Kim Jong Un – The “Morning Star King” rules over North Korea

So North Korea has a new supreme leader in the form of young, inexperienced Kim Jong Un. Immediately astrologers around the world would have been scouring the internet for any information on when this young man was born. We do have a clue from his mother. In the BBC today, it is reported that his mother called him the “Morning Star King”. All reports have said that he was born on 8th of January in 1983 or 1984. Surely the morning star must have been either Mercury or Venus rising above the horizon at the time of his birth? Now in 1983 on 8th January, both these planets were well below the horizon line, but in 1984 Venus rose just after 05.00am and Mercury hit the horizon line at 07.00am. For sure then this lad must have been born in 1984, and for Venus to rise up high enough in the sky for it to be seen, it must have been between 06.30 and around 07.30am. So what time? He will have either a Sagittarian or Capricorn Ascendant and for someone propelled into a position of authority so quickly, a Capricorn ascendant seems far more likely. His demeanour seems very business like and serious (favouring Capricorn) and we have one other pointer, the colours he seems to favour. To my knowledge, he has only ever been seen, before and after his father’s death, in black attire which to me signifies Capricorn all day long.

Margaret Thatcher – The astrological link between the Iron Lady and Meryl Streep

Baroness Margaret Hilda Thatcher was a huge worldwide influential figure who whether you loved her or hated her, you just could not ignore. Her image, her style and even her voice has been magnificently replicated by actress Meryl Streep for the new film for 2012 “The Iron Lady”. I was looking away from the TV the other day when a trailer was shown, and the voice Meryl recreated sent shivers down my spine. Looking at the astrology, there is an obvious link between the two women; this was a role that Meryl was born to do.

Vaclav Havel – The peaceful revolutionary and a truly great man of our age.

This is a very, very emotional piece for me to write, as I count him as the most influential and greatest man (so far) that I have encountered in my life. I was living in the magical city of Prague at the time, and on 17th Nov 91, a freezing cold evening I remember, my girlfriend at the time spotted a small crowd of people walking up Wenceslas Square. Being inquisitive, we wandered over to see what was going on. It was Vaclav Havel and a few colleagues making their way to the top of the square. Of course this day was the 2nd anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution, and Havel was there to pay his respects. There was virtually no security, no announcement that he would make such a gesture and no fanfare. Here was the President of Czechoslovakia walking down the street like a normal citizen, with a wreath of flowers to lay at the statue, St Wenceslas on the square where the revolution had taken hold two years earlier. The act of remembrance, and the manner in the way he did it was typical of the man. After he laid down the flowers, my Czech girlfriend and I moved to the front of the throng of people and shook his hand. We said simply thank you, Mr President “děkuju Vám, pane Prezidente” and then he departed.

David Cameron & Nick Clegg – The honeymoon is over

Sorry that I haven’t been blogging so much recently. I have had a few other priorities in my life other than writing, as sometimes happens. This is going to be a short but interesting piece, especially I suspect for followers of the British political scene. The recent perceived disagreements between Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and his Liberal Democratic coalition partner Nick Clegg took a turn for the worse this week as Clegg (pro-European) failed to appear at the House of Commons in support of the Prime Minister after he failed to come to any agreement with European colleagues in Brussels at a summit where the future of the Euro and the make-up of the European Union were at stake. By leaving the negotiations, Britain has been left “on the side-lines” as the other EU members discuss closer economic union as a way of solving the crisis engulfing the continent.

Syria Protests – Pressure mounts on Assad as the Syrian crisis reaches the end game

Back on 22nd March I looked at Syria and I predicted that the end of this particular saga would come in December this year. Right on cue the Arab league, Jordan’s King Abdullah, the European Union  in the form of sanctions and harsh criticism from Turkey are all tightening the noose around the neck of President Assad of Syria. Violence has escalated in the past couple of weeks and finally there may be a resolution to the situation before too long. I am reposting what I wrote back in March and afterwards I will look in a bit more detail how the end may come.

Michael D Higgins – Ascending to the top later in life

From just across the water, I always keep my eye when I can on how Ireland are doing. In the recent elections for the Presidency, Michael Higgins came out of nowhere to sweep to victory. He is the 9th president of the Republic of Ireland and having discovered a birth time for him, I today look at his horoscope and also his Presidency chart as he was inaugurated at 12.30 on 11th November.

Angela Merkel – German Chancellor facing mounting criticism over EU bail out.

Angela Merkel is facing opposition in her own coalition in Germany after agreeing to bail out European member states in the continuing debt crisis. As the one economy which is bucking the trend of downturn and depression, Germany is facing the prospect of using it’s hard earned profits to help out it’s poorer and one would say badly governed neighbours in Southern Europe. It is a strategy that is not garnering support in the German nation.
She was born on 17th July 1954 in Hamburg, Germany at 17.45, a Sun sign Cancerian with a humanitarian Aquarian Moon and a outwardly looking Sagittarius Ascendant. The mix of Sun and Moon shows that Angela has a social conscience, her emotions go out to help people. She is an innovator, very security conscious and will protect her position and those who support her as much as possible. Angela will be very sensitive to the needs of other people & she will do whatever she can to foster good relations. As with all those with their Sun in water signs, if things don’t go the way she wants, she can get very moody as well.

There is much Aquarian influence over Angela. Her Sun is closely in contact with Uranus and the Moon is in Aquarius. You know looks can be deceiving. This lady is very much an individual, quite quirky, plus her instincts will encourage her to go out on a limb and stand her ground. The Sun and Uranus are a very stubborn combination in this regard, and it may get her into trouble if she decides on a course of action in disregard to others advising her. It is very interesting that the Sun and Uranus, as well as Pluto (associated with big business) and Venus (associated with social affairs and personal possessions) are all in the 8th house of other people’s money, and her current stance over the debt bail out is the one causing her trouble. With 4 planets in the 8th, interest in big business, investment & finances will have coloured her life. Uranus here always indicates someone who favours free market economics, Uranus does not like barriers. Angela’s relationships will be emotional, intense and stormy with both Pluto, Venus and Uranus in this house, although you won’t know it. The Cancer Sun and Scorpio influence (8th house and Pluto) will mean that both her husband and any problems will be kept strictly out of the public glare, firmly behind closed doors. Angela will also have a interest in scientific subjects, she studied physics at university and also more taboo subjects too like life after death, maybe astrology and the occult, and I am sure that she will be an inventive cook. Cancerians love their food and Uranus adds ideas and the need to experiment. 
The Sun and Uranus make a square to Neptune and the Midheaven. I always say that the Sun and it’s position show a picture of the father and with Angela’s chart it describes him perfectly. He was a Lutheran pastor, a man of the cloth. The link from Sun to Neptune (the spiritual planet) shows this clearly. The interesting part is that despite living in East Germany, he was allowed to preach in West Germany, travelling across the Iron Curtain border without hindrance. The conjunction of Uranus, the planet of freedom and humanitarianism connecting with both Sun and Neptune indicate the privilege he had. In Angela’s life this square highlights that she has a social ideal and dream that she wants to share through her work in service to others. Neptune is in Libra which if anything accentuates the community aspect of this. It is also conjunct to Saturn. Saturn is in Scorpio the 10th, a very heavyweight placing. Angela has a deep overriding desire to administrate, to control & to be in charge, to be a respected person of stature in the world. Neptune adds a preaching element to the mix and through to the Midheaven we have a connection to being at the top of the tree. A sneaky liking for being in the limelight is also given by Neptune being in the middle of the sandwich between Saturn and Midheaven. She will be very hard on herself and also on others around her. Letting go of that controlling tendency to allow other people to do their job, will always cause friction in her life and in her relationships.
Being a social servant of others is also shown by the Moon in Aquarius which is in the 2nd house of finance and personal possessions widely opposite to Pluto. Her emotions are cool on the outside and turbulent on the inside, as well as being fickle. Sometimes she will be passionate and involved, sometimes cold and uninterested. The connection to Pluto shows that on an emotional level, at least once in her life, she will ditch all her ties and start afresh, and it is known that she divorced her first husband Ulrich, and she then remarried. I can imagine there would have been a battle over finances in the split, Moon in the 2nd opposite Pluto in the 8th will fight for their own possessions and money with fierce determination.
That determined streak to win in any battle is shown by Mars trine to Pluto from the first house. Mars is in Sagittarius showing a wonderful pioneering spirit, a Sagittarian Ascendant needs a challenge to keep them going. There is a definite sense that she is someone with boundless energy, full of grand plans and big ideas; although she must also be careful not to promise more than she can deliver. Angela will get most offended if she is not listened to, and if her ideas and philosophies are rejected, then depression can set in. Mars is retrograde in her chart indicating that the energy she has is internally focused and will be turned in on herself, frustration may well be something that beats her up inside, rather than externally venting it on those around her.
Mars makes a tight quindecile to Jupiter and Mercury in the 7th house. Here is someone who will be aggressive and very quick off the mark in debate with others (7th house). She will love the cut and thrust of discussing theories, philosophies and policies and sharing them with the public. She will not mince her words with Mercury trine to Saturn; she will be a straight talker, getting down to the bare bones of an argument or discussion without any fuss. Her brain will work on a deep serious level and she will be able to handle complex problems and ideas in a thorough and methodical approach. Jupiter and Mercury often indicate a talent for teaching and this is one avenue she may well take up once she leaves politics following her mother. Jupiter and Mercury are in conjunction with the Nodal Axis (the maternal axis); Angela’s mother was a language teacher – Mercury accentuates communication and Jupiter shows the international nature of it. The Moon in the second (the other indicator of the mother) shows that she served the public.
Mercury through the trine to Saturn makes a grand mini trine to Venus in Virgo. She will be interested in and will appreciate beauty & fashion, but her own style will be in a straight-forward and unfussy manner, rather more functional than haute-couture.
Problems do look as if they are on the horizon for Angela on the work front. Looking at the transit chart first, the standout aspect I see is Saturn approaching a conjunction with Angela’s Midheaven at 17 Libra. This aspect which becomes exact in September is a double edged sword. Saturn hitting the zenith of a chart is a time when all the chickens come home to roost, everything that you have been preparing for workwise in the previous months and years comes to completion, with either good or devastating consequences. Looking to where Saturn and Capricorn is placed tells me that Angela during the first pass will lay down the law but in the process, her authority will be challenged (Saturn in 10th house) and as such her self worth will be hit (Capricorn on cusp of 2nd house). Saturn will then go on to conjunct with Neptune at 23 Libra and in the process square to her Sun/Uranus and sextile to Pluto; Saturn will finally return to this degree in May, June and July next year. This is a very depressing, downbeat, disintegrating type of influence that is connected with the finance problems which are surfacing now through the connection to the planets in the 8th house. By extended house rulership, the 2nd, 8th, 11th and 12th houses will be hit most  - self worth 2nd, other peoples money and big business 8th, party issues and alliances 11th, and a lack of personal control over things 12th. What happens to her at this time will be the result of other people’s decisions.

On the Solar Arc Charts, SA Pluto sits on Angela’s Midheaven which shows a transformation in progress of her public image. SA Neptune is also making a sextile with her Midheaven, putting a cloud over her authority. SA North Node and Ascendant are both quindecile Pluto showing her making a stance and putting her firmly in the public eye. Finally in one year’s time, as transiting Saturn completes it connection to Neptune, Sun and Uranus, SA Midheaven will conjunct her Ascendant. A time for appreciating one’s achievements, but also a time for moving on? I don’t think so, although after the latest set of transits her authority will be much weakened. Angela is one tough, tough cookie and will take some shifting, she won’t go without being pushed. However in 2013/14 as SA Venus starts to connect with Angela’s natal Saturn, the time of the next scheduled elections in Germany, I think she will either be voted or forced out. Libra rules her Midheaven and so any transit or progression to or from Venus will affect her position as Chancellor.

Benjamin Netanyahu – Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Whilst the world were straining their eyes on the Capitol building to see if the Americans would pass a budget for the next year, a important concession was rung out of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu by President Obama, namely for Israel to accept the 1967 borders as a starting point for peace negotiations with the Palestinians, although places where Jewish settlers were now occupying must also be taken into consideration. In Israeli terms, this is a seismic shift in policy, after in May Netanyahu flatly refused to accept such an idea and at home & it may have severe consequences for a leader under pressure from his own people.
Benjamin Netanyahu was born on 21st October 1949 in Tel Aviv, Israel at 09.30am. He is a double Libran with both Sun and Moon in the sign of the scales and he has, if the birth time is correct a Sagittarian Ascendant although right on the cusp, quite possibly he may have Scorpio rising if the birth time was a couple of minutes out. Libra is the sign of the diplomat, the negotiator, the one who wants an easy stress free life & Benjamin is very Libran in nature with 4 planets in the sign. Incidentally, you may not know, but wheeling and dealing is in the very fabric of Israeli consciousness too (not that you would have known it in the past few years), as Israel also has a Libran ascendant; one which conjuncts with Netanyahu’s Sun. They go together like peaches and cream. Libra does have one big fault though, not being able to make one’s mind up and wanting to keep people happy and it leads you to sit on the fence when a critical decision does have to be made.

To the chart. Netanyahu has his Sun, Moon and Neptune all in the 11th house in Libra surrounding the South Node and still in conjunction with them but in the 10th sits Mercury. It is funny and quite ironic that the 11th house is both the house of politicians and also of love received, politicians adore all the attention, don’t they? That’s why they get into the job. With such a focus on the 11th house, politics and committees were always going to be an avenue Netanyahu in life would have travelled down. Eleventh house people need appreciation and love shown to them, and in that Libran way he will be able to “bend” or sacrifice principles to get the peace and harmony he inwardly craves as well as position himself to vault himself up the political ladder. Netanyahu is somewhat of a yes man, certainly in regard to his dealings with others in positions of power. Now, this chart does have 6 planets in cardinal signs so Netanyahu will be a go ahead type. It leads me to believe that he will act despite the Libran inclination to prevaricate, but in order to keep others around him sweet and possible at the expense of other more pressing matters. Criticism in Israel of Netanyahu’s tenure as Prime Minister has been of his pre-occupation of keeping his coalition together, rather than forging ahead with new policies.
Sun, Moon, Neptune and Mercury is not only quite a gentle combination but also a slippery one too. This conjunction on this chart gives me the impression that Netanyahu goes very much on his instincts in negotiation and discussion, able to go with the flow. We have the influence of both water and air here, highly tuned in but also extremely flexible, so long as it is in the best interest of Netanyahu (and in turn through the connection of the two charts, the Israeli interest). Netanyahu knows his history, Moon and Mercury (especially in 10th) in conjunction always shows a deeply ingrained love of the past, and he should know what will and won’t be acceptable to his people.
I feel that this passionate love of the homeland and history would have been ingrained into Benjamin by his mother, especially because of the close link of the Moon to the South Node and thus Nodal axis. There would have been an inseparable bond between them. The Sun/Moon/Neptune Mercury stellium make a sextile out to Pluto and Mars in Leo in conjunction in the 9th house of faith, education, wisdom and internationalism. This is a very power driven combination, ruthless & determined to make one’s mark on the world. Netanyahu’s Jewish faith will be very close to his soul, and he will defend it with all his might; as faith and homeland are so intertwined, he would fight just as much for his country shown by Mars sextile to his Sun (conjunct Israeli Ascendant). He entered the Israeli army after leaving school and served in the special elite forces with distinction. With a strong accent on this chart on the 9th house, it is no surprise that a major part of Benjamin’s life was spent abroad, mainly in the US studying. Before he became Prime Minister, he served as a long time as Israeli foreign minister, and the international influence in his life also extended to his relationships as he was to married a British woman, the second of 3 marriages in his life so far. Gemini is on the cusp of the 7th house, so Benjamin was never going to be one who would be emotionally tied to just one woman in his life, Gemini is just too fickle for that, and Mercury ruling Gemini is in conjunction with Neptune, which is always searching for the ideal. This is backed up Venus in Sagittarius square to Saturn. Venus in Sagittarius wanders for love, is never settled, always wants more and is not afraid of taking the odd emotional risk. Along that road, Benjamin would have met a lot of setbacks and disappointments (Saturn) in his search for the ultimate love (remember back to the 11th house and his need for love).
We find Saturn in critical Virgo conjunct the Virgo Midheaven. The Virgo accent here clearly gives the message of serving others by administration. There is a hard critical edge to his work dealings, a penchant for order and correctness. I can imagine him to be a hard and severe task master to those below him. Saturn conjunct to the Midheaven is a statement of ambition to rise to the top of the tree, which he has done. The Saturn square to Venus I wrote of earlier leads us to the first house. There is obviously a very sociable side to Benjamin away from his work, although I feel that Saturn’s influence would get in the way of him being a true party animal. Venus in the first is very conscious of one’s personal appearance, and again rather than being casual and relaxed as you would expect a Venus in Sagittarius to be, I suspect that neat and tidy would be preferred Netanyahu’s style, coloured by that precise, just so Saturn. Venus in Sagittarius does hint at the idea of idealism, and that idealism in Benjamin flows out from Venus through aspects to Mercury and Neptune (political idealism, 11th), to Saturn and the Midheaven (idealism in his ambitions & position in society/work, 10th) and to Pluto (idealism of his strongly held beliefs and faith, 9th). you can see why he took the path in life he did.
The Sun and Moon square to Jupiter in the 2nd house of money. Here is a big spender who will like a lavish lifestyle, no expense will be spared in acquiring quality possessions. This is a generous man with a big, almost self inflated ego. The square hints to a cheerful, optimistic disposition who generally looks to the bight side in life, there’s always another opportunity around the corner. Jupiter in Capricorn is shrewd with money and here we see another link with his work career and Netanyahu served as Israeli finance minister. Uranus sits in the 8th house of big business and points to him being a big advocate of free market policy, Uranus never if fond of restrictions of any sort. Uranus squares back to Mercury giving him a quick thinking brain; he is an original thinker and will be a electric public speaker able to excite a crowd.
Uranus in the 8th house of change and death is a very dangerous position for it to be sitting, especially if one has a Pluto Mars conjunction as well. It certainly hints at a very up and down life, with big highs and lows, three marriages is an indication of the rollercoaster that Benjamin has lead. His brother Yonathan was killed in the forces while in military action (Aquarius ruled by Uranus is on the cusp of the 3rd house of brothers and sisters) and I get the feeling that Mr Netanyahu better be careful in the decisions he makes, there are a lot of enemies he could make whatever he decides on the Israel/Palestinian question, and nationally he is already in a weak situation.

Currently we are approaching one of those very nasty and potentially dangerous periods for his own political ambitions. Transiting Uranus is square Benjamin’s natal Uranus which is also being opposed by transiting Pluto. On 10th/11th August, Mars will conjunct Netanyahu’s Uranus at 5 Cancer and a few days later hit the July 1st eclipse degree of 9 Cancer, still in conjunction with that natal Uranus. Remember, Mars and Pluto are in conjunction in Benjamin’s chart so any Mars transit will be transformational. In this few days we have Uranus, Mars and Pluto all combining. Now Pluto is operating out of the second house of finance and natal Uranus is in the house of other people’s finance and possessions. Netanyahu at home is facing social protests (Uranus) over housing and social benefits (all 8th house and Uranian issues) and he has record low popularity ratings. Pluto’s rules Scorpio which rules the 12th house on this chart, so Netanyahu will feel helpless to stop the terminal decline he is facing. There could be worse to come as Mars connects up with natal Uranus and hits the eclipse degree. The fact that that eclipse hit Netanyahu in the 8th house of change close to natal Uranus could be a fatal hit. Transiting Saturn also shows a similar picture, as it is conjunct natal Neptune (showing weakness) and it will soon hit his 11th house Moon (depressing) and South Node (a spot on the chart which is always a fall position). By agreeing to this so called compromise with Obama, will the coalition in the Israeli Knesset stay together, or will his own Likud party members see this agreement as the last straw, and decide to distance themselves permanently from the embattled Israeli Prime Minister? The stars do not look helpful for him…

Hugo Chavez – Venezuelan President stepping out of the limelight to fight cancer

One of the giants of the Central and South American political scene, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is only making fleeting appearances now as he fights to a serious bout of colon cancer, although the Venezuelan authorities argue that he is making a full recovery. I look at a fascinating man and assess the health story looking at his current chart aspects.

Hugo Chavez was born into a relatively poor family on 28th July 1945 in Sabaneta, Venezuela at 04.00am. He entered the army, and disagreeing with the political system of the day was part of a coup to unseat the government. That attempt in 1992 failed and he was jailed, but after he was released he formed a new political party. In 1998 he swept to victory in national elections, and has been incumbent as President ever since.

Chavez has a proud, arrogant Leo Sun as well as a protective, security conscious Cancerian Moon and Ascendant. You can see the mix here all too well, the Leo Sun will exert all his energies to get to the top, as far as Hugo will see his rightful place to be, and then the Cancerian Moon and Ascendant will go to all costs to protect his position - Hugo will build in barriers around himself,  change laws, promote those around him who support him and erect levels of national security to make sure his position is safe. The Sun in the 2nd house reinforces this need for security, as well as an aptitude for finance, economics & trade. Hugo will place great emphasis on his own possessions and a comfortable lifestyle, indeed he may see the Presidency as his own possession too.

Alongside the Sun there is a stellium of planets in the 1st house. Here we find Jupiter, the Moon, Mercury and Uranus, all in Cancer. Make no bones about it, Hugo Chavez is one very smart guy. The Mercury in the first house within conjunction to his ascendant sees to this, however not only is Chavez intelligent, more pertinently he feels. Almost instinctively he will know the right course of action at the right time. The Moon in Cancer will sense the moment, emotionally he will be able to pick up the mood of the people, with Jupiter in Cancer he will be able to empathise with them. Mind you he will end up doing his own thing, the Moon in the first house is a very self-sufficient “gonna do things my way” position. He will then tell them all about  his plans, endlessly. Mercury in the first house does seem to like the sound of it’s own voice. It is a bit of a con-trick he pulls, sucking the people in to follow his revolutionary (Uranus) socialist ways. I say socialist, because the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury sextile onto social Venus. Jupiter and Mercury create the idea of a big scale ideal and Venus adds the social angle to it. Venus in the 3rd house likes harmony, beauty, a local environment in peace without disorder or inequality. We find Venus in Virgo which promotes devotion and service. You can see the socialist ideas running right through this set of sextiles.

Before I move on to the other planets, I want to focus on the Moon which is in very close conjunction to the South Node. This connection to the Nodal axis or paternal axis as I see it shows a very close connection to the person who mothered him and brought him up. Normally this would be the parental mother, however because of the size of the family (he had 6 brothers and sisters), he was brought up by his grandmother. The grandmother of a man can always be seen in the first house, and this is where this Moon and South Node were tenanted. She would have been an inspiration to him and someone he would return to again and again when he needed any advice. Incidentally if you were wondering, the grandmother of a woman can be found in the 7th house.

Uranus squares to Neptune in Libra in the 4th house which suggests that Hugo would always have been  a revolutionary with a social dream (Libra in this case providing the social element). Neptune conjuncts Saturn, the dreams is serious, ambitious and has the need to build a society and to administer it. The two conjunctions Uranus/Sun and Neptune/Saturn square each other and you can see the tense flow of energy between them. Squares always drive you onwards and upwards; as you overcome the obstacles along the way and make progress until you reach your goal. Once you are there however, you relax your guard and then of course the problems mount and it becomes harder and harder to stay at the top. Square aspects forever will challenge in new ways as the transiting and progressing planets circle around the chart and connecting and disconnecting to the natal aspect, sometimes favourably but sometimes not. Returning to Saturn/Neptune in the 4th house, we know the Chavez household would have been a strict one and also one with a conservative religious air, something that Hugo still believes in being stoutly Roman Catholic with Pisces (ruled by spiritual Neptune) on the cusp of his 9th house of faith.

There is one more aspect formation on this chart that I have not explored. Neptune sits at the point of a mini grand trine based around a powerful Pluto in Leo in the 2nd trine to retrograde Mars in Sagittarius the 6th house. Mars trine Pluto is an enormous store of pent up energy, based around control of money and possessions (remember I stated that Chavez will see the presidency as his possession) and his physical health and everyday work. Chavez joined the army, he would have seen it as an adventure (Sagittarius) and a way to exert all that energy. However soon as he rose up the ranks, he would have seen the opportunity to use the army to further his insatiable need to have control over money & possessions and also to fulfil his social dreams (Neptune). Mars through Aries rules his Midheaven, his work and public position and Pluto through Scorpio rules the speculative 5th house. Chavez was willing to gamble (5th) that his underground movement (Pluto) would eventually get him to the position he desired – leading Venezuela in a new socialist direction. Mars being retrograde in the 6th has one other effect. It will put a lot of stress on one’s health. Because the energy of Mars is working internally (this is the effect of retrograde planets) rather than outwardly, this will have the effect of loading huge stress on his psyche and in the 6th on his health. It sort has the same effect as those with lots of water in their charts, the effect to to internalize any problems, however with the water signs the effect is more emotional than physical.

Chavez has both, with 5 planets in water signs, so will appear amazing calm on the surface, however beneath the surface he will feel physically and emotionally tied in knots. Mars retrograde is more a planner and plotter rather than someone who takes direct action, waiting for the correct time to act; when it actually feels right to him. One with this placement will want to go it alone too, shunning the help of others unless it is absolutely necessary. With connections to debilitating Neptune and transforming Pluto, this Mars and Chavez’s health was very vulnerable. In medical astrology, the colon, focus of Hugo’s cancer battle, is ruled by Scorpio (Pluto) and to a lesser extent by Mars. The health problems he faces now were predicted in the natal mini grand trine at his birth.

Now looking at the present and future, immediately one can see that Hugo is facing huge pressure from transiting planets. Transiting Pluto is exactly opposite his ascendant at 6 Cancer. Pluto has been around this degree zone for a fair while and will not clear through until late next year. Pluto will force Chavez to change his life direction and is affecting the way the public see him through the opposition to the ascendant and square to his Midheaven. At his Midheaven we find transiting Uranus, often associated with a change of career status. Indeed the Solar eclipse on the 1st July with a cardinal cross at it’s formation impacted all 4 angles of Chavez’s chart. This will be a time when Chavez’s life takes on a new direction. By Solar Arc, SA Saturn has in the last 3 years has been conjunct to natal Mars, it is now 2 and a half degrees from being exact and separating away from conjunction. The damage however has already been done and Saturn would have weakened his energy (Mars) around that time (2008 to the present), his body not being able to fight any physical problems in a normal way.

I believe it should be time for him to focus on his battle with cancer and to step away from the Presidency. Of course, he won’t want to being so Cancerian and protective, however if I were his astrologer, I would be advising him to move aside. This is a battle in which he will need all his will and his energies in order to make some type of recovery.  

Links

5th March 2013 - Hugo Chavez president of Venezuela passes away

Barack Obama – Running for a second term in 2012, a look at the astrology of the President.

In a move that has surprised most political commentators, Barack Obama has firmly nailed his colours to the mast and has signalled his intention to run again for a second term as President of The United States. I look at Barack the man, why astrologically he has announced to run now and I look ahead to 6th November 2012, election day.

Barack was born on 4th August 1961 at 19.24 in Honolulu, Hawaii. A proud Leo Sun sign, he has a media savvy Gemini Moon and a cool yet sociable Aquarius ascendant. A quick look at the pattern of the chart shows most of the planets in the Western hemisphere; this is a man who thinks of other people before he thinks of himself and with 5 planets in fixed signs he is determined but a little stuck in his ways.

The Sun and Mercury sit in wide conjunction in showbiz Leo. All Leos love to be the centre of attention ( I should know as I am a Leo too) and Barack is no exception. He will be proud, individual and he will want to be the best he can be. Being at the top is natural for most Leo’s it’s the place they naturally believe they should be. Mercury in Leo makes Barack have strong opinions which he will express with gusto, he is a strong confident orator who will like to put on a show. In the sixth house this combination adds a great attention to detail in his day to day work, getting to grips with the smallest problem, Barack is an organizer supreme and quite a perfectionist. He will also be very conscious of his health and will a great fan of keeping fit and healthy and his vision to overhaul the US health system shows this.

Opposite Mercury is Saturn and Jupiter. As well as the small details, Barack will also be able to express the bigger picture and his communication will have a serious, hard-nosed edge with Saturn exceptionally strong in Capricorn. Woe betide anyone who crosses Barack, as he is one tough cookie who will show little mercy. He will have a stern temper with Saturn trine Mars and he has a great store of energy and controlled ambition pushing him to the top. Jupiter is in socially aware Aquarius thus Barack’s big vision and belief is being fair to all, not just those at the top. This is backed up with socially orientated Libra on the cusp of the 8th house of change and taxation. Where Saturn and Jupiter gives someone a balanced outlook, it sometimes holds you back. I often find people with this aspect cannot make up their mind or will go for the more conservative option rather than taking a risk or two. Barack’s catchphrase in the 2008 election was “Yes we can!!”, not “Yes we will!!”. Very Saturn Jupiter in that regard,  Barack will always find it rather easier to sit on the fence.
Saturn is retrograde as always this indicated that the love of the father was missing. As we know, his parents separated when he was just 3 years old. With a peregrine Uranus conjunct his North Node, his relationship with his mother was distant and cold. This Uranus will tend to dominate the chart and Obama’s demeanour is strangely similar, kind, sympathetic but with a cool edge. His path in life will be to be very socially aware, a humanitarian and setting a radical agenda.

Those cool emotions are also shown by the Moon in restless Gemini. He will be very aware of “the message”, always wanting to be informed and aware of the latest news. He will also want to control the message and it’s content with the Moon square Pluto in critical Virgo. His family and especially his children will be very dear to him and he will want to keep their upbringing very much in a secure and private environment, shown by the Moon sitting in the fourth house.

Next door in the fifth house we see Venus. This is a very romantic, gentle Venus being trine to Neptune. A lover of romance, he will appreciate the love of his wife Michelle, be a bit of a dreamer and may have artistic or creative flair. For sure Barack will be a big sports fan and appreciative of competition. Neptune in the ninth shows an appreciation of all type of faith, no matter how unusual. It also shows that his education was very confused and disrupted. Interestingly Neptune is square the Sun, here is a possibility for using drugs and or alcohol to escape from reality and the difficult aspects of his life.

Finally I look at the 7th house of partners and marriage. Here we find Pluto, Mars and that peregrine (not connected to any other planet by major aspect) Uranus. I wonder about this combination. Sure he will be attracted to strong feisty and controlling women with Mars and Pluto here, and Michelle is certainly that, but he will also be very irritable man to live with as he is such a perfectionist (Mars in Virgo). That stand alone Uranus here in the 7th tends to say to me that the relationship with his wife may be a bit cooler than we think. Pluto suggests that through marriage Barack’s life was transformed, however in the future, this same Pluto through a malefic transit could also herald a further change of perspective in the direction of his life. We shall see.

So why did Obama move now to get his Presidential campaign running so early. Well transiting Saturn is sextile his natal Sun so a good time to show his authority and express his desire to progress further. Also transiting Mars and Uranus are trine Mercury and sextile Uranus so he felt in essence he was feeling lucky and confident to push his message and shock people with the timing. Transiting Pluto is also trine natal Pluto and with Scorpio on his Midheaven showing he needed ultimate control in his work (being President), this was a time to try to strengthen that tight grip on the reigns of power. Scorpio and Pluto are relentless in their pursuit of such things.

To look at my updated assessment of how Barack Obama will do in 2012 against Mitt Romney please click on the following link…

Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney – Who does astrology say will win the 2012 US Election?

Update 28th April 2011 – Birth Certificate

President Obama’s birth certificate was published by the White House today to allay fears by some Republicans, in Particular Donald Trump that he was actually born outside the US. The situation astrologically was caused by Neptune in the past couple of months being square to Barack’s natal Midheaven. Neptune has been transiting through Barack’s first house of personal identity causing confusion (Neptune) about his public position (Midheaven). Obama shocked people with this act and looking at the chart, transiting Uranus is trine to his natal Mercury and his Midheaven bringing unexpected (Uranus) news (Mercury) about his right to do his job (Midheaven). By looking at extended house rulership, Uranus rules the chart and his projection to the world with Aquarius on his ascendant. Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo which on the 5th and 8th house cusps. This was a carefully assessed risk (5th house) to expose his origins (1st house) in order to change other peoples views (8th house).

Other Links on Solaris Astrology

Barack Obama and the state of the planets in January 2012