern architects like Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind, Frank Gehry and Richard Rogers. She was born on 10th October 1941 when the Saturn Uranus conjunction was in place in Taurus trine Neptune - so having the capacity to merge the old and the new.

Thanks for that, Maggie! From: FW. (22 Oct 2009 10:25):
Brilliantly put, Mr Jefferson.

Nick Griffin - BNP - odious and on the BBC From: Marjorie. (22 Oct 2009 09:16):
The odious, overweight and smarmy head of the British National Party (anti-blacks, gays and Jews) Nick Griffin has been found a birth date. Born on 1 March 1959 he''s a Sun Pisces in a controlling opposition to Pluto in a ruthless, argumentative square to Mars in Gemini which in turn is in an overly confident, pushy opposition to Jupiter (Moon) in Sagittarius. So he''s got a Mutable Grand Square which is highly strung, nervy, scattered, tends to go off like a windmill in a storm when under pressure. And made up of Sun Pluto Mars Jupiter it makes him a law-unto-himself (Jup Pl), aggressively self righteous and self justifying (Mars Jup) and utterly determined (Mars Pluto). His Venus in Aries is also heavily aspected being square Saturn, trine Uranus and quincunx Neptune giving I''d imagine a fairly strained emotional life.
Into 2010 & 11 tr Pluto is conjunct his Saturn which will find him ploughing through some heavy seas and feeling held back; though he''s also got tr Pluto trine Mars/Jupiter which is generally confident and successful. So regrettably he''ll be making some progress though against a good deal of resistance.

Banks, bonuses From: Maggy van Krimpen. (22 Oct 2009 09:07):
...or, as Thomas Jefferson saw from the great distance of 1802:
� believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

BANKS & BONUSES! From: FW. (21 Oct 2009 15:56):
Nice one, Marjorie. Many thanks for this analysis of our banking predicament. Sounds spot on, to me - and all too predictable. We watch and wait, and hang on to our wallets!
All the best as ever -
Francis

Banks, bonuses - rooting out the causes From: Marjorie. (21 Oct 2009 12:18):
Mervyn King, Chairman of the Bank of England has waded into the argument over bank bonuses with a remarkably pungent speech yesterday. He said that government support for the banking sector had been "breathtaking" at close to �1 trillion. "Never has so much money been owed by so few to so many. And, one might add, so far with little real reform," he said. He insisted that banks would have to separate their bread-and-butter businesses which would have government protection, from speculative practices, so-called casino banking, which wouldn''t. He reckons the current approach has only tackled the symptoms not the cause of the problem.
King is an Aries Sun (9 degrees) trine Pluto Saturn Mars - so is a real toughie. His relationship chart with Gordon Brown is showing a distinct wobble at the moment with tr Saturn square the composite Uranus.
The feeling is that the original cause will come back to bite us - perhaps circa 2011 and that''s when the real meltdown will occur which needs a floor-up reconstruction.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8317200.stm

Tories and the European Far Right - White House wades in From: Marjorie. (21 Oct 2009 11:54):
The White House is beginning to put its oar in on the subject of the UK Tory Party''s mystifying decision to ally themselves with Europe''s far right, ultra-nationalist (with over tones of anti-semitism) Polish MEP Michal Kaminski.
Barack Obama may find Gordon Brown a depressing ally since there''s precious little love lost there. But his relationship chart with David Cameron, the presumed-to-be-next UK Prime Minister looks if anything worse - certainly more combustible. Cameron''s Uranus Pluto in Virgo is conjunct Obama''s Mars with Cameron''s Saturn in opposition - so irritable, disruptive. And Cameron''s Mars in Leo is conjunct Obama''s Uranus NNode in Leo which is more of the same explosive nature.
Cameron is no better with Hillary Clinton since his Mars is conjunct her Saturn and his Neptune conjunct her Mercury - so very bad tempered and evasive on his part.
Kaminski is a Sun Aries opposition both Pluto and Uranus in Aries so controlling and self willed; with a rather nasty Mars Saturn in Gemini opposition Neptune. His Pluto opp Sun falls exactly on Cameron''s Asc/Desc so he''ll want to be in control and has the potential to wreck Cameron''s image.
There''s going to be a complete turnaround in the Cameron/Kaminski relationship from Jan 2010 onwards as tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspect the composite Uranus. A similar scenario shows up on the William Hague (possible next UK Foreign Secretary)/Kaminski relationship chart with tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspecting the composite Sun Saturn conjunct.
With luck the Tories will ditch him. More''s the pity it took the White House to raise the temperature in what should have been a UK hot topic.

Euro causing pain From: Marjorie. (21 Oct 2009 11:30):
The Euro chart was indicating strains in late October 09 and although it remains extraordinarily high for the moment there are beginning to be public yowls of pain from European leaders.
"The euro at $1.50 is a disaster for the European economy and industry," said Henri Guaino, right-hand man of President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Useful piece in today''s Telegraph - so there may be movement soon.
''Europe and Japan are now the last two blocs standing as everybody else lets their currencies fall, or takes active measures to hold down the exchange rate -- with "beggar-thy-neighbour" echoes of the 1930s.
Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, has stepped up his rhetoric against "disorderly" currency moves, warning that authorities on "both sides of the Atlantic" were monitoring the markets. He made an unscheduled appearance on Monday to drive home the point. The body language is changing.''
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/6389779/Euro-at-1.50-is-disaster--for-Europe.html

Afghan Elections - Karzai opponent in high risk time From: Marjorie. (21 Oct 2009 11:19):
The run off Afghan elections scheduled for November 7th in deteriorating winter weather, with rising violence and a demoralised population who didn''t turn out heavily in the first round doesn''t sound an encouraging scenario.
Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai''s opponent, is a Sun Pluto in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn - so just as tough minded as Karzai. But he''s in a high risk time through this run off until late November with tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspecting his assassination or accident-prone Mars/Saturn midpoint. But if he survives unscathed, although unsettled in late November he looks more than confident towards late December into 2010.

BANKS AND BUNUSES - AGAIN! From: FW. (21 Oct 2009 08:23):
Hello, Marjorie!
I quote:
"The finance sector is set to pay out six billion pounds in bonuses this year as banks return to profit less than a year after the near collapse of the financial system, according to researchers."
Well really. If that doesn''t finish the UK off, nothing will. WHAT ON EARTH - OR ABOVE IT - IS GOING ON ???
have we completely taken leave of our senses ?

Debbie Matenopoulis From: Sarah. (21 Oct 2009 04:28):
Hello Marjorie. I love your site! Debbie Matenopoulis host of The Daily 10 has disappeared from view and no-one is saying why she has left the show. She found out that her husband was divorcing her through the media late last year and she is sueing him for spousal support. Any ideas what''s up there?

From: Carol. (21 Oct 2009 04:13):
Does anyone have the birth data of the balloon boy''s father, Richard Heane? Thanks.

Stock market, world currencies From: Cecilia. (20 Oct 2009 17:21):
Marjorie- I know you have talked alot about the Euro, Dollar, etc.. world currencies, etc.. Please, astrologically speaking, can you comment about October 2009 and the stock market and can you please also comment on the world currencies. Thank you, Cecilia

Hamid Karzai - Pluto grinding him down From: Marjorie. (20 Oct 2009 10:18):
Hamid Karzai looks likely to accept the inevitable and admit he doesn''t have an outright victory in the recent Afghan elections. The exposure of wholesale fraud has led to a substantial chunk of the votes supposedly cast in his favour being discounted.
The onset of fierce weather conditions over the winter makes it unlikely that a second round can be held any time soon. The West''s hope is that the runner up Abdullah Abdullah can be brought into a coalition government.
Karzai is undoubtedly under severe pressure as tr Pluto is conjunct his Sun for the third time this year from late Nov; with tr Saturn square his Sun from mid Nov; and tr Pluto is also trine Pluto at the same time. He will have to change though it will be under great resistance from him. And it''s unlikely to solve much if the example of Zimbabwe''s coalition government is anything to go by. Karzai has another tr Pluto conjunct Sun in mid 2010 with tr Saturn returning to square his Sun, giving him headaches earlier in the year.
His Government chart (7 Dec 04) is if anything under more pressure into 2010 with the Sun closing the conjunction to Pluto to exact then. Karzai''s relationship with Hillary Clinton is at freeze point just now till late Oct; and his relationship with ''the bulldozer'' Richard Holbrooke, US envoy to the region, shows a good deal of push and pull with a complete turnaround come late Nov with tr Pluto trine their composite Saturn and then Sun from late Nov with tr Pluto opposition Uranus at the same time.

Daily Mail versus Twitter - enraging, inevitable, running on From: Marjorie. (20 Oct 2009 09:45):
The Daily Mail, generally known as the newspaper of Middle England, is facing a Press Complaints Commission inquiry after an extraordinary piece by one of their columnists who suggested the death of Boyzone''s Stephen Gately was somehow caused by his homosexual lifestyle. The PCC has received 22,000 complaints, more than in their entire history, encouraged by an extensive Twitter campaign.
The Daily Mail first hit the streets on 3 May 1896 giving it a stubborn Taurus Sun opposition an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio; with Saturn in an autocratic conjunction to Uranus. They''ve also got the generational scandal-prone Neptune Pluto in Gemini square a scattered Mars in Pisces.
Twitter''s Mars falls exactly conjunct the DMail''s Neptune and exactly square the DMail Mars; with the Twitter Uranus Mercury conjunct the DMail''s Mars and square its Neptune. Not a pairing that is ever likely to be co-operating on anything much.
The relationship chart of Twitter/DMail has a Sun Mercury Neptune square Uranus - so a no-compromise interface; with a one-upmanship, point scoring Pluto opposition Jupiter; with Pluto also in an obdurate opposition to Saturn. There''s likely to be more ructions between them through 2010 as tr Uranus unsettles both Jupiter and Saturn (= Pluto). Tr Pluto at the moment is in an enraged, frustrating trine to the composite Pluto - so only one side can win.

Ludovic Kennedy From: Rachel B. (20 Oct 2009 09:27):
Many thanks, Marjorie: enlightening as ever.

Apple Inc - sailing high for now From: Marjorie. (20 Oct 2009 09:20):
Apple Inc, makes of iPod and iPhone has announced a 47pc rise in profits in the fourth quarter, pushing the company''s shares to an all-time high, blowing analysts'' expectations out of the water
Apple was founded on 1 April 1976 which gives it an Aries Sun Mercury in a determined opposition to Pluto square an excitable, ambitious Mars in Cancer. The Sun also trines Neptune, perhaps giving Apple its'' kindly image; plus an adventurous Jupiter in Taurus opposition Uranus. Uranus is also in an innovative, risk-taking trine to Mars.
Tr Pluto is trine the Apple Jupiter at the moment till late Nov 09 which is an indication of success. More innovations can be expected through 2010 as tr Uranus trines the Apple Saturn. But thereafter problems start to mount up with first a setback tr Saturn square to Mars, a stuck conjunction to Pluto and discouraging opposition to the Apple Sun from late 2010, thro'' 2011. Tr Pluto then in 2011 opposes Mars which is seriously bad news; with tr Uranus to follow in 2012.
The years from late 2010 will be stressful in the extreme with an almost complete reconstruction being forced on Apple in the years up to 2014.

Ludovic Kennedy - death penalty and a flawed legal system From: Marjorie. (20 Oct 2009 08:52):
Ludovic Kennedy, who has just died, was an investigative journalist of the old school, whose exposes of miscarriages of justice following flawed trials and unfair convictions were a key factor in the decision to banish the death penalty in the UK. He also wrote a book arguing that Hauptman was not guilty of kidnapping and killing the Lindbergh baby for which he was subsequently executed in the US in 1936.
He was born on 3 Nov 1919 7.20 am Edinburgh, Scotland. His Scorpio Sun on his Ascendant is a perfect fit for a seeking, searching, digging personality. His Sun Asc closely trine a strong-opinions Pluto in the 9th house which rules legal matters sextile a serious, hard working Saturn in the 10th. Saturn is conjunct Mars in the 10th, a reflection of his naval officer father killed in action in WW11. With Mars also being ultra-hard working and in Virgo, meticulous about detail. Mars Saturn is also the old astrological signature for assassination/murder and tied into dark Pluto and his Scorpio Sun would no doubt pull him in the direction of investigating the underside of society and the law.
Communication was clearly his thing - with an idealistic, confident Jupiter Neptune in Leo in the 9th (= widescale ideas, publishing, lecturing) as well as Pluto; two Virgo planets in the 10th (= career). His Mercury in Sagittarius was also emphasised being on the point of a T square to a Saturn opposition Pisces Moon.
His Uranus which you''d expect to be strong for a campaigning, reforming personality, is on his IC opposition his midheaven squaring his Scorpio NNode.
An interesting man who made a real difference.

Ludovic Kennedy From: Rachel B. (20 Oct 2009 08:15):
Marjorie, it would be wonderful if you would kindly provide some astrological background to the life of Ludovic Kennedy, who has just died at 89 after a long and extraordinary career combining journalism with a passion for justice that now seems - sadly - old-fashioned, especially in the media. Coming from a privileged but tragedy-affected background, Kennedy channelled these factors into helping others. When I was an undergraduate doing a vac job in what was then Fleet Street, I met him briefly. He was impeccably polite, respectful and kindly, marking him out as unusual even in those days when the workplace adhered to fairly strict forms of etiquette. But his achievements are what mark him out. Ludovic Kennedy, 3 November 1919, Edinburgh.

Sweat Lodge deaths - Native American ritual bastardized From: Marjorie. (19 Oct 2009 13:34):
A third person has died following a sweat lodge run at a Spiritual Warrior weekend in Sedona, Arizona by self help guru James Arthur Ray.
The lodge was held on 8th October when tr Mars in Cancer was exactly conjunct the Capricorn NNode, just past the trine to Uranus and approaching the sextile to Saturn - so rather edgy influences around.
James Arthur Ray is a ''personal success strategist'' and author of Harmonic Wealth. He''s a Sagittarius Sun square Pluto in Virgo, trine Uranus; with (Moon) Saturn Mercury also in Sagittarius trine Uranus - so he''s an enthusiast, an innovator, very determined and controlling. He''s also got a quadruply determined Mars NNode Neptune in Scorpio sextile Pluto. His chart was super confident running into the sweat lodge with tr Pluto sextile Mars/Jupiter. But he is now in a depressed state with tr Pluto conjunct Venus/Saturn till late Nov 09. He could be held accountable by the authorities - and with tr Pluto conjunct his SArc Mars from Nov 09 onwards; plus into 2010 with tr Pluto square his Mars/Pluto - he could feel very trapped indeed.
The Native American community have spoken out against what they see as inappropriate bastardization of their rituals - with non-breathable materials in the sweat lodge construction, over long confinement etc. There have been such deaths in the past so care is clearly needed. Pesticides on the rocks giving off toxins under intense heat can also cause problems as well as dehydration. I did a sweat lodge years ago in California and it was reckoned unhealthy then to be in for more than half an hour at a time. The Arizona Spiritual Warriors appeared to have been in for two hours - and after 36 hour long fast - sounds seriously stressful.

Jenson Button - vindicated From: Marjorie. (19 Oct 2009 11:30):
Jenson Button, the UK driver has become the 2009 Formula One Champion mainly on the basis of his six wins earlier in the season after which his form slid. But he pulled another win in Brazil yesterday to make it to the podium.
He''s a Sun Capricorn with a controlled/controlling square to Pluto, with his Sun in a lively sextile Uranus. He''s also got a Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Libra trine Mars Mercury in Aquarius so he''s got discipline, common sense and a yen for adventure.
There''s nothing much showing on his chart without a birth time apart from tr Jupiter heading to conjunct his SArc Sun later this year.
He''s always had an erratic career and 2010 may be no different. He''s got an undermining tr Neptune conjunct his SArc Sun which isn''t a winning combination but he''ll get lucky breaks from tr Pluto sextile his Jupiter/Uranus and sextile his Sun/NNode.

Alice Waters - good taste and healthy living From: Marjorie. (19 Oct 2009 10:37):
The catalyst for Michelle Obama''s White House vegetable garden was Californian restaurateur and local, sustainable, organic food campaigner Alice Waters. Over the years she''s campaigned for healthy school dinners; and helped to establish the modern farmer''s market system in California, championing small producers by using their food in her restaurant and putting their names on the menu.
Born on 28 April 1944 she''s a Sun Mercury in Taurus as befits a farming/eating type square an exuberant Jupiter in Leo. She''s also got a home-cooking Cancer Moon close to dynamic Mars. And her Saturn in communicative Gemini is sextile both an upfront, enthusiastic Venus in Aries and Jupiter - so fiery, sensible and indulgent.

Jessica Watson - roaring forties risks From: Marjorie. (19 Oct 2009 10:20):
Jessica Watson, the 16 year old Australian left Sydney about 9.30 am yesterday to attempt to become the youngest person to sail round the world unassisted - an eight month voyage.
She''ll sail east past New Zealand and then towards Fiji and down to the roaring forties and Cape Horn on the southern tip of South America. The waters around the cape are especially hazardous, with strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs.
Her birth chart (18 May 1993) has some hazard warnings flagged up especially from mid November onwards as first tr Saturn and then tr Pluto hard aspect her risky Mars/Pluto midpoint. Even more dangerous is tr Pluto opposing her Sun/Mars midpoint late Dec to late Jan, which tr Saturn has squared from early Dec. Early Dec thro'' Jan as well she has tr Neptune square her Pluto which wouldn''t necessarily be a huge problem but her Pluto opposes her Taurus Sun so tr Neptune will be hard aspecting both including the Sun/Pluto midpoint almost throughout her voyage which are not supportive transits.
The Voyage chart has Saturn in the 10th (= exceptionally hard work, no short cuts) opposition Uranus square a 12th house Pluto - so a good deal of behind the scenes angst and fast changing conditions. There''s also a dreamy, unrealistic New Moon in Libra trine Jupiter Neptune. With Mars in Leo on the cusp of the 8th which is marginally ominous, quincunx Pluto, suggesting great strain and high risk.
I''m not sure if the astrocartography of event charts works but her trickiest areas are around the roaring forties as she has to cross the Voyage Pluto MC and then Uranus Midheaven.
I wish her well but I''d worry for her.

Microsoft Windows 7 - a few ups in a very down market From: Marjorie. (19 Oct 2009 09:41):
Microsoft is about to launch Microsoft Windows 7 this week in an all out effort to retrieve the ''train wreck'' of Vista, launched in late 06/early 07. The Microsoft Windows chart (20 Nov 1985) was under poleaxing strain when Vista was launched with the Solar Arc Pluto conjunct the late Scorpio Sun - which is a total block. Extreme customer dissatisfaction gave Microsoft a headache and opened the way for competitors to forge ahead.
They are still not out of the woods yet with SArc Pluto still to conjunct Saturn over the next year, which hints at more hard times to come; with a confusing, uncertain tr Pluto conjunct Neptune continuing into 2010, and tr Saturn square Neptune in late 09/10; plus an even more undermining tr Neptune square the Sun and Saturn in 10/11/12. And on top of all of that tr Uranus opp Neptune in 2011/12 which is highly strung and nervy. Though some of that may be less to do with the success of Windows 7 and more the economic downturn affecting PC sales. They do have some uplift from tr Pluto sextile SArc Jupiter in 10/11 and SArc Jupiter is trine Pluto over the launch which looks upbeat and successful - so they''ll be making some headway. But it won''t be easy until they clear 2012.

Sevvy From: Suzy. (18 Oct 2009 18:46):
Great news for Sevvy - thank you so much, Marjorie.

Royal Mail strike - on a hiding to nowhere From: Marjorie. (18 Oct 2009 18:21):
The postal strike which is spreading havoc in the UK and likely to escalate towards Christmas is being led by Billy Hayes, of the postal workers union. He announces he is stronger than Arthur Scargill, the miners'' leader who stood up to Maggie Thatcher in the 1980s and lost. The outcome is likely to diminish if not ultimately wreck the Post Office''s business as alternative post firms take over.
Hayes is an argumentative Mars Sun and Jupiter in Gemini with Sun Mars trine Saturn Neptune in Libra. His life is in a panicky, sinking (not too obviously) phase in Oct/Nov with tr Neptune opp Mars/Saturn and opp Mars/Neptune; and in Oct and again late Dec tr Uranus trine his Mars/Pluto which is very aggravated and risky, los of anger around. Late Nov/Dec also picks up his tr Pluto opp his Sun/Uranus which is a huge upheaval. Right through this phase and escalating in 2010 he has his Solar Arc Mars conjunct Pluto which is hugely frustrating, a devastating setback. So he won''t win but it''s a question of how much damage he does before he gives in. Both Hayes and the original Royal Mail charts are facing an extremely insecure 2010.

Grayson Perry - more oppositions and alter egos From: Marjorie. (18 Oct 2009 17:53):
Another chart full of oppositions belongs to Grayson Perry, the transvestite potter who won the Turner Prize in 2003. He turns up for most public events dressed as his alter-ego - Claire - a Bo Peep like female in little girl satin flounced dresses.
He has an Aries Sun widely opposition a Virgo NNode. But more pointedly he has, like John Cheever (below) got a striking Mars (perhaps Moon) opposition Uranus; as well as a Venus Mercury opposition Pluto.

Waldemar Januszczak in today''s Times writes: ''One way to understand [transvestism] I learn, is to see it as the simultaneous adoption of two roles: the desirer and the desired. Another way is to see it as something darker and poignant, where the humiliator becomes the humiliated. Perry, I reckon, is like a man who sticks his head in the stocks, then runs around to the front to throw the first tomato.''
So for some oppositions which indicate a split there is a unique way of holding together. Eddie Izzard, the comic who started as a transvestite stage act also has a marked opposition in his chart of Sun Jupiter opp Uranus. Boy George although he has only one opposition of Venus opp Neptune does have apart from that a divided chart with only Saturn Jupiter in one hemisphere and the other planets on the opposite side.
It''s an interesting example of how oppositions sometimes (not always) play out.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6874328.ece

From: Krister. (18 Oct 2009 15:22):
Thanks for the FIA election insight. I''m hoping that Vatanen wins this election as the organisation needs a change... And is about much more than F1, into which it has grown into under Mosleys regime.

John Cheever - oppositions - and ''the other'' From: Marjorie. (18 Oct 2009 12:46):
There''s a new biography out on John Cheever, the Pulitzer prize winning American novelist and short story writer, sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs'' for his brilliant chronicles of American suburbia.
His main theme is the duality of human nature - the disparity between a decorous social persona and inner corruption; sometimes the conflict light and dark, flesh and spirit.
And guess what? His chart is full of oppositions. Born on 27 May 1912 (no birth time) he was a communicative Gemini Sun opposition Jupiter; Uranus opposition Mars (conj Neptune) and probably Libra Moon opposition Aries NNode, square Mars Neptune. So he struggled to balance the opposing parts of his nature without much success as he descended into alcoholism, exacerbated by his anguish about his bi-sexuality.
The problem with oppositions when they are not integrated within the individual is that ''the other'' gets blamed for everything the person dislikes about themselves. At one point he went with his long suffering wife to a psychiatrist since he thought she was the cause of his suffering. The shrink found that Cheever himself was the problem: "a neurotic man, narcissistic, egocentric, friendless, and so deeply involved in [his] own defensive illusions that [he has] invented a manic-depressive wife.''
His children not surprisingly have their father''s difficulties writ large across their charts. His daughter Susan (31 Jul 1943) has a Sun Pluto Jupiter conjunction square Mars in Taurus. His son Benjamin (4 May 1948) is a Sun Taurus square Pluto Saturn Mars in Leo. Both these children became writers themselves. The third child Federico who became a law profession has a Pisces Sun square Saturn and a Mars Pluto square. All of which describe an exceptionally difficult scary father. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/oct/18/john-cheever-blake-bailey

Sevvy Ballesteros - bouncing back From: Marjorie. (18 Oct 2009 10:44):
Sevvy Ballesteros, the Spanish golfer, former World No 1, retired from the game in mid 2007 due to poor form and was found to have a brain tumour in late 2008.
He''s a Sun Venus in Aries with both in a sensible trine to Saturn in Sagittarius and a determined trine to Pluto in Leo. His Saturn is in a disciplined opposition to Mars in Gemini widely square Jupiter in Virgo. He''s also got Uranus Moon in Leo square a Neptune opposition Mercury in Taurus - so he''s a complex personality. Fiery, inspirational, confident, very hard working and lucky.
Where his chart starts to show up problems really was from late 2006 as tr Pluto moved into his 6th. On its own that wouldn''t be a problem; but in 2007 his Saturn opposition Mars had moved by Solar Arc Direction to conjunct/oppose his Uranus - which is a major crashing jolt so I''d imagine that was where his problems started to arise. Then last year tr Pluto was square his midheaven which is also a setback.
At the moment he''s got SArc Uranus conjunct his Jupiter for the next few months which is upbeat, relief, lucky breaks. And he''s got some upbeat transits to midpoints as well, with better to come in 2011/12 with tr Pluto opp Sun/Jupiter, Venus/Jupiter which are confident and sociable.
Sevvy Ballesteros, 9 April 1957 12.30 pm Padron, Spain.

Seve Ballesteros From: Suzy. (17 Oct 2009 19:07):
Hi, Marjorie,

I saw a documentary the other night featuring champion professional golfer Seve Ballesteros. Apparently he is making a fantastic recovery from his brain tumour and wants to return to playing golf at St Andrews next year.

He has certainly had a roller-coaster ride during the past few years. Could you please take a look at his chart, Marjorie?

thanks for your insights marjorie From: k. (17 Oct 2009 15:45):
Nice to see that Deepak Chopra is a genuine guide and teacher. Also glad that the very flaky and unreliable Sarah Ferguson is getting some comeupance

Meghan McCain From: bluepurplesaint. (17 Oct 2009 15:02):
Thank you and really enjoy your work,
best wishes!
john

Meghan McCain - Scorpio and then some From: Marjorie. (17 Oct 2009 11:31):
Meghan McCain, is John McCain''s eldest child and she posted a Pamela Anderson/Katie Price type pic of herself on Twitter which set off a firestorm of criticism. Quite why I''ve no idea - cashmere and pearls more appropriate for Rep Presidential candidate family perhaps?
She''s a very very intense, controlling Sun Pluto in Scorpio sextile a head-in-the-clouds Jupiter Neptune. She''s also got an obsessive Mercury Saturn in Scorpio sextile Jupiter and Mars in Capricorn. So an odd mix of over confident and unrealistic as well as stubborn and fiendishly intent on going her own way. Her Moon is Libra perhaps sextile Neptune or square Mars.
Her chart clashes rather mightily with her father''s since all of her Scorpio planets opposes his Uranus and square his Mars - so I''d imagine there will have been a fair few arguments along the way.
Her mother she''ll see as rather vague and evasive since Meghan''s Sun Pluto is conjunct her mother''s Neptune; though she''ll also revel in the wealth the family brings. But its a ratchety relationship.
Her mother seems most upset over this furore with tr Saturn conjunct Pluto on the composite now till the end of Oct; with more upheavals to come as tr Pluto squares the composite Uranus while tr Saturn conjuncts it later this year into 2010.
Meghan''s own chart has her Solar Arc Venus conjunct Neptune this year, so perhaps she was trying to glitz up her image with the photograph? Her SArc Saturn is also conjunct her Uranus (natally conj Venus) which does bring jolts - so she''s in a tricky time emotionally. Tr Saturn is square her natal Neptune late this month which is worrying, confusing, uncertain. For a year ahead tr Saturn will be bringing her Jupiter Neptune now to earth with a bump. Plus she''s got an undermining tr Neptune square her SArc Sun Pluto at the same time. But she''ll get her act together with tr Pluto sextile her Sun Pluto.

Formula One Elections - Pisces versus Taurus From: Marjorie. (17 Oct 2009 10:47):
The Presidential elections for Formula One is on Oct 23rd. Max Mosley the retiring president supports the Frenchman Jean Todt who has the Finn Ari Vakanen standing against him. Vakanen has accused Mosley of breaching the French laws of impartiality which apply to the French based FIA.
Todt (26 Feb 1946) is a Sun Venus Mercury in Pisces trine a tough Mars Saturn in Cancer; with a rather undermining Neptune square Mars Saturn. His chart is Water and Air with maybe a Capricorn Moon, maybe not.
Vakanen (27 Apr 1952) is a Sun Taurus opposition a determined Mars in Scorpio very widely square Pluto in Leo - so no pushover, very stubborn. He has Venus and Jupiter in Aries trine Pluto so bubbling over with confidence.
There are no birth times so this could be slightly off - but Todt has tr Saturn square SArc Jupiter on Oct 23rd which isn''t that great; and tr Neptune square Sun/Pluto which is also sinking. Though he''s looking very upbeat and successful from late Nov 09. There could be midheaven aspects which don''t show with no birth time.
Vakanen has nothing much showing on his chart over the election except perhaps for tr Jupiter trine SArc Venus which could indicate popularity. He''s definitely looking cheered up by late Dec 09.
Mosley (13 Apr 1940) is a Sun Jupiter in Aries square Pluto in Leo so pushy, confident, controlling. He also has Saturn in early Taurus square Pluto so very gritty. His Sun Jupiter are quincunx Neptune so not always realistic. He has tr Neptune sextile his Sun over the election which isn''t too strong but mildly undermining and tr Uranus quincunx his Sun which is jolting; plus tr Saturn square his SArc Jupiter which is a setback - though part of that may also be a downer because he''s relinquishing is position.
Bernie Ecclestone (28 Oct 1930) is a tough, impatient Scorpio Sun square Mars in Leo; with a Mercury square Jupiter Pluto so he talks big; and an autocratic Saturn square Uranus. He''s got tr Neptune trine his SArc Mars late Oct so not to chirpy.
So all in all on present info nothing you''d place a bet on but it isn''t all going to go Todt''s way.

Mandarin leads the way - for once From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 15:50):
Thanks for the Sir Thomas Legg birth date (might have known he''d be in Debretts!) He''s the mandarin turned surprisingly assertive in the UK MPs'' Expenses Inquiry. He was heavily criticised for his supposed whitewash in the 1998 Sandline Arms-to-Sierra-Leone Inquiry which cleared the Government. So perhaps at the end of his career he''s decided to get his own back.
He''s about to be married evidently for the third time next week aged 74 to a 73 year old bride. So he''s clearly sprightly.
He''s a Sun Leo square a financially successful Jupiter in Scorpio with Mars also in determined Scorpio opposition a rebellious Uranus. He''s also got the Saturn in Pisces opp Neptune of the mid 1930s which can be creative, charitable and/or indecisive.
His Sun is conjunct Gordon Brown''s Sun/Jupiter midpoint somewhat squelching his enthusiasm. With Legg''s Sun conjunct GB''s 5th house Pluto and Legg''s Pluto in GB''s 5th - so arguably a fight for the centre spotlight.
With some luck he''ll set the scene for a change of tune in Mandarin/Senior Judge inquiries in future - in contrast to the recent inept Hutton Inquiry and others.

From: Julie. (16 Oct 2009 15:47):
Much appreciate your response re Deepak Chopra. From my own perspective, I consider him highly intelligent and a gifted writer. Your as always superb insights have filled in the blanks, giving a much fuller--and interesting--picture of a man revered by legions. What I glean from your analysis is that he is quite sincere in his beliefs and practices. For a consumer who occasionally buys a book by Chopra, that''s good to know.

Deepak Chopra - 8th house + Jupiter Uranus MC From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 15:25):
Deepak Chopra, the alternative medicine guru has quite a chart. A packed 8th house has a Sun Libra conjunct financially-successful Jupiter in Scorpio with a hugely determined Mars Mercury in Scorpio also in the 8th. So he''ll be interested by what lies beyond the surface - and in joint finances. He''s got a Saturn Pluto conjunction on the cusp of his 6th house of health; with his Sun in an innovative trine to Uranus.
It''s never possible to tell exactly how the chart''s energies will be lived out - whether negatively or positively. He''s clearly good at publicity with his Sun = Mars/Neptune; destined for success in experimental/original fields with Jupiter = Asc/MC = Sun/Pluto = Uranus = Uranus/MC = MC. He comes from a very orthodox medical family. I''d imagine though I haven''t read his books that he''s good at what he does and is hooked into leading edge trends which fill the gaps where conventional medicine has failed.

Martine Vik Magnussen - Mars Pluto Saturn Venus From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 15:07):
Martine Vik Magnussen was a Norwegian student found strangled in London on 16 March 2008, having just left a nightclub. She was killed when Mars had just completed an opposition to Pluto and was exactly sextile Saturn; with Saturn opp Venus which in turn was exactly sextile Pluto and trine Mars. So an unholy combination of Mars Pluto Saturn and Venus was around which certainly fits with murder connected to Venus (= love, lust, socialising).
Born 6 Feb 1985 she was a Sun Aquarius in a wide square to Saturn in Scorpio, possibly with a Leo Moon so quite a heavy chart. But what is more pointed is that she had a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars conjunction in Aries quincunx Pluto and square Neptune - so she''d be attracted to the dark side (or attract it to her). And the Neptune square would perhaps skew her judgement since Neptune runs on dreams and hopes not reality.
When she was killed those very awkward, risky Mars Pluto Saturn Venus aspects were triggering her Venus Mars Pluto and Neptune.
The Metropolitan Police have issued a notice about a Yemeni - ''Farouk Abdulhak (dob 18.02.1987) is wanted in connection with the murder of Martine Vik-Magnussen''. He is the son of as Yemeni billionaire and is understood to be in the Yemen at the moment which has no extradition treaty with the UK.
He''s also a Sun Aquarius (last degree) with his Sun on the point of a mini grand trine of Uranus Saturn in Sagittarius trine Mars in Aries; with his Uranus square Jupiter. So he''s quite ego centric (emphasised Sun), an adventurer (Jup Ur), forceful and dislikes interference (Mars in Aries Ur).
He''s looking fairly undermined in 2010 with tr Neptune sextile his Mars and tr Uranus continuing to square his Uranus. But it''s 2011 which looks most debilitating for him with tr Neptune conjunct his Sun and his SArc Saturn conjunct her Venus.

Thomas Legg - birthdate From: anonymous. (16 Oct 2009 14:32):
Marjorie, The birthdate of Thomas Legg, according to Debrett''s, is the 13th of August 1935. http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/l/10419/Thomas%20Stuart%20LEGG.aspx

Jupiter Neptune - on a pink cloud From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 14:27):
Jupiter Neptune is normally referred to as the aspect of ''false happiness'' - cloud cuckoo land dreaming. Ebertin describes it as: impressionability, a person easily seduced, a conflict between the ideal visualised and the very different reality. Be nice when its gone. Theres one more direct conjunction around Dec 20th 09.

Halliburton Rape - Al Franken triumph From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 14:24):
Another instance perhaps of Pluto in Capricorn in its cause for justice striking back at the big boys of the corporate world has been spear headed in the USA by Al Franken.
A woman working for a Halliburton subsidiary in Iraq was prevented from taking legal action over an alleged gang rape by fellow workers. Halliburton/KBR used a clause in her contract requiring disputes to be settled by arbitration to block legal action - a policy which, her lawyer says, has encouraged assaults by creating a climate of impunity. Now Al Franken, the USA Senate''s newest member, has won an amendment to the defence appropriations bill prompted by her case. US defence firms will be barred from lucrative government contracts if they refuse to allow employees access to the courts. Franken described it as a denial of justice. "Contractors are using fine print to deny women like Jamie Leigh Jones their day in court," he said in a Senate debate. She alleges that she was drugged and raped by seven American contractors in Baghdad in 2005.
Halliburton was founded in 1919 and incorporated on 1 July 1924. This gives a Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Pluto in Cancer - so definitely a control freak company. With its major planets dovetailing with the USA chart it''s no surprise Halliburton became so enmeshed with US Government. And with the Halliburton Pluto conjunct the US Sun no guesses as to who wanted the upper hand. Halliburton have now sold off the KBR subsidiary though it still retains USA government contracts in the Iraq.
Halliburton itself will face considerable problems in the years ahead with the tr Saturn, tr Uranus, tr Pluto hard aspecting of of it Cancer planets.

From: Greta. (16 Oct 2009 14:19):
Marjorie, I asked about the Jupiter/Neptune influences on the economy and then Howard Davies, ex FSA chief has summarised the situation by saying that the people of Britain are ''living in a fool''s paradise and by 2014 we will be among the big four of global profligates. It is not a great club to be in''Think he has answered the question!

Sarah Ferguson - Pluto on Saturn = hard times From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 13:57):
Sarah Ferguson I have 9.03 am London 15 Oct 1959. At first glance a Scorpio Ascendant might seem odd, but it puts Venus Pluto on her midheaven which is charming, PR-oriented, controlling, manipulative. And an enthusiastic Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 1st. Plus it puts her fiery Aries Moon in the 5th which is emotional comfort from children which makes sense.
She''s got tr Pluto conjunct her 2nd house Saturn for the next six weeks on its final hit as stories of impending bankruptcy circulate. That is very heavy going and deprived. Plus her Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct her 12th house Mars almost exactly now and over the next few months - which is a road block of major and enraging/humiliating proportions.
Her relationship with Prince Andrew has been stressed very recently with tr Uranus and tr Saturn both squaring their composite Sagittarius Sun at 25 degrees.

Finances - waiting for the other shoe From: Marjorie. (16 Oct 2009 13:46):
Gerta, I know what you mean about Finances at the moment. We''re all waiting for the other shoe to drop since nothing seems to quite measure up, astrologically or in any other way frankly.
As far as the UK is concerned: - Of the charts I had a quick scan through Lloyds Bank are in dire trouble with tr Pluto opposing their Mars at this present time when all of the pressure is mounting on Gordon Brown. And that is serious for Lloyds who''re on the verge of asking for another 5 billion pounds to prop up their ropey balance sheet (billion!!). This is expected to come to a head within the next week. The Lloyds chart then has tr Saturn square their Mars in Nov which would be a minor setback were it not for Pluto at the same time.
Of the other major UK banks - RBS isn''t looking too chirpy with tr Neptune conjunct their SArc Mars and opp SArc Uranus in Oct/Nov 09; with more challenges from late Nov into Dec 09 with tr Pluto square their Pluto; which tr Saturn also conjuncts in late Nov. Santander, the Spanish owned group, also has some pressures and strains late Nov/Dec 09 with a few slumps in 2010 with tr Neptune square Sun Uranus. But Lloyds is definitely the worst.
Brown''s relationship with Chancellor Alistair Darling is very intense through this mid Oct to late Nov 09 patch. And the Bank of England chart has a really jolting and jarring SArc Sun conjunct Uranus any time over the new few months; plus there''s still more of the tr Saturn opp tr Uranus on their T square of Neptune opp Mars square Saturn which runs really right through 2010. That's very highly strung, nervy and unstable.
The FTSE chart has tr Saturn square Neptune through this Oct 22 to 30 period which I''d imagine would have a downward effect. Tho'' in some ways its being defying the astrology to date in staying so buoyant.
The US Fed Reserve Bank is also experiencing huge strain with tr Pluto opposing their Saturn Pluto at 1 Cancer from really tomorrow till late Nov; and tr Saturn square it in Nov.
So wait and see.

From: Julie. (16 Oct 2009 12:21):
Hello Marjorie: Could you give us some astrological insights re Deepak Chopra? He is quite the big deal in the New Age community, especially here in the States, and has just published his umpteenth book. He has built a virtual empire re all things spiritual and operates out of La Costa, California, which is a very posh resort. He has become a celebrity in his own right. My question: Is he for real or just an opportunist cashing in on a trend? Thank you for considering this query. Your insights are wonderful!--Julie

Art 2 From: FW. (16 Oct 2009 05:45):
Precisely, Chris. Very well put. But there is a huge difference between a great artist and a con-artist - and there are too many of the latter about at the moment. Which I think was Marjorie''s point.

Art From: Chris B. (15 Oct 2009 23:44):
could not let this one go as its about art! As one who has done a Fine Art degree as a mature student and graduated this year you cannot really tar all artists with the same brush,a bit like me saying all all football supporters are!, with Frieze on this week which i know y takes a lot of getting used to you have to remember art Is a personal journey for the artist There is good Modern art about a fair amount of painting still Turner in his day was attacked as a artist as were the impressionists but you look back and see the greatness.

Meghan McCain/Twitter From: bluepurplesaint. (15 Oct 2009 20:19):
Meghan McCain (Daughter of Senator McCain) seems to have started an innocent stir after psoting a late nite pic of herself on her twitter account, born 23/10/1984 in Phoenix, AZ, don''t haver birth time.
Asking re current controversy and her future?

UN - Ban Ki-Moon - the Bureaucrat From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 19:49):
The United Nations has been very quiet under Ban Ki-Moons'' term since Jan 2007 though whether that is to do with his understated diplomatic approach or because he''s just ineffectual is an interesting question. Known in his Korean diplomat days as "The Bureaucrat" he has been described as ''a dilettante on the international stage.'' He was a GWBush/Condi Rice pick. Nuff said.
The UN chart (24 Oct 1945)hasn''t much of note going on apart from tr Pluto sextile the Scorpio Sun finishing this year which should have been modest progress. But there''s also tr Uranus trine Mars Saturn in Cancer which is fairly irritable and insecure making. It will become fairly rudderless and inept come 10/11 as the Solar Arc Sun squares Neptune which isn''t great.
Ban Ki-Moon (13 June 1944) is a Sun Saturn in Gemini square Neptune so rather anxious, well meant but not decisive. He''s also got Venus, Uranus Mercury in Gemini. His Mercury is in a vague trine Neptune but sextile a powerhouse Mars Pluto in Leo. It just depends which end of the Pluto dominate or submit axis he''s sitting on. But he should be good in crisis.
Though he doesn''t fit the UN chart as well as Kofi Annan did. Annan''s Aries Sun was conjunct the UN Ascendant and though his Moon Pluto in Cancer was conjunct the UN Mars Saturn which is a very difficult interface, his composite with the UN was powerfully effective. It has an Earth Grand Trine of Sun trine Uranus Saturn trine Neptune, formed onto a Kite with a charming Sun opp Venus - so together they made most of it work.
Whereas Ban Ki Moon with the UN has that very stuck, frustrating Mars Pluto dominant - neither of them actually like the other much.
The UN has an 11 Capricorn midheaven so there''ll be a setback Saturn square MC come late 10/11 and then tr Pluto and tr Uranus will hard aspect it come 2013/14. Radical changes through these years.
Now that I look at it. Ban Ki Moon's Presidency chart has a rudderless Saturn opp Neptune which Neptune has been closing to exact this year and into early 2010. And it has that really frustrated and frustrating Mars Pluto conjunction again. Pluto will be walloped by tr Uranus thro' 2010 so there'll be more going on but it may not be good, certainly arguments raging.

Art IS From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 19:35):
Tut tut, Titus. Great art just IS. It''s not supposed to have a purpose, quite the opposite. Appreciation of it lies beyond the rational mind - into the great still heart that lies at its unknowable core. Mind you it does have healing properties, both for the artist and the onlooker. It grapples with what is inexpressible. And is the basis for all culture. Which does not include baked bean tin posters, plastic torture scenes, TErmin''s tent etc etc etc
Now football. Aaargh. Or should that be uurgh.
Will attend to B''ham a demain.

The Agony And The Ecstasy From: Titus. (15 Oct 2009 19:25):
I don''t like Modern Art! What exactly is a work of art? Personally, I define it as an object that has no function and no purpose, and therefore a pointless exercise unique to humanity. Nature creates stunning beauty that does have a function and a purpose. A rose or an orchid is more beautiful to me than any sculpture. Its a bit like sport really. The rather unfashionable and under-performing football club that I support, Birmingham City, has a new management team from China taking formal ownership today. As a frustrated fan of many years standing (will I ever learn?) and like all our other fans and supporters, have suffered years of disappointment after disappointment. We can only think, "Here we go again!" There is something oddly Scottish and tragic about Birmingham City Football Club. The ground is called St. Andrew''s, after the local church. We currently have a Scottish manager; have had a continuous turnover of players from north of the border over the years... I still remain an ardent "Blue Nose" despite our long catalogue of failures and our empty trophy cabinet! Blues fans will still turn out to any match if there is a sniff of a victory. Will still moan and groan at yet another ignominious goalless draw against supposedly inferior competition, but we still turn out for the next game. In reality, football has no function or purpose (ask the ladies), but it has the capacity to drive you to the heights of ecstasy - or a crushing heartbreak. Now THAT is true ART! Oh, I almost forgot the purpose of this missive, Marjorie. What are the portents for this new management at Birmingham? Will it be more of the same, or can you see a glimmer of light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel of despair. I will await your kind response with fingers crossed - and everything else!

But is it art ...... or just self-publicity .... ? From: FW. (15 Oct 2009 18:16):
Marjorie, thank you for the best review of what''s wrong with British Art at the moment ... (Not all of it, of course - just those mediocre talents who make a lot of noise.) I hope the genuinely-gifted will emerge from all this, and win.

The FIA elections From: Krister. (15 Oct 2009 17:02):
Hi Marjorie. I was wondering over the presidential elections held at the FIA, (The Fédération Internationale de l''Automobile)on october 23rd. Max Mosley, the resigning president of the FIA, is strongly supporting Jean Todt, former executive director of Ferraris racing team, while Todt''s counterpart Ari Vatanen, a former WRC champion and member of the europarliament, has a strong backing from the smaller members in this federation. The campaigne has been rather uggly with accusations at both parties of unethical behaviour. Also Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone have both been hostile against Ari in his attempts to become the FIA president. What do you see in the future for theese gentlemen?

From: halia. (15 Oct 2009 16:44):
Hi Majorie I was wondering what is the Duchess of york''s rising sign? Sarah was born on October 15, 1959! Thanks. Halia

GB and the economy From: Greta. (15 Oct 2009 13:40):
Marjorie do you have anything further to say about the global economy? I think that the frothy Jupiter/Neptune influence that you mention below is in full swing otherwise I am not understanding the dire warnings about the need for tax rises and stringent cuts. Apparently,house prices are recovering;the unemployment figures are not as bad as expected;certain banks have made huge profits and will be dishing out large bonuses and the Dow Jones has broken the 10,000 barrier.Linking this to your comment on Gordon Brown,surely the squabble re MP''s expenses won''t be his downfall but something more catastrophic. I imagined it would be the economy but if all is to be believed, he has actually averted a disaster with the measures that have been taken in the UK and followed globally.Or is all Neptune?

From: Alexandra. (15 Oct 2009 12:18):
Marjorie, the UN seems to be losing its foothold under Mr. Ban''s leadership. Afghanistan is on fire. The Dayton agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina seems to be unravelling, East Timor is floundering. ''UN criticised on Congo offensive'' BBC reports, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8304721.stm). What is in store for the UN?

Movement to get Farouk Abdulhak to trial From: An. (15 Oct 2009 12:13):
Farouk Abdulhak (born 18.02.1987), the son of billionaire and one of Yemen''s wealthiest men, Shaher Abdulhak, is the only suspect of the rape and murder of 23-year-old Norwegian female business student, Martine Vik Magnussen (born either 6.or 18.02.1985). A crime committed during the early hours of 14.03.2008, in London. Farouk Abdulhak fled to Yemen immediately following the murder with the help of his father and a private plane, and he is now listed as wanted on Scotland''s Yard''s "Wanted" site. Shaher Abdulhak have always denied that he''s involved with his son''s disappearing, but recently his yemenitt lawyer admitted (in private) that Farouk is living at his father''s home "studying". Martine''s friends find this appalling an have started a movement for Martine, to seek justice, a fair trial for the wealthy, protected murderer, and to promote "basic judicial rights in the international society". They want everybody''s help (if interested, see the Facebook movement and www.justiceformartine.com, all information available in norwegian and english). The movement group was established on the 7. October 2009. I find this interesting, and of course I wonder if the movement could be connected to Pluto''s activity in the beginning of Capricorn. I would also like to ask, if that might be the case, how successful could this movement possibly become, starting as it has with a handful of young people offended by the lack of justice in one singular case, but also having this huge goal of promoting "basic judicial rights in the international society". To which extent can we expect Pluto to have "initiated" this movement, and to which extent will Pluto''s activity "promote" this movement? Do you see what I mean - is it possible to say something about "initiating" and "promoting" when it comes to the activity of generational planets? I would be grateful if you''d like to look into this, and that includes Marjorie and everybody else! Thank you.

Carter Ruck v Twitter - no contest From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 11:01):
Now that I look at it Twitter''s chart (21 March 2006) does wallop into Carter Ruck''s very encouragingly. Twitter has an explosively no-inteference Mars square Uranus which sits exactly on Carter Ruck''s Sun Venus square Saturn - different species altogether. Twitter also has a powerful wide Mars opp Pluto. And Twitter''s Saturn is opposition CR''s adventurous Jupiter Uranus conjunction - so Twitter put an end to CR''s chancing-their-arm stunt.
The Twitter/CR relationship chart has a Mars opp Jupiter square Sun - which transitting Saturn is squelching at the moment square Jupiter. Bliss.

Carter Ruck - old London getting caned From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 10:50):
The lawyers Carter Ruck getting wrong footed over the Trafigura super injunction which backfired is just one more instance of the gloss coming off the ''grand'' names in the UK social and professional hierarchy.
Peter Carter Ruck who started the firm (now dead) was a charming Sun Venus in Pisces with a formidably and ruthlessly determined Sun trine Mars Pluto, and square Saturn. If you look him up in Wiki there are quite a few questionmarks over the firm''s track record. But in the way of all things British they were shrugged off and life went as before.
If you take his birth chart as effectively the firm chart then it does have Solar Arc Sun about to conjunct the Sun - so brought to a shuddering halt. Good on Twitter.

Damien Hirst - damned by Pluto in Capricorn From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 10:29):
Another massively ego-centric Gemini Sun on the point of a T square belongs to English ''artist'' Damien Hirst (sharks in formaldehyde, diamond encrusted skull etc). He is taking an almost universal panning from critics over his actually-painted-by-himself art on show in London at the moment. Hirst is the richest and most powerful artist in history which may come down to Jupiter beside his Sun on the point of that T square to a Uranus Pluto (Mars) opposition Saturn.
The Telegraph critic remarks today: ''There''s a sense that our whole perception of what art is, or should be, may have subtly - or not so subtly - shifted.'' ''Reading Hirst''s comments - in which he invoked his own name alongside those of genuine 20th century masters such as Bacon and Mark Rothko, you couldn''t help feeling you were living in a world that had lost touch with some fundamental reality.''
It reminded me of that discussion in October last year on the forum about Brit Art - conceptual artists of the Tracy Ermin dirty knickers variety who all emerged from the 1960s break-down-old-structures generation. A couple of thoughts from there:
''Why Art should have been damaged in the 20th Century astrologically I''m not clear except that Pluto has now moved a half cycle from Cancer at the start of WW1 to now shift into Capricorn which from historical precedents gives hope of a much more cultured, perhaps more traditional era ahead. ''
''Maybe you are right in that they were born in the highly excitable 1960s and will perhaps disappear after the final fling of Pluto in Sagittarius. They certainly say something quite uncomfortable about the British psyche since a country''s art to a degree reflects the state of mind of the culture. What they portray is dirty, messy, tortured or in Hirst''s latest works brash glitter. The Chapmans take Goya and Bosch''s paintings of horror and misery but they reduce the same subject matter to plastic kitsch of a very nasty variety. Since the UK''s identity and indeed economy has recently been so heavily based on our ''''superior'''' financial services industry, clearly built on shifting sands and no solidity, the YBAs, whose art seems similarly impermanent, delusional and unpleasant, may well go down the chute along with the banks as Pluto heads for a major reconstruction exercise on the UK conjunct the UK Sun and thro'' the 4th.''
Roll on Pluto in Capricorn - if it clears the deck of garbage and gets us back to real art and culture.

Trafigura - toxic waste - and Parliamentary shenanigans From: Dakini. (15 Oct 2009 09:58):
Thank you so much for your extensive reply Marjorie. I don''t know what shocks me more, the Carter Ruck lawyers prepared to stymie free speech or the terrible toxic dumping in the first place. The extraordinary power of the internet (Twitter, facebook, et al) in exposing this skullduggery is notable however and gives me hope. This ''the people must have the truth'' theme is very powerful at the moment it seems.

Gordon Brown - the end is in sight From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 09:57):
Gordon Brown having staggered through a not too disastrous conference has promptly fallen into a pothole on his return to Parliament. Sir Thomas Legg (regrettably no birth date), Brown''s appointed scrutineer of MPs'' expenses, segwayed from oily mandarin to rottweiler much to everyone''s surprise, mainly the PM''s.
The Brown Government chart now faces a very frustrated, indeed enraged six weeks with tr Pluto trine Mars from this week onwards. This rolls along at the same time as tr Pluto is square GBrown''s very emphasised Saturn (natally square midheaven square Uranus). It''ll put enormously heavy pressure on him work-wise and health-wise since Saturn is in his 6th. And it also puts pressure on his T square with the approaching tr Pluto conjunct midheaven and opposition Uranus - the HUGE upheaval in his life is coming closer and closer.

Vaclav Klaus - Presidential power goes to his head From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 09:34):
The present President of the EU, the increasingly eccentric Czech President Vaclav Klaus is the only thing standing in the way of the Lisbon Treaty being signed - and he''s firmly against it. ''He''s acting like some oriental despot," said Jiri Pehe, a prominent political scientist. "Two chambers of parliament, the constitutional court and the governments of 27 countries support Lisbon. But the representatives of 500 million people are wrong and he''s right. He really thinks he has a monopoly on the truth." If as expected, the Czech constitutional court dismisses claims against the treaty and he still refuses to sign, there could be attempts to impeach, suspend, or otherwise bypass Klaus.
Klaus does have a gigantic ego with a Gemini Sun on the point of a T square to a Neptune opposition Mars - so is exceptionally scattered, keen on publicity especially when promoting himself. His very emphasised Gemini is conjunct the EU midheaven so he has the ability to affect the EU''s direction. It can be OK if both are singing from the same hymn sheet but if egos get in the way then there''s a tussle for power and importance. And isn''t he just loving what fate has put his way! This is reflected in the composite chart with a oneupmanship exact Jupiter Pluto conjunction and an unco-operative Sun square Uranus. Luckily for the EU he''s only got a 6 month term which runs out at the end of this year. He''s in for a major surprise of a rather explosive variety since his Solar Arc Mars is within the near future about to conjunct his Uranus.
The present Czech PM Vaclav Havel described Klaus when he was Prime Minister as leading a regime of "gangster capitalism". Not surprisingly their charts are at odds. Klaus''s Mars is conjunct Havel''s Saturn which is a ratchety and bad tempered interface.

Contradictory influences From: Marjorie. (15 Oct 2009 08:47):
Joss, Don''t give up on astrology just yet. It is tricky to prioritise when there are seemingly contradictory influences around. Nice Saturn trines versus Neptune squares. My very rough rule of thumb is that the outer planet transits are stronger than the inner ones - e.g Pluto carries more weight than Jupiter or even Saturn. Though also depends to some degree on what planets you resonate to since all individuals react better/worse under some of the outer planet transits.
Two influences you have at the moment I''d think are contributing to your general glooms - one is the tr Neptune square to your Sun which is debilitating and also Saturn going below your Ascendant which is generally a time of pulling back from what has gone before. However one note of cheer. You''ll find Uranus sextile your Jupiter next year and sextile your Sun does bring some chinks of good luck and relief. New vistas opening up - maybe not spectacular but a move in the right direction. Good luck.

From: joss. (15 Oct 2009 00:24):
marjorie, i am your most ardent fan,having bought yourbook which i consult frequently,and reading your website daily.i have looked at my ephemeris with amazement and think that you are the only astrologer who would give me a correct answer re.the following. having a 25 degree taurus sun,17 degree taurus mercury,10 degree uranus in taurus,27 degree jupiter in capricorn ,plus an ascendent at 16virgo with neptune at 16 degrees too.during the transit of jupiter in capricorn making trines to all these planets i can honestly say that i have had the worst luck in every way. finances,health ,private life and no success in work have depressed me.i do know that saturn was also in virgo but again making trines. could negative progressions be so strong as to wipe out the good of transits.i would so appreciate an answer so that i do not have to give up on astrology. by the way, my moon is in leo at 15 degrees.thank you

your link From: james. (14 Oct 2009 21:42):
what a load of crap... need to go back to astrology...

Fox News Versus The President From: Sandy. (14 Oct 2009 19:30):
There was an interesting commentary on this subject in today''s The Daily Beast. Here''s the link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-14/how-fox-news-outsmarted-the-white-house/?cid=hp:mainpromo4

fox news From: james. (14 Oct 2009 17:56):
this is the outlet that brought the lies and bs directly responsible for the iraq war... in previous generations rupert murdoch would have been hanged..

Fox News versus the President - fight for control of America From: Marjorie. (14 Oct 2009 12:27):
Fox News, the Murdoch owned right wing US TV channel, now seems to be in open warfare with the Obama Administration. The White House communications director, said at the weekend that Obama had refused to appear on Fox News last month because it dealt in rightwing propaganda, not news. She said " "Fox News often operates either as the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican party - let''s not pretend they''re a news network the way CNN is ... We''re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent."
Two of Fox''s lead presenters Bill O''Reilly and Glen Beck are major stirrers in the ''America versus Obama'' campaign.
Fox News first broadcast pm 7 Oct 1996 which makes it Sun Libra with an angry Moon Mars in Leo. Saturn in Aries is in a tough minded trine to Pluto and square Jupiter. There''s also a can-be-fanatical Neptune Uranus conjunction.
The Fox News chart sits very uncomfortably with the President''s. The Fox News not-for-budging Pluto is conjunct Obama''s midheaven so it''s a struggle for power with Pluto''s destructive streak trying to bring Obama down or at least under their control. The Fox Mars is conjunct Obama''s Sun and the Fox Mercury is conjunct Obama''s Mars so both see the other as a major irritant. The Fox News'' fanatical Uranus Neptune is conjunct Obama''s visionary Jupiter Saturn.
The Obama/Fox News relationship chart - which is extremely aggravated in its dynamics with a Saturn opp Mars Mercury - hints that if anything the war will hot up in 10/11 with tr Pluto trine the composite Mars as well as Mercury. Then tr Neptune is conjunct the composite Saturn in 11/12 which is very undermining, with paranoia and confusion affecting both sides.
Though it would have to be said that the Fox News chart tiself isn''t doing well come 10/11/12 with tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspecting their Saturn in Aries in 09/10, with tr Uranus conjunct Saturn in 11/12; and tr Saturn square Jupiter from late 10/11. And SArc Uranus opp Mars in 11/12. So their path ahead will not be easy as a corporate enterprise.
Bill O''Reilly, one of the lead conservative presenters on Fox is a Sun Virgo with his Pluto in Leo conjunct FoxN''s Mars and conjunct Obama''s Sun - so he and Fox spur each on to attack dog tactics (Mars Pluto) with the intent of bringing Obama under his control (Pluto Sun). His composite chart with Obama is ferociously difficult with a Pluto Mars Venus Sun conjunction which tr Neptune is undermining through 10/11. Though O''Reilly''s life will trun upside down as tr Saturn and Tr Pluto hit his Uranus in Cancer from Jan 10.
Glen Beck, who is the Sarah Palin clone (almost same birth chart) will slip and slide through 09/10 with tr Neptune opposing his Saturn (conjunct Sun Mars).
There are some who query the Obama Admin strategy in waging war on a media outlet. Bill Clinton when he was president said wisely: "Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel."

Sea The Stars - aiming for busy retirement From: Marjorie. (14 Oct 2009 11:36):
Sea the Stars, possibly the best flat racehorse ever has been retired to stud after a stunning year in which he won the Prix de l''Arc de Triomphe, the Derby, the Newmarket 2000 Guineas and three other Group One races.
As far as I can gather he was born on April 6 2006 (no time). He''s a Sun Aries widely trine Pluto in Sagittarius. Pluto also opposes a ferociously determined Mars in Gemini squaring onto Mercury. He has a money-attracting Jupiter in Scorpio in a lucky trine to Uranus possibly trine a Cancer Moon. So a real mix of Fire, powerful Pluto and luck.
His trainer John Oxx (14 July 1950) is a New Moon Cancer square Mars Neptune in Libra - so Sea the Stars'' Aries Sun completes his square into a winning T square. Both he an STheS share an Aries North Node. His relationship chart with STheS has an entrepreneurial Fire Grand Trine. The horse is reckoned to be worth 5 million euros (7.5 million dollars)a year at stud.
Jockey Mick Kinane (22 June 1959) who at 50 was on the verge of retiring hung around to land the greatest successes of his career this year on Sea the Stars. He is another Sun Cancer and shares a Jupiter in Scorpio with STheS. His relationship chart with STheS is much earthier with several planets in Taurus and a lucky Sun Uranus opposition Jupiter; with Jupiter in an exhilarating trine to Mars.

Jupiter in Aquarius versus Jupiter Uranus conjuctions From: KMS. (14 Oct 2009 07:00):
Hi Marjorie, thanks for this informative forum; I always keep a track of it. Someone mentioned here that Jupiter conjuncts Uranus 3 times in 2010. Could you please tell us which are these three times. I had read that Jupiter is in Aquarius thru 2009 till Jan 2010. And also that this brings hope along with some other aspects. So from around Dec 2009 gloom over the world economy will increase as the hopes will start diminishing & the reality will start showing up. Is this right? Thirdly I had read about T square happening in mid 2010 & this being not a good news economically. So 2010 being increasingly worse than 2009 from world recession point of view. Would like to know if Jupiter Uranus conjunctions in 2010 would still help to lessen the gloom in 2010 more than in 2009. Thanks again for all the info on this website.

to maggy and anyone else interested From: james. (14 Oct 2009 01:49):
maggy my impression of war is that it''s about making money or raping and pillaging someone else of theirs... my basic equation is this: war = money... i wish it was different... all the altruistic reasons are just a load of hooey as i see it.. as for liz cheney, she is quoted as saying something to the effect "..Americans think differently. For us, nothing less than full belief in "dominance," and the display of dominance regardless of circumstance, can be counted an acceptable interpretation of America’s role by an American leader." this is where obama falls down according to her!!! marjorie thanks for your ongoing comments and the latest one on trafigura... travesty would be a better company name, not to mention all those who helped facilitate them including clinton..

Obama according to Liz Cheney From: Maggy van Krimpen. (13 Oct 2009 19:21):
Kris, your question to Marjorie about Cheney''s daughter has been answered in full. However, I know there is a lot of dissent about Obama receiving the Nobel Peace prize, echoed in Liz Cheney''s grumble about his "radical involvement with other countries". My thoughts - especially after hearing today that an extra 13,000 troops from the US are going to Afghanistan - is that Obama is futiristic and practical to the nth degree. Diplomacy is the only way wars are ever resolved.....think of the lives saved, not to mention the huge amounts of money which could be chucked into the US health system, if these foreign wars were not so threatening to the world order. Obama has a long term strategy, but he is right in looking to the end - peace int he world (if ever at all possible) will ensure that countries'' finances are greatly boosted, the population better taken care of. He knows what he is doing, which is the point I think the Nobel group tried to emphasise when making the award.

Liz Cheney - Fire and Water - a boiling combo From: Marjorie. (13 Oct 2009 18:58):
Liz Cheney, eldest daughter of Dick, a trained lawyer with experience in Government is married with five children. She''s a Sun Leo like her mother with Venus Mars Jupiter in patriotic, family oriented Cancer. She has the rebellious Uranus Pluto in Virgo of the mid sixties very very widely opposition Saturn in late Pisces. Saturn is in a sensible trine to her Sun and Jupiter is in slightly vague, idealistic trine to Neptune. Her Sagittarian Moon is in difficult aspects either to Uranus Pluto or to Saturn or to all three suggesting a not easy emotional life.
She''s certainly very Watery and probably quite combustible with Mars in Cancer and so much Fire in her chart as well so she''ll tend to get quite worked up. Her Cancer planets do sit close to the USA Venus Jupiter Sun in Cancer which will bring some resonance. Though I''m not sure she sits that comfortably with the USA psyche. The relationship chart has a Sun Uranus Mercury square Neptune, trine Pluto - which could be an agent for change but could also just make her seen as a troublemaker and rather fanatical. There are certainly very aggravated feelings from Saturn opposition Mars Venus Jupiter. Interesting to see what happens when tr Pluto and tr Saturn hard aspect that composite Mars (1 Libra) in November 09. And tr Uranus opposes it in 2011 so it''ll be a fiery two or three years ahead.

Trafigura - toxic waste - and Parliamentary shenanigans From: Marjorie. (13 Oct 2009 14:44):
Trafigura, the company in the middle of the row over toxic waste dumped on the Ivory Coast in Africa was formed in the early 1990s by associates of Marc Rich. Rich was done for Iran sanctions-busting and tax evasion and then pardoned by Bill Clinton on his exit. Trafigura have also been named in the Oil for Food scandals in Iraq, and in a chemical waste explosion in Norway which did considerable environmental damage.
It was a private company incorporated 6 Aug 1992 and then changed its name 17 May 93. Not sure if these dates are sound. But both are fairly similar charts. The 1992 has a Leo Sun opposition Saturn square Pluto in Scorpio (and Moon) which is incredibly stubborn and controlling. The 1993 chart has a Taurus Sun in exact opposition to Pluto square Saturn in Aquarius - so again obstinate to the nth degree.
The 1993 chart has certainly a good deal going on with an undermining tr Neptune square the Sun and Pluto when the toxic waste compensation settlement was offered (and then rejected by those to whom it was offered). The SArc Mars is also square Sun and Pluto now and for months ahead - so generally frustrating road blocks appearing in Trafigura's path. Tr Neptune will conjunct Saturn in 2011 which will be deeply confusing and uncertain; and the SArc Mars is wending its way towards the opposition to Saturn by 2014 which is outright failure - so it''s not in for a happy, constructive time ahead. They''ll probably try to bluster on since there''s tr Pluto square Jupiter on both charts in 10/11 but that could push them into going a step too far which would backfire.
None of the executives have birth dates that I can find.
What Parliament or legal bigwigs were thinking about in banning publication of Parliamentary proceedings about it yesterday is beyond understanding.
John Wilkes (17 Oct 1725) the 18th Century English radical, journalist and politician had it set in stone that all Parliamentary proceedings were privileged. He was a feisty Sun Uranus in Scorpio square Mars in Leo so not a man to back down where citizens'' rights were at stake.
The chart of this year''s session of Parliament which opened on 12th October does have an angry, argumentative Moon Mars in the 7th; and a legalistic focus with Saturn in Virgo and Mercury Sun in Libra in the 9th. Maybe Saturn getting overly rigid being jolted by the Uranus opposition into a more Libran direction. Though the Saturn opposition Uranus does square onto a 12th house Pluto so there''ll be a fair amount of dirty dealing behind the scenes, more so than usual during this time ahead until the election. Plus of course Jupiter Neptune in the 2nd - vague, careless, evasive about money with the expenses row obscuring the start of proceedings.

Liz Cheney From: kris. (13 Oct 2009 14:18):
Liz Cheney (daughter of Dick, former VP of the USA)has gone on the attack against Barack Obama, citing (her words) his "rule" of the US as advocating "radical foreign policy" by his desire to negotiate with other countries. Disclaimer: I am a US citizen and voted wholeheartedly for Obama. Do you see that her attitude will take hold and disrupt the healing of the US that is so badly needed by our nation. Thank you for all your daily insights.

Toxic dumping exposed? From: Dakini. (13 Oct 2009 13:34):
Marjorie - do you know what''s ahead for the company Trafigura who are charged with dumping toxic waste on the Ivory Coast? Parliamentary questions have been asked about the case and there was a press embargo about covering Parliamentary questions on it, wich is an unprecendented censorship, just now being lifted - a worrying sign of lawyers impeding freedom of the press. Apparently thousands of people have suffered disfigurement and possibly death from the waste. Will Saturn into Libra help the scales of justice balance?

Jupiter Uranus - chinks in the clouds From: Marjorie. (13 Oct 2009 10:19):
Jupiter Uranus tends to bring lucky breaks, optimism, fortunate turns. So it''ll be an improvement on Jupiter Neptune this year which was all frothy hopes and then clunking disappointment. It''ll ease the pressures on the tr Saturn opp tr Uranus square tr Pluto. If you add Jupiter into a heavy mix it tends to make life a good deal better. Not a radical shift to everything suddenly transforming but certainly more bearable. There''ll be more silver linings around.

Bruce Forsyth and Wilnelia - a good partnership From: Marjorie. (13 Oct 2009 09:54):
Bruce Forsyth, the 81 year old UK television presenter of Strictly Dancing with a long successful career behind him of variety theatre and game shows is a New Moon in Pisces with his Sun opposition Neptune. He''s got a full 3rdhouse with Sun Moon Mercury Uranus Jupiter so he''s definitely got the gift of the gab. Uranus in the 3rd allows him to cope with a speedy schedule; Jupiter in Aries makes him confident if a touch over impulsive at times he what he says. He''s got a passionately enthusiastic Venus Mars in Capricorn in the 2nd widely opposition Pluto on the cusp of the 8th - so he''s money oriented and very very determined. His career could keep going for a while since his midheaven is late Libra and Saturn hasn''t even got there. Though with tr Pluto square his Uranus in 08/09 there are huge changes ongoing for him.
His third wife Wilnelia who is from Puerto Rico has a Sun Mars in Libra which sits at his midheaven so she''s very ambitious for him and does all she can to help his career. Her Pisces Moon is close to his Sun which is an excellent cross over since she''ll tune into his sensitivities and vice versa. Her Jupiter in Sagittarius is trine his Jupiter Uranus in Aries which is mutually morale boosting as well. Her charming but steely Venus Pluto in Virgo opposes his Sun Mercury Moon in Pisces so she''ll be good at getting her own way.
Bruce Forsyth 22 Feb 1928 3.30 am London

Heidi Klum - All Air From: Marjorie. (13 Oct 2009 09:43):
Heidi Klum, the German supermodel had a baby girl in LA last Friday around 1pm. HeidiK is very Airy with Sun, Moon, Saturn, Venus, Mercury in chatty, restless Gemini trine Jupiter in Aquarius trine Uranus in Libra (and Pluto in Libra). So she''s hugely Air sign dominated - cool, communicative - with only one Fire and one Water sign and no Earth. Her baby is Sun Libra which certainly fits the Airy theme. And if her husband singer Seal was born before 11 am he''s a Sun Aquarius. Otherwise he''s Pisces.
She had the baby with her SArc Jupiter conjunct her Mars in Pisces - Jupiter Mars was one of the old astrology signatures for birth since it gives high energy and joy.
The baby has a full 9th house of Venus, Saturn, Mercury in Virgo and Libra Sun so will be well travelled and probably well read. She''s got an extravagant and rather careless-with-money Jupiter Neptune in the 2nd - though arguably with that could also become an economist. The 3rrd house (scattered) Uranus is opposition Venus Saturn Mercury square a 6th house Moon so she''ll be highly strung, changeable emotionally with a short attention span, perhaps slightly delicate health-wise. Moon in the 6th and especially such an emphasised one will tend to soak in feelings and then somatise them. So aiming for maximum physical vitality is often as much to do with sorting out relationship or psychological issues as with anything too body-oriented.

Julius the Hobbit? From: Titus. (13 Oct 2009 07:51):
Dear Marjorie, I would like to set the record straight about my Welsh friend as I think I might have done him an injustice. He does have a sincere positive side to his nature. He is kindly and caring, affectionate and dotes on his grandchildren. I am fond of him because he has a terrific sense of humour and very good company. How can you dislike anybody who makes you laugh? We have shared many long and convoluted conversations about anything and everything. The last time we spoke he had been nagging me about not visiting him in his cottage in Snowdonia as promised. So he is not exactly a walking time-bomb of turbulent, suppressed anger - unless he feels threatened of course, or shown a lack of respect - THEN you had better head for the hills.

Jupiter-Uranus Conjunctions From: Kam. (12 Oct 2009 15:14):
Dear Marjorie: Many of us are reading this blog quietly and really appreciate the time and effort you are putting into this blog. There seems to be conjunction between Jupiter and Uranus in 2010, and three times. Any word on this please? Thanks.

Bruce Forsyth/Wilnelia Merced From: Julia. (12 Oct 2009 14:12):
Hello Marjorie. What is the chart like for Bruce Forsyth and his much younger former Miss World Puerto Rican wife Wilnelia Merced? Amazing site. Thanks.

Richard Goldstone - Gaza Report meets barrier From: Marjorie. (12 Oct 2009 11:26):
Richard Goldstone, the respected ex-South African Judge and prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda has found himself in the middle of a not unexpected furore over his recent Gaza report. He led an independent fact-finding mission created by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate international human rights and humanitarian law violations related to the Gaza War.
Goldstone is Jewish and has said much of his life''s work was motivated by the need to see justice over atrocities like the Holocaust but has found himself heavily criticised for his report which found: - "serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict, and that Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity." His report also found that there was evidence that "Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes, as well as possibly crimes against humanity, in their repeated launching of rockets and mortars into Southern Israel."
He is a Sun Scorpio - same degree as Hillary Clinton - with his Sun in a determined square to Pluto. As his report was published, tr Pluto was in a frustrating square to his Mars in Libra; with tr Saturn about to conjunct Mars as well with much the same result from the end of Oct 09. Nov/Dec will be edgy with tr Uranus opposition his Neptune. But at the same time tr Pluto is sextile his Sun so he may manage to make some headway.
He is an important relationship for Israel since his Sun falls in the Israel 1st house though with his Pluto in the Israel 10th close to the Israel Moon there will be tensions and struggles over who holds the higher ground. Goldstone''s Uranus is conjunct the Israel North Node in the Israel 7th so he''ll be seen as not in sync with Israel''s needs though he also has the potential for pushing them onto a better track.

Zardari Government - de-stabilising From: Marjorie. (12 Oct 2009 11:09):
The chart of the Zardari (Benazir Bhutto''s widower) Government of Pakistan has the tricky unstable Sun (Saturn) opp Uranus square Pluto - with Pluto being firmly blocked at the moment by a square from transitting Saturn, and that repeats till mid 2010. What''s worse tr Uranus will also square that overly controlling discontented Pluto right through 2010 which will skae it considerably.
Astrotheme has Asif Ali Zardari's birth date as 21 July 1956 and Wiki has him as 26 July. Anyone have any more info?

Julius Caesar Mark 11 From: Marjorie. (12 Oct 2009 11:00):
Titus, Your friend who is the Julius Caesar clone - same birthday perhas 1937/38 does have some similarities in his chart. Caesar was a Sun Cancer opp Saturn with Mars in Cancer sextile Pluto. Your friend is either a Sun Pluto in Cancer trine Mars in Scorpio (37) or a Sun Mars Pluto in Cancer square Saturn (38) - both of which are fairly formidable - and angry. Your friend sounds scarier than Caesar.

Roman Emperors 11 From: Marjorie. (12 Oct 2009 10:50):
Of the early Roman Emperors:
Julius Caesar set the scene as Rome turned from a Republic into an Empire. He was a great military strategist, won a civil war, was a populist.
''This was the noblest Roman of them all;
His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, ''This was a man!''(Shakespeare)
He was a Sun Cancer opposition Saturn (Uranus) in Capricorn square Neptune in Aries so was practical, hard working but also idealistic, a dreamer. And he was ruthless when necessary with Mars in Cancer sextile Pluto. ''Cry, ''Havoc!'' and let slip the dogs of war.'' (Shakespeare). Plus he was almost certainly even more superstitious than was normal for the time with such an emphasised Saturn square Neptune - ''Beware the Ides of March''. The Ides duly came and he was murdered.
Augustus who came next ruled at a time of relative peace, reformed taxation, rebuilt Rome, laid the foundations for the Empire that was to last for 100s of years. Described as intelligent, decisive, but not as charismatic as Caesar he was a Sun Virgo with his Sun in a square to reforming Uranus and idealistic Neptune. He also had a decidedly tough minded Mars Saturn North Node in Taurus sextile Uranus Neptune.
Then the infamous Tiberius, one of the greatest generals but known as dark, reclusive, sombre whose reign ended in terror as he sank into paranoia, tyranny, sexual perversity and vengefulness. He was a Sun Scorpio square Neptune. But what really drove him was a Cardinal Grand Square of the bleak Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto square Venus Uranus opposition Jupiter. Venus hard aspecting Uranus Pluto Saturn certainly sounds perverse. Mars in Leo was trine Jupiter and sextile Uranus as well as quincunx Saturn - confident and cruel. Not a man to meet on a dark night.
The unlikely Claudius was next, who was disabled or perhaps suffered from cerebral palsy and stammered. An able administrator he was a Sun Leo in a self doubting opposition to Saturn with an Air Grand Trine of Mars trine Uranus trine Neptune so he would be bookish.
Then Caligula who started moderate and ended up cruel, extravagant, perverse and probably insane. He did restore democratic elections and instituted political and public reforms as befits a good Sun Virgo. But his Mars in Leo was in an unpleasant square to Saturn in Scorpio. His Venus in Cancer was heavily aspected being square Pluto and sextile Jupiter and sextile Uranus. So his tastes would be varied and not all pleasant.
These charts also emphasise that 20/22 circa degree of Fixed signs - plus much Virgo and Cancer - and a surprising number even of the tougher ones had Sun square Neptune - so not as wimpy and impractical as is sometimes thought.

From: Frances. (12 Oct 2009 09:08):
Hello Marjorie ! Apologies for mis-spelling Mitterrand.
Parliament''s opening today, Monday 12 October. Already faced with the issue of politicians'' expenses, plus Mr Brown''s health issue, what can you tell us about what is in store for 2009/2010 sittings, please ? Thank you.

From: Jessica. (11 Oct 2009 20:17):
The nuttiness and dysfunction that would follow with later emperors was set with the first five! Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero! Feel bad for Claudius, but the rest were scary! Octavian/Augustus, the one that started it all, is fascinating. He was a complex figure and his personality had many conflicting facets. At once being a loyal friend, merciful leader, social and political reformer, loving father and uncle, but also showing a side that is ruthless, violent, cold and calculating, unforgiving even to his own blood.

Hail Caesar! From: Titus. (11 Oct 2009 16:25):
Thanks for all that detail on the Roman Emperors, Marjorie. Now here is a curious thing, but I have a pal who shares the same birthday as Julius Caesar, and looks exactly �" and I mean exactly the same as any bust or statue of Caesar that you could ever find. My friend happens to be Welsh (link with ancient Britain?) and speaks English as his second language. It has been said of Caesar that “He was every woman’s husband and every husband’s wife”. All I can add to that is that my friend is none too fussy and seeks his “comfort” wherever he can find it! He travels frequently to Thailand and disappears there for months at a time now he is long retired. I don’t know his exact age but I would guess he might be around 71 or 72 by now. I haven’t seen him for a couple of years or so, but from an astrological point of view I wonder if he shares any similarities with the great Julius? The last time I saw him he had been mugged coming out of a nightclub in the early hours. As is the usual thing in Britain these days he found himself accused of Grievous Bodily Harm by putting his assailant into a coma (There is no right of self defence in Britain today whatever the lawyers and politicians proclaim) by simply defending himself. He was so sick and disgusted by the way the police and the courts persecuted him that he left the country �" and I haven’t seen him since. Like Julius, he is intellectually gifted; short, skinny and wiry and amazingly energetic for a man of his years, and not the sort of man you would want to fall out with. Hail Caesar indeed!

THE IRISH REFERENDUM OUTCOME IS NULL AND VOID From: Charles. (11 Oct 2009 15:06):
Wow!!!! Uranus did his thing! http://www.worldreports.org/news/235_the_irish_referendum_outcome_is_n%20ull_and_void

Pakistan & Iran - surprises coming From: Marjorie. (11 Oct 2009 10:04):
Background: There is a great deal of cultural history between Iran and Pakistan. Trade between them has risen sharply in recent years including Iran producing electricity for Pakistan. Though there are tensions because of Iran''s close relationship with India, and Iran has been accused of sponsoring Shia militancy in Pakistan. 90% of Iranians are Shia whereas only 20% of Pakistanis are.
There are a few wobbles on the Iran/Pakistan relationship chart starting in late Oct 09 with tr Saturn opposition the composite Uranus which tr Uranus then is conjunct in 2010/11. So there will be a profound shift with some surprises to come especially into 2010. It will turn the relationship round completely. It doesn''t necessarily have to be violent but it will definitely bring a new perspective. Though given the huge upheaval Iran is going through from late 09 thro'' 10/11 that''s hardly surprising.
In general 2009/10 are times of reserve, suspicion, doubt between them though that''s more lacklustre than anything too unsettling.
Late 2010/11 have tr Saturn conjunct Venus and square Pluto which is definitely chilly. With tr Pluto and tr Uranus in hard aspect to Venus in 2011/12/13 which will intensify dislikes.

Joyce Carol Oates - Saturn bearing down From: Marjorie. (11 Oct 2009 08:59):
Joyce Carol Oates, is a prolific American writer (Blackwater, What I Lived For) having had 50 novels published, winning several awards. She writes on average two books a year. Often punted for the Nobel Prize for Literature she has never won it. The Nobel Literature choices over the years have been very Euro-centric.
She is a 4th house Sun Gemini square a 7th house Neptune so is communicative, creative and had a long and happy marriage with another literary type which makes good use of Neptune in the 7th which can be problematic about commitment. Her 12th house Capricorn Moon is in a passionate and possessive opposition to a 6th house Venus Pluto in Cancer - so arguably she pours the intensity of her feelings into her work. She has the inventive Neptune trine to a 3rd house Uranus so will also go her own way in her writing (Ur 3). Her Mars in Cancer is widely square a 2nd house Saturn in self reliant Aries, a hint of her poor upbringing. She has an optimistic Jupiter in Pisces conjunct her late Aquarius Ascendant.
This wasn''t going to be her year anyway with tr Saturn square her Sun and her Solar Arc Saturn conjunct her Sun - so fairly downbeat. She''s still recovering from the death of her husband in 2008 whom she married in 1961.

Stephen Gately - Boyzone - Pluto NNode From: Marjorie. (11 Oct 2009 08:39):
Stephen Gately one of the lead singers with the Irish Boyzone band has been found dead on holiday in Majorca aged 33. He was a Sun Pisces with a sensible though not always happy Saturn in Cancer; and an argumentative square from his Sun to Mars in Gemini so his childhood would have been fairly tough. Luckily his Mars was sextile an upbeat Jupiter in Aries which would help bounce him up.
There''s no birth time and death is never apparent anyway even with one. He did have tr Saturn exactly in opposition his Pisces Sun now and his Solar Arc Pluto exactly conjunct his Scorpio North Node which is a key turning point spiritually.
Ronan Keating the other lead singer of Boyzone has if anything a more strained chart. Another Sun Pisces his Sun is on the point of a Yod to a Saturn in Leo sextile Pluto in Libra; with an ''unkindly'' treated Mars in Aquarius opposition Saturn and push-or-be-pushed-around Mars trine Pluto. Sun on the point of a Yod tends to give the individual identity problems especially when young so they need to move to a new arena where their self confidence can flourish.

Pakistan From: Thomas. (10 Oct 2009 20:54):
How does the relationship between Iran and Pakistan look? Anything there? Just curious.