Holly & Phillip - What Next?

When the Mars, Uranus, North Node stellium occurred in August 2022, it squared Phillip Schofield's natal Moon and Nodal Axis. Mars has now moved on but Uranus and the North Node are still giving his Moon and Nodes a hard time, bringing emotional turmoil and extreme tension..This is a very disruptive planetary influence from transiting Uranus, affecting how he is seen by the public. Could his public image be damaged in the long term? 

On the day of 16th September 2022 when the incident of allegedly jumping the queue and cheating their way in to view The Queen's coffin occurred, the transiting Sun was square Holly's natal Neptune and was moving towards an opposition to Phillip's natal Mercury, thus triggering deception and confusion.

Transiting Mars was in a square aspect to Phillip's natal Mars on the day of the queue jumping. Under this planetary influence, he may have become too impulsive, acting without consideration of the consequences. This will continue to be a very difficult time for him and he will feel extremely irritated by other people who dare to question his actions. Transiting Mars will be back to square Phillip's natal Mars in mid-December 2022 and again in mid-February 2023.

On 16th September 2022, transiting Saturn was conjunct Holly's natal Sun, bringing a period of struggle, low vitality and the need to accept and sort out failures. It also conjuncted Phillip's natal Moon making him see himself in a more realistic light. This influence will continue until January 2023. 

In March 2023, Saturn will enter Pisces and will conjunct Holly's natal Mercury and Mars, giving her a serious, possibly gloomy outlook and a lack of confidence which will test her ability to endure setbacks. Transiting Neptune will be in a square aspect to her natal Neptune, hitting it hard from Spring 2023 until early 2024. This planetary influence is part of the Mid-Life Crisis generational aspects which affect everyone. She will start to question her goals and how much they have lived up (or not) to her expectations. As a result she may decide to make some changes However, it will be vital to avoid making important commitments as the wrong decisions would have lasting consequences.

Transiting Saturn will also be conjunct Phillip's natal Jupiter throughout 2023, bringing a need for him to shake free from restrictions, become more patient and cautious and to adjust his expectations towards a more down to earth outlook. Everything he does during next year will seem to be delayed for various reasons and he may experience several setbacks. As Jupiter is his chart ruler, his personal freedom could become an issue.

Transiting Neptune has been conjunct Phillip's natal Mercury this year, becoming exact during 2023 and 2024, before finally coming to an end in March 2025. This long-term planetary influence tends to bring confusing experiences and a temptation to bend the truth. Under the effects of this transit, he may have difficulty distinguishing fact from fantasy. There will be much deception and delusion. Misunderstandings are likely to occur regarding contracts, negotiations or business partnerships. Communication in general will be problematic for him and the threat of scandal will remain high.

This incident, during the mourning period for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was no flash in the pan. It is a long-term development which will not end any time soon. Although the original event which triggered the negative public response might fade in time, there will be other events during the next 12 months that will reignite the furore. Phillip and Holly may be smiling at the moment but this situation is far from over.

October Solar Eclipse

There will be a Solar Eclipse on 25th October in the sign of Scorpio.

On the world stage, President Zelenskyy, and his political allies: Biden, Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, etc, as well as certain countries including Ukraine, the UK and Russia, will all be potential targets for this year's eclipses taking place in Taurus and Scorpio as they all have their natal Moons in Fixed signs.

In British politics, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's natal Moon will be conjuncted by the eclipse. As the Moon is the ruler of his 10th house (public image and status) he could be recognised in some way and take a step that comes from being a seasoned professional. as his experience will be a valuable asset.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will experience the eclipse as a square to her natal Mars. Under this influence, there could be outbursts, destructive tendencies and conflicts. She might have to stand up for herself  - or she could be the one initiating a confrontation. Arguing, or ongoing frustration could reach breaking point. If a situation comes to a head, it could be explosive. As Mars is the ruler of her 6th house (daily routine, work, health) there could be a health crisis as a result of full on pressure in her working life. There could also be a change in her title or identity. 

This Solar Eclipse will oppose King Charles’ natal Moon in Taurus, which shows that something could happen that may leave him feeling exposed or vulnerable during the next six months. Circumstances connected to his home, family and the past, may occur and cause emotional upset. There could be a severing of family ties and a sense of betrayal by another person. He may realise that he doesn't have to give in to the demands of others in order to get approval or have status. 

The Solar Eclipse will be conjunct Prince William’s natal Jupiter and Scorpio Midheaven bringing new experiences and a renewed sense of adventure and optimism. He will travel more than usual over the next six months and a flash of insight will revolutionise his outlook on life. He will feel truly connected and contented within his family.

Prince Harry’s Pluto will all be activated by the Solar Eclipse bringing his inner tensions to the surface. He may have to deal with mental trauma, fear, compulsions or obsessions. An upcoming event could trigger the need for him to confront his negative personality traits and the six months following the eclipse could bring the strength - or the help - to face and overcome them. 

In a square aspect to Meghan Markle's natal Nodal Axis, the Solar Eclipse will rattle her boundaries, bringing upset to her familiar settings and people; forcing her out of her comfort zone. She'll be moving towards unfamiliar situations and will be challenged to prove her potential.

The War In Ukraine

On the morning of Monday, 10th October 2022, Ukraine was devastated by a massive Russian bombardment of 84 missiles targeting several major cities including the capital Kyiv.

A few hours earlier, the Full Moon was at 16° Aries - exactly opposite President Zelensky's natal Pluto and square Ukraine's Nodal Axis, Neptune and Ascendant. It was also quincunx Pluto in Ukraine's chart and conjunct Eris (revenge). This influence tends to bring impulsive, violent reactions as well as intense emotions and confrontations. 

Transiting Mars was at 22° Gemini - triggering Mars at 22° Capricorn, it's position on the day the war began. It will cross this degree again from the 19th - 23rd November. This planetary influence brings unusually forceful actions and the need to prove dominance. It is also square the war Neptune which indicates critical events and panic.

Transiting Mars has just moved into President Zelensky's natal First House and is conjunct his Ascendant. Mars goes retrograde on 31st October, conjuncting his Ascendant again on 23rd November. and re-entering his 12th House. It won't enter his 1st House properly until 6th March 2023. For more information on this, please read my recent article 'President Zelenskyy - Part 3'. Link: 

https://ephemeralarc.blogspot.com/2022/07/president-zelenskyy-part-3.html

Transiting Saturn is back to it's 'war' position at 18° Aquarius and is being squared by transiting Uranus. This extremely disruptive planetary aspect began in January 2021 and has caused much civil unrest and aggravation. One of the key phrases associated with a Saturn Uranus hard aspect is: 'A desire for change battles against the instinct to hang on, amid displays of rebellion' It will finally come to an end in December 2022 but, as is often the case with major planetary influences, it looks like it's going out with a bang.

Pluto went direct after nearly eight months of being in retrograde motion since the end of April. Coincidence? No. Does this indicate a turning point in the conflict?.Perhaps. Either that or the beginning of a new phase in the war.

The rest of 2022 is going to be, astrologically speaking, a very tough time. On the 25th October there will be a Solar Eclipse in the sign of Scorpio. Six days later transiting Mars will turn retrograde and eight days after that there will be a very powerful Lunar Eclipse in Taurus. 

Putin versus Zelenskyy

Today is Vladimir Putin's 70th birthday. Allegedly. He lies about everything else, so he is possibly also lying about his date of birth. However, we astrologers can only accept the information that we're given, so if Putin really was born on this date, here is how he interacts astrologically with President Zelenskyy.

Although both Putin and Zelenskyy have their natal Suns in Libra and Aquarius, they are not in any way, compatible. These two men could never have seen eye to eye in any situation and may well have been adversaries in whatever way their paths had crossed. Unfortunately, as the leaders of their respective nations, the threat takes on a whole new significance.

Putin's Sun is conjunct Zelenskyy's Pluto. Change on a deep level will occur under the influence of this planetary combination - but at what cost? This aspect is a tough one in any synastry connection but when the two people involved are already potential enemies in positions of great authority, it brings many upheavals as well as fanatical and obsessive attitudes. As we have seen, one of these men has a power complex, is extremely ruthless and is not above tyranny. This Sun Pluto aspect is often linked to events that bring about a major change of direction in the lives of the people who are under its influence. There's a strong feeling of inevitability and definite power struggles. Both the Sun and Pluto like to feel in control of situations, which leads to both people trying to maintain the upper hand. There’s potential for abuse and mutual destruction. Both are extremely stubborn: Putin won't give up and Zelenskyy won't back down.

Putin's Mars is opposite Zelenskyy's Jupiter. By combining their energies they could reach a compromise and the irony of this aspect between Putin and Zelenskyy is that it is a great influence for settling disputes. On the negative side, this planetary effect brings losses through lack of restraint and the consequences of taking ill-judged risks. Resistance to restrictions can lead to conflict. 

I have a friend who, like me, has been an astrologer for a very long time. Professional astrologers tend to branch out into various methods and techniques, finding exactly what works best for them. My friend has a very down-to-earth approach and one of his regular sayings is, "Never ignore the symbolism". What he means is that it's not always necessary to dive into the deepest meanings of planetary aspects because the literal appearance also provides relevant information. In the Synastry between Putin and Zelenskyy, Putin's natal Mars is conjunct Zelenskyy's natal Ceres. Mars symbolises aggresson, weapons and war. Ceres symbolises the land, crops, fields, agriculture and the environment. Ukraine is known as 'The Bread Basket Of Europe' because of it's fertile plains. The literal symbolism is: Putin's war on Zelenskyy's land. 

Putin's Saturn in a square aspect to Zelenskyy's Mercury indicates serious, negative attitudes and a generally uncommunicative atmosphere. This connection is literally all gloom and doom. Perhaps both of them are too single-minded and stubborn. Either way, there are many obstacles to overcome. 

Putin's Saturn is conjunct Zelenskyy's Pluto. Sound familiar? Yes, Saturn conjunct Pluto - the same influence of January 2020 when the Covid Pandemic began. This planetary aspect indicates that Putin feels threatened by Zelenskyy who wants to distance himself from Putin and all he represents. It also symbolises great hardship. Interestingly, this planetary combination is due to appear again during the next few years as transiting Pluto will be conjunct Saturn in the Ukraine national chart from 2023 onwards. 

With Putin's Uranus in opposition to Zelenskyy's Mercury, it indicates that they would stimulate each other to question and challenge accepted beliefs and attitudes. But would Putin deliberately take the opposite view just for the sake of it? Putin's Pluto in opposition to Zelenskyy's Midheaven - the deepest point in Zelenskyy's chart - shows him to be an agent of either transformation or destruction.

There's a lot of karma, fate and destiny between the charts of Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. One of these is Putin's natal North Node conjunct Zelenskyy's Midheaven. Bizarrely, there is the potential to collaborate and join forces - although I think that opportunity has never actually happened and never will. Interestingly, this karmic influence tends to.thrust someone in a direction that advances their public and professional image. This is certainly true of President Zelenskyy who went from relative obscurity to being a global icon virtually overnight. He does not particularly enjoy the role of authoritarian war leader but is not afraid to demand the freedom he wants for Ukraine.