Britney Spears – Freedom On The Way? (Update)

Tomorrow the case against the conservatorship of Britney Spears returns to court. As you will be aware, last time the judge ordered that Britney's financial situation (she is worth $50 million) should be administered jointly by her father and a body that Britney approved, the Bessemer Trust. This ruling went against Britney, who wanted to get her father completely removed from control over her financial position. Instead, the judge put in place a compromise, and unsurprising considering the fortune that Britney sits on. The Bessemer Trust has since asked to be removed from the responsibility, leaving her father still in sole control, and so this will continue to be something that she has to contend with. Remember natally, Pluto, the planet of control sits square to her Venus (the planet of money) within her 2nd house of personal finances next to Saturn, so this lock on her money will take a lot of shifting.

Britney Spears – Freedom on the way?

In an empassioned plea to the court, Britney Spears yesterday stated her case to be released from a conservatorship that she has been living under for the past 13 years. She has been effectively controlled by her father because she was judged to be unable to look after herself in the past. Now she has gone to court to get those impositions revoked.

Sinead O'Connor converts to Islam – an astrological study of a most fascinating individual.

This is an interesting case study in looking why someone would change their mode of belief, and what aspects are at work in her chart to encourage it. Sinead is a Sun Sagittarius, born on 8th December 1966 in Dublin, Ireland indeed she is a double Sagittarian with her Ascendant in that sign too. Her Moon is in the sign of balance and indecision, Libra.

Emmanuel Macron – The President the French will not really love?

 

As I sometimes do I have taken a step back from the French election since the result on Sunday evening to let the dust settle, to fully take in what happened and to gather my thoughts. What Emmanuel Macron achieved at the tender age of 39 years in setting up his own party just one year ago and then to take on and beat the Socialists, the Republicans, the Nationalists and the whole French establishment was truly remarkable. He becomes the country's youngest ever leader, and I'd bet the enormity of what he has achieved hasn't quite sunk in yet. When he takes the oath of office next Monday, then I am sure it will do. And yet as an Astrologer I am fascinated with his natal chart against that of the country he leads, because very unusually there doesn't seem to be any link or even love between his chart, and the French people.

Brad Pitt - Coming clean about his troubled past

 

The actor Brad Pitt has come out into the media and expressed the fact that he has been going through a tough time with drink and drugs, and now he has undergone therapy to combat this scourge on his life that helped destroy his marriage with Angelina Jolie.

Jane Fonda - "I suffered rape and sexual abuse as a child"

 

Jane Fonda has opened to the press out about some very personal and hurtful memories today and kudos too her for doing so, it's such a brave thing to admit to, and she will probably feel better and more relieved for it.

Billy Connolly – Health concerns for the prince of Scottish comedy.

At the start of this year I met comedian and actor Billy Connolly very briefly at Heathrow Airport. I remember it being a freezing day in London and I remarked that if it was cold in London, the it must have been like the arctic circle in Scotland where Billy had just flown from. He looked at me disdainfully and quick as a flash in his broad Glaswegian accent he growled “How dare you!!”. I had just insulted his beloved Scottish nation and he didn’t want me to get away with it. Everyone around us laughed hysterically. Had he known I was also an Astrologer too, he would probably ripped me to pieces even more, but I wouldn’t have minded. A brief moment of banter with one of the funniest men alive. I was very much saddened today to hear that Billy has had a very recent operation for prostrate cancer, and he also has the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.

Pope Francis I – The astrology of the first Pope from the Americas.

As I began writing this article, on the TV behind me Pope Francis I was being officially confirmed in his position at his inauguration Mass in St Peter’s Square in Rome, he received the Fisherman’s ring the sign of his authority over the Roman Catholic Church and his reign as Pope began. I have to confess that Jorge Bergoglio was not a name on my radar when I was considering who might take the reigns at the Vatican, and I am guessing he was hardly considered by anyone, except the most important people at the conclave which elected him, the 115 cardinals who were eligible to vote.

Brad Pitt – Preparing to walk down the aisle again?

Brad Pitt is, according to many reports across tinsel town, finally preparing to marry Angelina Jolie. The long awaited decision to make their relationship “official” comes after a lot of pressure and probably earache from his children who allegedly have been asking him for a long time now to become their father. The superstar couple have been going out together since they starred alongside each other in the film Mr & Mrs Smith.

James Eagan Holmes – The astrology of the Aurora shooter.

Ok, details of this guy are a little sketchy but lets have a look at what we have and see if it pulls together. James Eagan Holmes is being held for the murder of 12 people and wounding of several more at the Aurora cinema (movie theatre) which was showing the latest Batman film, “the Dark Knight Rises”. He is now responsible for the worst mass shooting since the Virginia Tech massacre when there were 32 victims in April 2007, and this tragedy occurred very close to Columbine, which occurred in April 99 also in the state of Colorado in the United States.

Yulia Tymoshenko – Being held behind bars but still defiant.

Sometimes you just need to look into the eyes of a person in a picture and you immediately know what they are all about. Look into the eyes of Yulia Tymoshenko, and you see one determined lady. Yulia, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine and one of the leaders of the Orange revolution in Ukraine back in 2004, was rather controversially thrown into jail for brokering an alleged bad deal for her country during her second term in office via an agreement with Russia over the provision of gas supplies. Seeing that Ukraine often shivers under sub-zero temperatures in harsh winters and in 2009 Russia had previously turned off the taps for 13 days, I suspect Tymoshenko's hands were somewhat tied when agreeing to a deal to preserve Ukraine’s gas supply. Her story has hit the headlines as she has been suffering severe back problems, made worse by being allegedly punched by prison guards as she was being taken for medical treatment. In response, she has gone on hunger strike and on finding out her plight, several European countries including Germany have boycotted an international summit which was to be held in Yalta, and the European Football championships which are taking place in Poland & Ukraine this summer may yet be affected too. Yes, the treatment of Yulia is bad and should be condemned, but Yulia herself is no angel as the astrology shows.

Steven Spielberg – A lifetime making movies

Another year, another Spielberg blockbuster. The film maestro was in London this week for the premiere of “War Horse” his latest epic set in the UK and Europe depicting a story of a boy and his horse (Joey) at the time of World War One. From Jaws, to ET, the spellbinding Schindler’s List to Saving Private Ryan, Steven has struck gold on the silver screen many, many times, and is now one of the most powerful men in the film industry.

Ridley Scott - A look at the horoscope of one of the great film directors of our time.

Gritty, serious, talented. Ridley Scott has been responsible for some of the biggest box office films of our age, Blade Runner, Alien, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down & American Gangster. Sure, he has one or two less successful films, but then again, tell me a director who hasn’t? It is rumoured that he will be making another Blade Runner film to follow up the 1982 masterpiece which starred Harrison Ford. A good enough reason for me to dip into the mind and motivations of one of Britain’s foremost filmmakers.

Ridley was born on 30th November 1937 in South Shields, England. As yet I do not have a birth time which is a shame. If anyone does know Ridley’s time of birth, please could you let me know and I will add to the article. He is a Sun sign Sagittarius which unusually is peregrine. Unconnected to any other planet. Luckily the Moon was in Scorpio all day on the 30th so we have a confirmed sign for it. The Sagittarius Sun dominates this chart. It gives a wide expansive look on life, as if there are no boundaries. Ridley would have a thirst for knowledge, and a need for space, Sagittarians can suffer horribly from claustrophobia. Alien I think deals with Ridley’s Sagittarian fear of claustrophobia,  being cooped up in a spaceship unable to escape & being hunted by an unknown, dangerous enemy. Out of all the signs, Sagittarians need a constant challenge, they need to be doing something, testing themselves. That is one of the reasons why at age 73, Ridley is still making and planning films. He won’t stop, until he drops.

The Sun is in conjunction to the North Node, a direct sign that Ridley was very close to his mother. The reason can be seen by the fact that Saturn is retrograde. Saturn retrograde always says that the love of the father was missing in some way. In Ridley’s case, his father was in the army, and thus away on duty for much of his upbringing. That Saturn is crucial to the whole chart. Through this one planet we see Ridley’s motivations permeating throughout his life. It connects to every planet on the chart except Pluto. Saturn’s primary function is to administrate, but in Pisces it can also reduce the self-confidence. As a boy, Ridley would have been very shy and inhibited, he would have worried about his role in life, but as you get older, your confidence increases. Saturn has a galvanising effect over time, honing the skills you do have so that you can use them when you are ready. The skill Ridley had in abundance was great imagination. Pisces is ruled by Neptune, the planet ruling dreams, inspiration, vision, creativity, films and filmmaking. After graduating in Art studies, working in set design with the BBC, he set up a film company in 1968, started filming TV commercials and finally directed his first feature film, the Duellists in 1977 at age 40. Sometimes Saturn makes you wait…

Mars is semi-square to Saturn, he will get a bit irritable if he can’t get his way on things, but it does give him a purposeful attitude to his work. Mars is in Aquarius, so he is socially aware and able to work with people – he is very much a team player. He will be innovative in the way he works, using new techniques to forward his career. Mars in Aquarius is erratic though, so sometimes he will be nice as pie, and sometimes a real handful, impatient and rebellious.

Saturn is sextile to Jupiter (which is personalised through the Sun) – this gives stamina and the ability to see projects through from the start through to completion, this is a lovely positive and realistic sextile which will give him a good reputation. Jupiter is in Capricorn, giving him stability and a wonderful work ethic. Ridley is not one of those people who will think he his higher than anyone else. If a menial job needs to be done, he will do it. He will have no airs or graces, he is down to earth just like the tough North East of England background he hailed from.

Saturn makes a square to Mercury in Sagittarius and an opposition to Neptune in Virgo forming a powerful t-square. This is a mutable t-square, and this type of configuration seems to effect the mental processes. At the point of the t-square is the planet ruling the mind, Mercury. The Astrologer Bill Tierney wrote that this type of formation is like a windmill in a gale, and you can see the ideas and images in Ridley’s mind whirring around at high speed. This is the formation that drives his creative processes. Saturn in Pisces as I have already explained, Neptune in Virgo adds the detail, perfection and skill to the filmmaking process, he will have an eye for detail, the visions (Neptune) he sees in his mind (Mercury) will be painstakingly transferred into solid form (Saturn) and then communicated (Mercury) around the globe to a wide audience (Sagittarius). Here we have the Sagittarian influence again. Ridley is known for epic blockbusters of wide scope. Neptune makes a mini grand trine with Jupiter and Venus. Here Ridley has a love of beauty, creativity, colour, mysticism, idealism, a generosity of spirit and a compassionate nature.

Saturn makes a trine with Venus in deep dark Scorpio. Have you noticed how the women in Ridley’s films are often strong of character? Venus in Scorpio is the answer – controlling, powerful, sexual, manipulative, confident in their own abilities. Think of Sigourney Weaver in Alien, or Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise. Ridley will not be into superficial relationships. He will be very cautious about giving his heart away, but once he does find the right partner, he will be true to them. Ridley will not be overly romantic, rather simple in his tastes and humble in his desires. Strength of character to him would be far more important than sheer looks.

Saturn makes a trine to Pluto in Leo and with Pluto making an opposition back to Jupiter, this makes a wedge formation with Saturn at the point. This is a very fortunate combination. It gives determination, wisdom, ambition, the potential for huge success and the chance for making a huge impact on society, something that Ridley hag grabbed with both hands. From a difficult childhood from a deprived part of the UK, he has risen to become universally known. Pluto also connects with Mars via a quindecile. This is very aggressive focused aspect and very transformational in nature. Many of Ridley’s films have dealt with death and destruction, or military subjects – very much associated with these planets. GI Jane featuring Demi Moore featured  the idea of the first female to undergo US Navy Seals training. Again the strong woman appears in Ridley’s creations. Black Hawk Down was very dark and violent, and Body of Lies starring Leonardo DiCaprio dealt with the CIA and jihadist terrorists.

The final formation on this chart is another t-square between Uranus in Taurus, the Moon in Scorpio and Mars in Aquarius at the point. The Moon in Scorpio is very deep and dark. Ridley will be quiet, secretive, rather reticent to let his emotions show, giving him a rather dour edge to his personality. Under the skin the emotions bubble; however once the temper comes out, it comes out in a rage. This is a volcano like combination of planets, unpredictable, erratic and possibly violent. The Moon in Scorpio need to delve under the skin of everything going on, Ridley will want to know everything about everything. He will be prone to jealousy and he will not accept laziness by anyone working with him – he will be a rather hard taskmaster. Uranus in Taurus shows the creation and use of new technologies in society; this is one of the themes in Blade Runner. This is a very restless and impulsive t-square and with the accent on Uranus and Aquarius here, you can see the attraction of science fiction and times in the future beyond our imaginations. Alien and Blade Runner depict all of the aspects on this t-square, dark design, austere sets, violence, action films set in futuristic worlds.

Ridley Scott would always struggle to make small, intimate films about subtle emotions. It is not his style and the expansive Sagittarian influence on this chart pushes him to be bigger and better, grand in scale and grand in budget. Sometimes we need someone who can see the big picture for what it is. Certainly when it comes to war & action movies, to science fiction and imagination on a wide scale, few directors these days come close.

Jane Austen – An astrological appraisal of one of Britain’s greatest female novelists.

A rare manuscript “The Watsons” written by Jane Austen yesterday went under the hammer and was sold at auction for nearly £1,000,000 to the Bodleian Library in Oxford. This keeps the unfinished and previously “lost” work in the UK. Jane was responsible for writing classic novels like Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility & Mansfield Park.

Jane Austen was born on 16th December 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire in England at 23.45. She was an optimistic Sagittarius with a social Libran Moon and a perfectionist Virgo Ascendant. The Sun Moon combination is wonderfully open and fun loving, this is a lady who would have loved a party or a social occasion, mixing with people, chatting dancing and having a good time. It also has an out reach and a knowledge of what the people would want. However, Jane was never to be married, and never enjoyed the success that her books have eventually received. The reasons I will explain below.

The Sun sits quietly in the 4th house so Jane her home was her workplace, and what went on there she would keep secluded to the outside world. What did go on inside the Austen household? With Pluto and Mars in the 4th as well, one can assume that there were many arguments, tantrums, even cruelty. Mars square Moon suggest that Jane would have had a fierce temper and would fight back if provoked.  Mars & Pluto are in conjunction and suggest that her home would have been a competitive battlefield & more than likely was an upsetting place to be. With Saturn conjunct to the Moon, there seems little doubt to me that the main heart of the problems would have been caused with her relationship with her mother. This combination always shows that the mother rules with a rod of iron. This is compounded as the Saturn Moon conjunction is square to the Mars Pluto one. You can see the repressive hold of this upsetting square aspect and imagine the fights between mother & daughter that would have ensued. Jane’s life at home would not have been a happy one and her emotional life would have caused her pain too. The Saturn Moon conjunction is very difficult as the emotions are very suppressed and one finds it difficult to get into relationships, let alone deal with the disappointments in love which often happen as a result of this aspect. Remember as well that Jane has a Virgo ascendant which is nervous, worries about what other people think of you, is careful, cautious and self-critical. She only ever had one marriage proposal in her life and she turned it down, she led a single life from then on.

Despite the difficulty of this square, there were plus points within it too. Saturn Moon/ Mars Pluto holds a huge amount of talent, drive, emotion, determination and ambition (Mars Pluto in Capricorn). Putting this all together, (Astrology is like putting the pieces of a jigsaw together), we have an outgoing lady (Sagittarius/Libra) held back by nervousness, worry, emotional shyness and a home-life which would have been like living in a prison, with a powerhouse of emotions and ambition bubbling under the surface. The Moon in the first house shows that despite being a gentle and compassionate person, Jane would take her own route to success and would have been fiercely determined to do her own thing. All this potential in Jane desperately needed an outlet.

The square I  talk about forms a rare Thor’s hammer formation with the Saturn Mars aspect forming the base. At the point via two sesiquadrate (135 degree) aspects is Uranus in Gemini which is part of an opposition to Mercury in Sagittarius. A Thor’s hammer needs that square energy translated into a creative form for it not to be a totally destructive influence on the persona. That creative outlet which was to propel Jane to international fame was communication through writing. Not only do we in this opposition have a huge Mercury effect – 3rd house Mercury, Uranus in Gemini ruled by Mercury but we have a huge 9th house influence too as Mercury is in Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter and Uranus is in Jupiter’s 9th house of wisdom and internationalism as well as Jupiter sitting here natally too, also in Gemini. Uranus in Gemini/Mercury in Sagittarius shows a far reaching intelligence, it is inquisitive, especially of far off places, wise, curious, progressive and creative. It shows that this lady would touch people all around the world with her talents. The Midheaven showing her work path and public reputation is ruled by Gemini, and of course the Ascendant in Virgo is ruled by Mercury. Last but not least, Mercury makes a obsessive and very focused quindecile to the Midheaven. Everything in this chart says writing, creation, stories, poetry, plays; you name it, Jane would have had a passion for it.

There are two planets I have not touched on yet. Neptune sits on the ascendant and squares to the Sun forming a t-square with that Gemini Midheaven. Neptune trines to Pluto and Mars which gave her great charisma and artistic talent; through it she had a wonderful, inspirational, imagination. Neptune on the Ascendant also hints at escapism. Writing was the escape from all the heartbreak she suffered elsewhere in her life. Interestingly, Jane Austen never was accredited as an author in her day and all the books, poems and plays she wrote were written anonymously. Neptune acts here as a veil, hiding her public image. Her father (represented by the Sun), with whom she would have had a much better relationship than with her mother, helped her in trying to get her manuscripts into the public domain, shown by the close opposition to her Midheaven.

The other planet to mention is Venus. Venus in deep and dark Scorpio sits in the 2nd house of self worth, money, finance and personal possessions. Venus is also peregrine, not connected to any other planets by major aspect and is immensely powerful here. This is a incredible store of deep emotion, of intrigue and desire for relationships, love, harmony and an impassioned interest in women and women’s issues. Women and their relationships, sexual exploitation, scandals and their quest for possessions feature heavily in all Jane’s novels, all influenced by that compulsive Scorpio influence. Why didn’t these desires come out in Jane’s novels rather than in her own life? Because Saturn was also sitting in this second house of self worth as a blocking element. Jane would never have felt lovable, so through her writing all the passionate emotions she couldn’t let out, all the fantasies she wanted to experience but felt unable to face up to herself, came out through the pen in her hand. 

Venus in the 2nd house also brings a huge desire for money and it is not surprising that she became a professional writer to fulfil this desire for wealth. Unfortunately that annoying Saturn would have got in the way again. A 2nd house Saturn always means that you will be short of money in your life, and you will struggle for resources and you will have to put in hard work before they come. Saturn also is the planet that represents time. A trine to the Midheaven from Saturn effectively held up her career too, and so it was  a long time after her death and the hard graft that Jane had put into her books that success finally came. It is tragic that Jane Austen never saw and accepted the acclaim that her novels now receive, but I am sure that she would have been proud that her work eventually touched millions of readers across the globe.

The Murdoch family, News Corporation and a father and son relationship under great strain.

Today I continue to look at the characters and events involved in the UK phone hacking scandal. This time on the hit list is James Murdoch the 4th son of billionaire and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Rupert himself and his company News Corporation.

I have been through the outline of the scandal rocking the UK in previous posts, however the net goes out further than the cessation of the News of the World newspaper and the arrest of the aide of David Cameron. Central to the whole situation is the management of the UK arm of the worldwide media empire owned by Rupert Murdoch through his companies News International and News Corporation, the former of which is run by Rupert’s son, James.

Rupert Murdoch was himself the son of a wealthy Newspaper magnate in Melbourne, Australia. Born in Melbourne on 11th March 1931 at 23.55, Murdoch is an elusive Sun Sign Pisces with a pioneering Sagittarius Moon and a hard nosed Capricorn Ascendant. The Pisces Sun is tightly conjunct to Mercury at the point of a wedge formation with Saturn in Capricorn opposing a Pluto and Jupiter conjunction in Cancer. This is a hugely powerful wedge. Murdoch will see things his way (Sun/Mercury), has huge money making acumen (Pluto/Jupiter) and incredible drive and ambition to run things (Saturn opposite Pluto). He will be stern and uncompromising in his pursuit of success (Saturn in Capricorn in 1st house) and of course with Mercury and the Sun in Pisces, no surprise his business is based around creative media (TV ruled by Neptune) and the press (ruled by Mercury).  Murdoch is shrewd and a good strategist, and because Mercury is in Pisces he will “feel” what course of action to take to improve his position. He is private, hard to track down, studious (Sun/Mercury in 4th/ Mercury square Pluto) and very elusive, unless of course he has a desire to meet you. People work around Rupert’s schedule, not the other way around.

The Sun makes a quindecile to Neptune in the international 9th house, so this business is focused on having a wide reach all over the world. Pluto in the 7th will bring Murdoch to have powerful connections and contacts, however friends in high places can also turn into ruthless and nasty enemies if trust is breached. Remember in the stratospheric level that Murdoch networks in, his peers are and can be as ruthless and nasty as he can be. Saturn/Pluto oppositions can bring unimaginable success, but also catastrophic falls from grace when the opposition is activated. This one connects the first and seventh houses, dealings with powerful foes (Pluto in 7th in the house of open enemies) can bring hard lessons to be learned on a personal level (Saturn in 1st). Pluto conjuncts with Mars in the 8th house and this Mars also opposes to Saturn. When Rupert wants something, he will get it, no too ways about it. Through this opposition he will have incredible determination and willpower, but sometimes he will be too rash and impulsive and this will cause a setback. Not that it will deter Murdoch for long, he keeps on going, because he is unable to stop. The reason? He is obsessed by acquiring money and possessions. Venus sits peregrine in the 2nd house of finance. Not aspecting with any other planet, it’s effect will be very strong, especially emanating out of the 2nd. Murdoch’s attitude to women will be hot and cold with Venus in Aquarius, committed one minute then suddenly losing interest. Uranus in the 4th house suggest his home life would be disruptive and it is borne out in the fact that he is already onto his 3rd wife, 42 year old Wendi Deng who is 37 years his junior.

Now, Murdoch has bowed to British public and parliamentary pressure and cancelled his bid by News Corporation to fully buy out British Satellite Broadcaster BSkyB run by his son James who has ben embroiled in the middle of the scandal rocking the British media. How will he react with regard to his son and will he even consider pulling out of the UK media market completely? My feeling is that he will play for time, cutting out anybody who will damage the long term viability of his businesses in the UK rather than pulling out of the market completely. The 8th house of big business and change is not highlighted in the transits or Solar Arc charts, which is something I would expect to see if he was planning this course of action.

Putting the transits of the day against Murdoch’s chart is however interesting and accurately describes the situation Rupert finds himself in. Transiting Saturn is opposing natal Uranus and square to natal Jupiter. Saturn is operating out of the 10th house, so his work practices are being restricted because of family problems (Uranus in 4th house) and these restrictions are being brought about through open enemies, in this case the public and UK Parliament (7th house). Looking at how these restrictions will manifest themselves, Capricorn (Saturn) sits on the ascendant so Rupert the person or his personal actions will be affected. Sagittarius (Jupiter) is intercepted in the 12th house, so indicates that Rupert will have no control over what is going on leaving him isolated and suffering in some way. Finally Aquarius (Uranus) sits on the cusp of the 3rd house so this is a learning curve for Rupert, communication and media will be focused upon and changes will have to be made. I will look at a couple more aspects. Transiting Pluto conjuncts the ascendant and trines to natal Neptune. Here the self is affected (Ascendant) through actions from the 7th house (Pluto – powerful adversaries or those in control) and 9th house (deceptive practices in foreign media). Ultimately this will lead to a loss of power (Scorpio on cusp of 12th) and a finalisation of a situation (Pisces on 4th house cusp) possibly involving the family. Finally as this crisis ratcheted up, transiting Mars in the 6th was exactly square to natal Mercury in the 4th. Mars in the 6th indicated that his everyday work routine (6th) was being upset by the actions (Mars) of an employee (6th) in his media empire (Mercury) and this situation was impacting on someone in the family (4th).

That someone of course is his son James. He was born on 13th December 1972 in Wimbledon, London (I have no birth time for him). James has an adventurous Sagittarian Sun and a Piscean Moon, complementing his father’s Sun. More than likely his Moon would be in conjunction with his father’s Sun, so there is a natural affinity between them and no surprise to me that Rupert has seen James as his heir apparent. James’ Moon is difficultly aspected, squared by both Sun and Saturn (which is retrograde) forming a stressful t-square. This aspect suggests a problems between his mother and father (they divorced in 1999), the retrograde Saturn tells me that he never received the love that he needed from his father. As he needs to feel approval (Moon square Saturn), James will do anything to feel accepted by his father, and with a Sagittarian Sun, he has the instinct of a gambler. James is a bit of a risk taker and it is fine when you win, but it spells trouble in big business when you don’t. Saturn is quindecile Mercury, so James will not enjoy making speeches or speaking in public as a rule. He will have a serious demeanour and will appear as someone with the weight of the world on his shoulders. In someway, at only 38 and in such a high powered business position, it is.

Also in Sagittarius is a Neptune and Mercury conjunction. Along with the Pisces Moon, there is a huge amount of creative talent on this chart, especially with regard to music which James will love. This will surely be his release away from work. In cutting his teeth in business, James ran record companies, which eventually were absorbed into the News Corp portfolio. James will like the creative side of the media business, however one thing he is not blessed with is huge common sense and logic, his mind will work in a non-linear fashion. The Neptune/Mercury conjunction is sextile to Pluto and as a result he will be interested in anything secret mysterious or unusual.

Uranus in Libra is at the point of a wedge formation fanning out to the Sun/Saturn opposition. James will like his independence and will not be afraid of using technology or non traditional techniques to forward his work ambitions. There is also a mini grand trine on this chart based around the Moon trine Mars/Venus conjunction sextile to Jupiter. Venus/Mars can be a little pushy and in Scorpio is very deep, emotional and jealous. There is a sting to his temper and huge determination to get the better of rivals. Mars in Scorpio sextile Jupiter in Capricorn is clever, very confident and hugely ambitious and associated with big achievers. One will be able to plan and follow a clear strategy and this aspect will give James a very professional attitude in his endeavours, however there is the risk of being over confident thinking that one can get away with almost anything.

Putting all these elements together, you can see a possible picture forming. James needing the approval of his father would be tempted to sanction his employees to risks to keep his newspapers at the top of the market. The allegations coming out of News International are truly shocking, and as more leak out, one does have to ask how far did these alleged practises go? Is it just contained within the UK, or does this contagion spread throughout the whole Murdoch empire, and just who has been victim to the same alleged illegal activity?   

James transit chart is very stressful. Transiting Neptune is exactly square natal Mercury so you can see deception (Neptune) and media (Mercury) causing him trouble. Transiting Uranus is trine natal Neptune – technology and bizarre practices (Uranus) used for these deceptive acts. Uranus is also square to natal Pluto and transiting Pluto is square it’s natal position too. This to me suggests a transformation in James’ life of some sort. Transiting Saturn is square natal Jupiter, so James over confidence will lead to difficult consequences, defeat and lessons for him to learn.

Without James’ birth time, it is difficult to guess how this situation will pan out, however if the allegations do lead to his door, then father Rupert will have an agonising decision to make. To protect his own company, will he have to sack his own son? The transiting Pluto square Pluto aspect on James’ chart does not bode well for him. As much as he loves James as a father would, Rupert is a hard nosed businessman and I believe he would not shirk in his responsibilities. 

**** Update 29th Feb 2012 ****

James Murdoch today left News International in the UK being “moved” by his father to other duties in New York looking after pay TV expansion. Sounds like a bit of a demotion. He moves as transiting Uranus at 3 Aries is just one degree from exactly opposing James’ natal Pluto at 4 Libra. This will bring a great sudden change in his life and the power he wields. Transiting Neptune is also exactly square to his natal Mercury which is quite deflating. One wonders if he has a Virgo or Gemini Midheaven?

This move is obviously designed to take him out of the line of fire in London, especially as the “Sun on Sunday” has now launched replacing the long departed News of the World. Does it show that James is more culpable than the Murdoch family have let on so far? I always thought there was a potential cover up between father and son, and the events of 29th Feb 12 only strengthen my views. I very much suspect he stayed just until the new newspaper was launched, and then by mutual agreement with his father he went to hide away in New York. The family business as such stays alive and well, for now at least…

Links - News of the World Closes   Andy Coulson   United Kingdom chart & the hacking scandal

Ryan Giggs – Life unravelling at an alarming rate

 

For two decades, Ryan Giggs has been an icon of British football (soccer). Playing for the top team in the country Manchester United, winning countless league titles, cups and awards, Ryan has been the embodiment of the professional’s professional, dedicated, hardworking, talented and notably in this day and age of overpaid prima donna footballers, out of the news especially with regard to his family life. He was the model sportsman. However, there were skeletons in the cupboards that were revealed by the press. Trying to protect his image, Ryan got a court injunction to stifle the increasing rumours that he had been discovered having an affair. Those attempts miserably failed as his name and a Welsh reality TV star were spread all over twitter and the internet of having had an illicit relationship. Now the cat was truly out of the bag and another 7 year affair, this time with his brother’s wife no less, has been unearthed by a national newspaper. It is amazingly reminiscent of the Tiger Woods saga, and as the headlines continue to bite, his life and more than likely his marriage is continuing to crumble around him.

Ryan was born on 29th November 1973 in Cardiff, Wales (I don’t have a birth-time for him, if anyone reading does know please can you email me). He is a risk taking Sagittarius in a vey close conjunction to inspirational yet deceptive Neptune. His Moon is either in serious Capricorn or detached Aquarius depending on Ryan’s time of birth. I have looked carefully at his chart and I have estimated him to be born around 17.20 which would pull his Moon just into Aquarius. What I can say for definite is that his chart is based around a rather spontaneous and unstable Mars in Aries opposition to Uranus in Libra. Mars in Aries stops at nothing, it will do what it wants to do and Uranus in Libra rebels against traditional forms of partnership like marriage. That opposition squares onto Venus in Capricorn conjunct the Moon I talked of earlier. Moon/Venus is very generally very kind hearted, sympathetic to children and loved ones, however if the Moon were in Aquarius, Ryan would be able to turn his feelings off and on at will  & the Moon here is also far more liable to emotionally more fickle than a more seriously minded and conservative Moon in Capricorn. One could imagine he would be seriously confused emotionally, between the experimental t-square pushing him forward to look for emotional excitement and his more down to earth family orientated Venus Moon conjunction.  In his day job, Ryan has been known for his electric pace and trickery, perfectly described by Mars opposite Uranus.

Moving onto the Sun/Neptune conjunction it is at the point of a grand mini trine, sextiles from which fan out to a Jupiter/Pluto trine. Sun Neptune is a dreamy combination, found in the sign of Sagittarius, those dreams are BIG dreams, Sun/Neptune however does also has the ability to deceive and as part of this mini grand trine, deceive in a big way too. Jupiter trine Pluto is generally lucky and normally is an indicator of success at work, which Ryan certainly has been being the most decorated player of his generation.

Looking at the rest of the chart, there is a tense square between Pluto and Saturn which is retrograde. This aspect can be very difficult when hit by transits and progressions, heralding a complete transformation in the life brought about by difficult circumstances. It also indicates a very troubled relationship with his father, baggage that I would suggest he has brought into his adult life. Interestingly, when his parents split, Ryan chose to revert to his mother’s maiden name “Giggs” rather than keep his father’s surname which was Wilson. Finally, we have a peregrine Mercury unconnected to any other planet on the chart by major aspect which tends to dominate the chart. Mercury is in Scorpio, indicating deep concentration on any tasks that one turns their hand to, including complete dedication in one’s work, something no football fan could ever doubt . One could imagine that Ryan could be quite adept and creative at making or creating things, especially with his hands. On this rectified chart, Mercury would be in the 6th house, giving Ryan incredible desire to perfect his technique and skills and incredibly adept reactions.

The transits chart show that Ryan is under great pressure right now. Transiting Pluto suggesting transformational change is now opposite his natal Saturn and square it’s own position, thus activating that rather nasty natal square between the two planets. Transiting Uranus, the planet of the unexpected is opposite natal Pluto. Remember, Uranus is at the heart of that natal t-square and a 17.20 birth-time would place it in the 5th house of love affairs, an indication that personal transformation (Pluto) would be of result of these shock allegations (Uranus). On the progressed chart, progressed Mercury is trine natal Mars and sextile Uranus, again activating that natal t-square and bringing the allegations into the public arena through communication (Mercury represents the Press and the internet). If my assertion about the birth-time is correct then the progressed Moon would be in the past month exactly square to the deceptive Sun/Neptune conjunction, the emotional (Moon) deception (Neptune) coming to light affecting his whole life (Sun).

Alberto Contador – Focused, insular, a great cyclist and athlete, but also a cheat?

Alberto Contador, the world’s top cyclist is back in the news again. After having been acquitted of drug offences after testing for admittedly low levels of the drug clenbuterol in a urine sample after a stage in the Tour de France, the International Cycling Federation (the UCI) has decided to appeal the Spanish Cycling federation decision to acquit Contador. The has been a suspicion of drug usage hanging over Contador since 2006, so this latest set of allegations, are not new. The real question is – “Is Contador currently by far the best cyclist in the world or is he a serial drug cheat?”. I look at the astrology to see if there is any pattern.

Alberto is Spanish and was born in Pinto, a suburb of Madrid on 6th December 1982 (no birth-time known). He has his Sun in expansive Sagittarius and his Moon is either in showy Leo or conservative careful Virgo, the change of signs came just after 14.30 on that day. I always think that a top sportsmen would require technical excellence (Virgo) rather than a showy personality (Leo) so I would hazard a guess that Alberto has a Virgo Moon. If anyone reading this article knows his birth-time, please let me know.

Alberto’s sun is widely conjunct to Uranus, here is the wanderer who wants to be special, he is individualistic and rebellious. Uranus is also conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio. Jupiter in this sign is unafraid to experiencing extremes and exploring the depths, the unknown, it provides a fascination for him. Uranus/Jupiter is enthusiastic, high spirited and loving of competition & the major tour cycling races pushes the body to the absolute limit; I dare say that this is a challenge Contador thoroughly enjoys and thrives on and drives him forward. To be a top cyclist, you need huge amounts of energy and self belief. Mars trine to Jupiter gives him this and more and encourages Alberto have good judgement and timing in when to make the correct decisions, plus it motivates him to keep improving and driving himself to the absolute limit.

Mars is also square a heavyweight Pluto/Saturn conjunction straddling across Libra and Scorpio. The overall function of this square is to provide incredible stores of energy and focus, able to push you to the edge of exhaustion. More specifically, Saturn in Scorpio installs a fear of showing weakness and emotion. In cycle racing over huge distances and over mountains this is crucial to success; not letting your opponents know when you are feeling worn out and vulnerable. It also instils a fear of trusting others, thus reinforcing the Uranus/Sun conjunction of individuality. Alberto is at peace with himself out on the open road testing himself against his peers. Pluto conjunct Saturn makes Alberto suspicious of crowds and groups, he will want to avoid the limelight as much as possible, he is stubborn, inflexible, to the point and will not want to give away his innermost thoughts. He is a deeply insular, ultra competitive, hugely motivated man.

The Saturn/Pluto conjunction is at the point of a mini grand trine with Moon trine Neptune/Mercury feeding into it. Neptune/Mercury is very expansive, his mind is not logical will drift off into fantasy land, an openness to new experiences and “potentially” an openness to unusual substances like drugs. With Neptune trine the Moon, Alberto is very sensitive and will not like to upset and discord those around him, he may accede  to those requests from those around him and sacrifice his principles just to keep the peace and harmony that he craves. Would this extend itself to keeping the team principles happy by doping at their request to increase his chances of winning? Cycling is a big money sport and sponsors have to be kept content by constant success. Mercury in Sagittarius gives Alberto’s mind big ambitions and he is always looking forward, he has a gambler’s instinct. Combine this with a cool critical calculating Moon (if it is in Virgo) and it would give him the mentality of a poker player. Would he take a calculated gamble in using enhancing products to keep himself at the top?

Looking at the Solar Arcs and transits for Alberto, Solar Arc Pluto is sextile Mars this year so there may be a bit of a blockage for his ambitions this year, albeit temporary, and Neptune is sextile Jupiter so this blockage may be due to the alleged excesses (Jupiter) of taking drugs (Neptune).

One thing is definite. Alberto Contador is an athlete who can give every last drop of energy, somebody who pushes the limits because he enjoys it, somebody who is cold, calculating, individual, a gambler, determined to succeed. Could he be a drug cheat too? From the astrology quite possibly.  An incredible cyclist? Absolutely.

**** Update 6th Feb 2012****

Alberto Contador Banned For Two Years

Today Alberto was banned from international cycling for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for use of clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour de France.

Transiting Saturn is the key here on this transit chart. The decision came as transiting Saturn was conjunct Alberto’s Saturn/Pluto conjunction and square to natal Mars. Mars rules the chart so here are blocks on Alberto’s previous victories (Mars). Pluto rules Alberto’s 8th house of change and Saturn rules his 10th of public profile and work. Saturn has enforced restrictions and penalties on him and has tainted his reputation for good. Interesting to that the decision comes as the transiting South Node is quindecile Neptune and Jupiter showing problems from international drug taking. Transiting Neptune is trine to Saturn and Pluto, again highlighting the cheating and the secrecy of what he did, and at the same time it is opposite his natal Moon showing confusion and disappointment. 

Transiting Pluto is moving through the 10th house of public image, and in the natal chart is rather badly aspected being conjunct to Saturn and squared by Mars, so wherever Pluto moves in this chart it will tend to have a debilitating effect. Mars is staying in this 10th house for years to come, so I suspect his professional cycling career may well be over and he will have to go through some sort of transformation in order to progress his life onwards. 

Britney Spears – The Pop queen back in the limelight, this time wiser and stronger

Britney is back!! The teenage superstar who hit the heights so early in her career, and then came crashing down to earth with an almighty thud, is returning next week with a brand new album called “Femme Fatale” due to be released on 29th March. So far her debut single release from that album “Hold it against me” shot into No.1 on the Billboard charts and the new album promises to propel Britney back to the top of the pop music scene.

Britney was born on 2nd December 1981 in McComb, Mississippi at 1.30am. She has a lively Sagittarius sun, a sociable Libran Ascendant and a glitzy Aquarius Moon. Britney has four planets sitting in the 3rd house of communication, the Sun, Mercury, Uranus which are in conjunction and also Neptune. Britney has definite need to communicate. She has a bright, lively mind, will be interested in technology or advances of some sort, so important in this internet age in connecting with the younger generations, and of course Neptune highlights a interest in artistic pursuits, music, dance and creativity. Britney has used the media (3rd house) brilliantly in the past to keep her profile in the spotlight. Complementing this is the Moon in Aquarius in the 5th house. Aquarius moons often bestow star good looks and in the 5th house there is an emotional pull to the entertainment industry and to children, of course Britney first hit stardom through the Mickey Mouse club – it all links up when you look doesn’t it? Venus sits in the 4th house in Capricorn; Britney is a girl who needs love and attention, but away from the stage you wouldn’t know it as she will have a cool demeanour. She would have come from a warm happy home and this is where she will return to when she feels in trouble as Venus conjuncts the South Node. Her mother will always be a source of comfort and stability for her. Mars sits in the 12th house in perfectionist Virgo and aspects both Venus and Neptune. A lot of the creative energy that has lasted her 20 years so far in the entertainment’s industry comes from here. She will work tirelessly until she gets things right, often being irritable and awkward to work and live with, until she achieves exactly what she wants. One thing for sure, she’s a girl who won’t give up on her dream.

Finally I focus on Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter who sit in wide conjunction straddling the first and second houses. If you want to see Britney’s career in a nutshell, just look at these 3 planets. Saturn in the first house is very exacting, making you very serious about all your endeavours. Here is a mature, even cold side to Britney, relationships will be difficult because of the inability to relax and turn off from her work. Here is the person who needed to grow up quick and so that childhood so necessary for a balanced adult life was compromised. The Saturn aspects Neptune, Venus and the Moon linking a disciplined interest into the entertainment world. Pluto conjunct Saturn also sits in the first house. Pluto in the first always indicated reinvention of the personality, a phoenix rising from the ashes. Here is the breakdown of Britney in her mid 20’s unable to cope with everything that stardom threw at her. Here also is the transformation from teen star to sex symbol career wise and as Pluto is sextile Neptune the breakdown by use of drugs and alcohol needing rehabilitation.

Moving onto Jupiter which sits just into the second house. Pluto and Jupiter are always a sign of making money, and with Jupiter in the 2nd house, money is one thing Britney will never be short of, and she will know how to spend it big too. Jupiter also highlights the return to the top after the dark times. As the Solar Arc ascendant hit in turn Saturn, then Pluto then Jupiter you can see the life history progression. At 16/17 it hit Saturn and the child star became world superstar with all the heavy responsibilities of this, at 23/24 as it hit Pluto the breakdown forcing her to change despite some limited success with Pluto trine the Midheaven. Now at age 29 it has hit Jupiter which closely trines the Midheaven. Solar Arc Jupiter is also conjunct natal Uranus which is lucky and fortunate and will sextile her Ascendant next year. She returns probably bigger and better than before; this is going to be the year of all years for Britney and this time she will be able to handle it due to the experiences she had in the past. Good luck to her, the pop queen is back for one more time…

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg – Baron “Cut and Paste” gets the boot and leaves Chancellor Merkel weaker.

Seeing this story, I had to have a look at the astrology and as always it checks out. The popular 39 year old German Defence minister (above) Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (born 5/12/71 – Munich – no birth-time), or to give him his full name Karl Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (I kid you not) has resigned after it was found that half his 475 page university doctorate had been copied form other sources, word for word. Guttenberg or Baron Cut-and-Paste, Zu Copyberg or Zu Googleberg as the German media have playfully nicknamed him, was becoming a leading candidate for Chancellor in the future; alas this scandal has ruined his ambitions. He has also quite rightly been stripped of his PhD.

The Baron has a Sagittarius Sun conjunct Jupiter which for all intense purposes is a lucky aspect square Mars in Pisces. Normally this would be an all-action, adventuring, placement going out and doing things on a physical level, but Pisces is more dreamy, non-combative and deceptive here, so his beliefs, philosophy and education is where he would take risks, to his cost. He has a security motivated, patriotic Moon in Cancer and the other stand-out aspect for me is a wedge pattern, sextile and trine aspects onto an opposition. We have Saturn in communicative Gemini, opposite Neptune also in Sagittarius the sign of education. Saturn in Gemini raises doubts in the head about how intelligent you really are and often the consequence is for you to work even harder to compensate for this. However this Saturn is opposite Neptune which encourages you to take the easy route out. The easy route out for the Baron, supported by that Mars in Pisces was to cheat in his studies. Remember that wedge, Saturn opposition Neptune trine and sextile onto Pluto in Libra. Here is the Achilles heel in his deception, the self-destruct button waiting to be pushed. Uranus also squares his Sun/Jupiter conjunction too, although fortunate (in a hereditary sense), Guttenberg is accident prone too. Right now that Pluto (destruct button) is being opposed by transiting Uranus (unexpected events). Transiting Uranus also squares his natal Mercury (bad news). Transiting Mercury squares natal Sun and conjuncts that deceptive Mars highlighting what he had done; transiting Sun squares it’s own position.Transiting Saturn sits on that natal Uranus sextile his Sun/Jupiter, hard lessons to be learned from this revelation. There is more I could say, but you get the picture; the Baron’s political ambitions are now effectively toast.

Chancellor Angele Merkel also loses out of this situation too. She stuck by Guttenberg when the story broke in the German press, as three state elections were on the horizon. Looking at her transit chart, transiting Saturn is a couple of degrees from exactly being conjunct to her Midheaven, so right now her public standing is taking a bit of a battering and she is receiving criticism. Expect the forthcoming election results to go against her and her coalition government.

John Galliano – Shown the door by Dior

Fashion designer John Galliano is in hot water for alleged racist and anti-Semitic behaviour in a Paris restaurant last Thursday evening. He was arrested in the Marais district of the French capital, the traditional home of the local Jewish community.  His employer Christian Dior immediately terminated his contract although Galliano is now contesting his dismissal.

Please note the following chart has been rectified due to known information and dates of happenings in John’s life. Please do not take the chart and birth time as accurate.

Born in Gibraltar in 1960, John’s Sun is in expansive, free thinking and behaving Sagittarius with his Moon in ambitious Aries. The Sun and Moon, his personality and his emotions are well integrated being in trine aspect. He has a need to be first, to be the best, however with all that fire and devil may care aspect in his personal planets comes an act first, think later attitude. It can lead you into trouble if you are not careful. In his chart there is a complete lack of Air signs. As such, he will unable to see himself the way other’s do. He may be over eager to please, will network with friends in order to define his own social standing, as he will have little or no understanding of where he does stand. He needs to be appreciated.

John’s outrageous, individual style can be clearly seen by a peregrine (unconnected by major aspect) Uranus in showy Leo in the 7th house. He will always want to be the centre of attention, in the 7th house Uranus colours his permanent relationships with the need to be radically different.

With Neptune and Mercury conjunct his Midheaven at the point of a wedge configuration sextile by Venus, Saturn and his Ascendant and trine to Mars in the 6th House, much of the energy (Mars), administrative ability (Saturn) and creative technical skill (Venus) from their opposition is directed onto the Mercury Neptune Midheaven conjunction. John has an imaginative mind which is put to full creative use in his work (10th house). There is an international flavour with Neptune in the 9th house. Mars is very energetic in the 6th house. John will throw all his energy into his everyday pursuits and may well be obsessive about his health, well being and fitness.

Pluto square the Sun lends an intense control of all his actions, Pluto is also in a beneficial trine to Jupiter in business like Capricorn. There is a financial acumen to this Pluto, but also a dark side with an interest in the taboo and the unusual. Jupiter in the 12th shows a generosity of spirit to less well fortunate, something that is also shown through a square to the Moon. Jupiter conjunct Venus conveys a love of social life, of parties and of an elegant atmosphere. That moon is square the Saturn/Virgo conjunction, he will have disappointments in personal relationships, the 12th house conjunction indicated that John may feel that he is unappreciated, or he may have to sacrifice something in his life for any relationship to come to fruition.

The transits for last Thursday show a couple of disruptive squares to his natal planets. Transiting Sun and Mercury were square John’s natal Sun - a problem with communication. Transiting Jupiter was square it’s own natal position, an over inflated ego. Transiting Pluto was also conjunct that Jupiter square, a destructive element into the mix. Natal Saturn was and is still square natal Saturn and Venus, hard lessons learned in a social environment. Looking at the Solar Arcs, SA Saturn and Venus is square John’s natal Sun, again tis is a knock to his personal pride and SA Pluto is almost exactly trine (4 minutes off exact) his natal Mercury suggesting words or communication of an unacceptable nature.

** Update** 1st March – Galliano was today sacked by Dior, nice to be right for once… One other thing I missed on the transits for the day. Transiting Neptune was also conjunct Mars, Sun and Mercury and opposite natal Uranus, shocking behaviour (Uranus) of a religious nature (Neptune).