This ongoing global events report correlates major international events and developments with their astrological markers in specified astrological charts and the sky. Its focus is on events of national-international significance as reported by reputable news services. See: Is that event important?
May 31: Conflict: In Iran, as peace negotiations muddle along, the US strikes (Mars) Iranian military sites and Iran targets a US base in response. Mars was square Pluto in the sky.
May 28: Conflict: In Colombia at least 52 guerrilla fighters (Mars) are killed in clashes between two rival armed groups (Mars-Pluto) vying for control of a strategic cocaine production (Neptune) and trafficking (Pluto) region. Mars was square Pluto in the sky.
May 27: Conflict: The US military (Mars) carries out new strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation that posed a threat to US forces (house 6) and commercial shipping (Jupiter) in the Strait of Hormuz. Mars was square Pluto in the sky; and progressed Jupiter was semisquare Mars in the Jupiter cycle.
May 26: Conflict: Iran says the United States has violated a ceasefire by striking targets (Mars) near the contested Strait of Hormuz; and Israel pounds Lebanon with more than 120 air strikes in one of the heaviest days of bombing (Mars) in weeks. Mars was square Pluto in the sky and the Mars cycle.
Disease emergency: In the Democratic Republic of Congo the current Ebola outbreak has claimed 220 lives and a delay in detecting cases means responders are ‘playing catch-up’. Countries bordering the DRC have been told to take immediate action. Mars was square Pluto in the sky and the Mars cycle.
Heatwave: Heat records tumble across Europe for the second straight day as an unprecedentedly early heatwave (Mars) continues to bake the continent, with some fatalities reported. In London it was the hottest day in May since records began > the temperatures topped 35 degrees Celsius in the mid-afternoon > mind-bogglingly crazy. Hundreds of heat records have been broken across France. Mars was square Pluto in the sky and the Mars cycle.
May 25: Conflict: The US military (Mars-house 6) carries out strikes (Mars) in southern Iran against targets including boats attempting to lay mines (Mars) and missile launch sites (Mars). The strikes were designed ‘to protect (Saturn) our troops (house 6) from threats (Pluto) posed by Iranian forces’. Mars was square Pluto in the sky; and progressed Mars was square Pluto in the Mars cycle.
Papal encyclical: Pope Leo XIV (Jupiter) in his first encyclical, titled ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ (Magnificent Humanity) calls for the ‘disarming’ of artificial intelligence (Pluto), warning that ‘new forms of slavery’ (Neptune) are tied to its rise. He warned (Pluto) against ‘a race for ever more powerful algorithms (Pluto) and larger datasets (Pluto),’ driven by ‘the desire to secure geopolitical (Sun) or commercial (Jupiter) dominance (Sun)’. He insisted that ownership of AI data must not be left solely in private hands (Uranus), called for policymakers to protect (Saturn) the rights of workers and keep children safe (Saturn) from the technology (Uranus), and urged the cooling of competition (Mars) between AI companies. Progressed Jupiter was conjunction progressed Neptune in the Aquarian Age chart; progressed Sun was opposition Jupiter in the Jupiter cycle; progressed Uranus was semisextile Jupiter in the Uranus cycle; progressed Saturn was parallel Sun in the Saturn cycle; and Mars was square Pluto in the sky.
Politics: In Turkey a court ruling (Jupiter-house 9) to effectively oust opposition leader Ozgur Ozel (Sun) has inflamed (Mars) a political crisis (Sun), rattled financial markets (house 5) and could prolong the 23-year rule of President Tayyip Erdogan (Pluto). The May 21 decision came against the backdrop of an extended crackdown that has seen the detention or jailing of hundreds of members of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and several mayors. Progressed Jupiter was opposition Sun and semisquare Mars in the Jupiter cycle. (Turkey has Mars and Uranus in house 10 of its July 4, 2026 Mars-Uranus conjunction chart.)
May 24: Conflict: In Ukraine Russia pounds Kyiv and surrounding areas with hundreds of drones and missiles (Mars) firing an Oreshnik hypersonic missile near the capital; and in Pakistan a bomb blast (Mars) hits a shuttle train carrying Pakistani security personnel and their families killing at least 24 people and injuring around 70 others. Mars was square Pluto in the sky.
Shooting: In Washington a gunman (Mars) opens fire (Mars) on Secret Service agents near the White House, forcing the area into lockdown (Pluto). Mars was square Pluto in the sky; and progressed Sun was square birth chart Mars in America’s chart.
May 23: Disease: In Bangladesh a measles outbreak (Mars) has killed more than 500 children in the deadliest surge there in decades.
May 22: Explosion: In China’s Qinyuan county, Shanxi province a gas explosion (Mars-Neptune) at a coal mine (Saturn) kills 82 people, in the country’s deadliest mining accident (Mars) since at least 2009. Progressed Mars was semisextile Neptune in the Mars cycle activating their birth chart conjunction; progressed Sun was parallel Saturn in the Saturn cycle; and Mars was square Pluto in the sky.
May 20: Emergency: The outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola (Saturn) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo alarms experts because of how long it went undetected while spreading across a densely populated area. This makes it difficult to trace and isolate the contacts of infected individuals and there’s no vaccine. It’s likely to have started two months ago in March 2026 and is now linked to 130 deaths. Fear (Saturn) grips the people. Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Saturn was parallel Sun in the Saturn cycle.
May 18: Conflict: In Oakland, California Elon Musk loses (Saturn) his lawsuit (Jupiter) against Open AI and Sam Altman. The jury (house 9) found he missed the statute of limitations for filing suit. See why he lost here > Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Saturn was parallel Sun in the Saturn cycle.
May 17: Emergency: The World Health Organization declares an Ebola outbreak (Saturn) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a ‘public health emergency (Mars-house 1) of international concern’, posing risks to neighboring countries. Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Saturn was sextile Mercury in the Saturn cycle.
May 14-15: Presidents Xi and Trump (Sun) hold a summit in Beijing with Iran, Taiwan, trade and rare earth minerals on the agenda. Progressed Mars was parallel Sun and semisextile Mercury in the Mars cycle.
May 9: In northwestern Pakistan a car bombing (Mars) at a police post (Mars), followed by an intense firefight (Mars), kills at least 14 officers (Mars). Progressed Mars was conjunction Sun in the Mars cycle.
May 7: Conflict: The Iranian military (Mars) retaliates against United States Navy ships (Jupiter) after US forces targeted an oil tanker in Iran’s territorial waters. Iran says the US violated the ceasefire by carrying out air strikes on civilian areas, including Qeshm Island. Donald Trump says the ceasefire is still in effect. Mars was square Jupiter and Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Jupiter was parallel Sun in the Jupiter cycle and progressed Neptune was sextile Sun in the Neptune cycle.
Trade: In America the US Court of International Trade (Jupiter) in a 2-1 ruling rules against Donald Trump’s latest 10 percent global tariffs that took effect on February 24, finding that across-the-board tariffs (Jupiter-house 8) were not justified under a 1970s trade law. Mars was square Jupiter in the sky; and progressed Jupiter was parallel Sun in the Jupiter cycle.
Conflict: In Mali at least 80 people have been killed in two days of attacks (Mars) reportedly carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters (Mars). Mars was square Jupiter and conjunction Saturn in the sky.
Disease alert: The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms five cases of hantavirus (Mars) linked to deaths aboard a cruise ship (Jupiter) in the Atlantic Ocean but the risk to public health (house 1-Saturn) remains low. Jupiter was square Mars and Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Unrest: In Bolivia protests (Uranus) calling for reforms (Uranus) to agricultural (Saturn), educational (Mercury) and labor (Saturn-house 6) policies enter their third day. The nation is facing a currency (house 2) shortage (Saturn), causing its largest economic crisis in 40 years. Mars was square Jupiter in the sky; and progressed Uranus was square Neptune in the Uranus cycle.
May 4-5: Donald Trump launches ‘Project Freedom’ with the US military (Mars) guiding stranded cargo ships (Jupiter) out of the Strait of Hormuz. Around 2,000 ships (Jupiter) are estimated to be stuck (square aspect) in the Strait. Iran launches attacks (Mars) and warns the US against being ‘dragged back into a quagmire’. Iran insists it controls the Strait. The UAE accuses Iran of attacking (Mars) the eastern emirate of Fujairah with a barrage of missiles (Mars) and drones, setting an oil refinery ablaze (Mars-Neptune) and wounding three Indian nationals. Mars was square Jupiter and Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Explosion: In China a blast (Mars) at a fireworks factory in Hunan province kills 26 people and injures 61. Mars was conjunction Saturn and square Jupiter in the sky.
Conflict: In Ukraine at least 22 people are killed after Russian missile and drone attacks (Mars) hours before Kyiv was due to enact a ceasefire (Jupiter). Russia also targeted Ukraine’s power grid. Mars was conjunction Saturn and square Jupiter in the sky.
May 2: Shut-down: In America budget (Saturn) carrier Spirit Airlines (Neptune) shuts down due to a doubling in jet fuel prices (Jupiter-Neptune). Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
May 1: Tariffs: Donald Trump in his trade-war (Mars-Jupiter) increases tariffs (Jupiter-house 8) on automobiles from the European Union to 25 per cent. Mars was square Jupiter in the sky; and progressed Mars was square Jupiter in the Mars cycle.
Protest: In America hundreds of labor groups (Saturn-Puto) protest (Uranus) against government policies that prioritize the ultra-wealthy (Jupiter-Neptune) over working-class people (Saturn) calling for ‘no school, no work, no shopping’ on International Workers’ Day (Saturn). Progressed Saturn was parallel Sun in the Saturn cycle; and progressed Uranus was square Neptune in the Uranus cycle.
April 28: Discord: The United Arab Emirates says it will quit oil-producers’ group OPEC (Neptune) on Friday May 1, as an unprecedented energy crisis (Uranus) triggered by the Iran war (Mars) exposes discord (Uranus) among Gulf nations. Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Uranus was square Neptune in the Uranus cycle.
April 27: Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI starts in Oakland, California. See his and Sam Altman’s charts progressed to April 27, 2026 > Neptune cycle event with Saturn conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Fire: In northern Japan a magnitude-6.1 earthquake (Saturn-house 4) strikes 18 kilometres west of the small town of Sarabetsu in Hokkaido. On Monday April 20 a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the same region starting mountain blazes (Mars) that have been raging for five days with thousands of residents evacuated. 1,400 firefighters (Mars) and dozens of Self-Defense Force personnel are battling the fires. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky.
April 26: Uranus commences a seven year transit of Gemini.
April 25: Conflict: In Mali explosions (Mars) and sustained gunfire (Mars) are reported in the capital, Bamako, as armed groups (Mars-Pluto) launch co-ordinated (Pluto) attacks (Mars) across the country. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky; progressed Mars was parallel Mercury in the Mars cycle; and progressed Sun was square Pluto in the Sun cycle.
Violence: In America gunfire (Mars) breaks out outside of the ballroom where the annual White House correspondent’s (Mercury) dinner was being held. Progressed Mars was parallel Mercury in the Mars cycle; and progressed Sun was square birth chart Mars in America’s chart.
Fire: In America wildfires have burned more than 39,500 acres and destroyed more than 120 homes in Georgia prompting Governor Brian Kemp to declare a 30-day state of emergency in 91 of the state's 159 counties. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky; and progressed Mars was parallel Mercury in the Mars cycle.
April 24: The new 308-day Neptune cycle starts. Events and developments during April provided a preview of its trendline. Lies, deception, pretence, bluff and wishful thinking will feature regularly.
April 23: Conflict: Israel and Lebanon agree to extend a ceasefire (Jupiter) between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group (Mars-Uranus) by three weeks. It’s a phoney Neptune cease-fire when the fire doesn’t cease. Mars was conjunction Saturn and Neptune in the sky.
April 22: Energy crisis: The International Energy Agency (IEA)) declares that the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Isreal is causing the worst oil crisis (Neptune) in history. It’s exacerbated by the disruption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and is worse than the previous crisis in 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined. Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Conflict: In southern Lebanon journalist Amal Khalil (Mercury) is killed and her colleague Zeinab Faraj wounded in an Israeli air strike (Mars). Progressed Mars was parallel Mercury in the Mars cycle.
April 21: Conflict: In America Donald Trump announces an indefinite extension to the Iran ceasefire while blockading Iranian ports which Iran sees an act of war (Mars) and a violation of the ceasefire. It marked the second time in as many weeks that Trump has backed off (Saturn) a threat to escalate the war (Mars), buying himself more time to wind down the conflict as it approaches the two-month mark. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky; and progressed Uranus was square Neptune in the Uranus cycle.
April 20: Conflict: The US intercepts and seizes (Pluto) an Iranian ship (Jupiter) entering the Gulf of Hormuz as part of its naval blockade (Saturn-Pluto). It failed to respond to a warning to stop. Mars was conjunction Saturn and square Jupiter in the sky.
(In America the White House confirms Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration: the latest member of Trump’s Cabinet (house 8) to exit the administration in recent weeks. In America’s Mars cycle chart progressed Mars in house 8 was conjunction Saturn on April 18 and semisquare Moon on April 19.)
April 19: Conflict: The US military (Mars) fires on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship (Jupiter) as the vessel sailed toward Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky and progressed Mars was conjunction Saturn in the Mars cycle.
Defense: North Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles (Mars) towards the sea off its eastern coast. It was the country’s seventh ballistic missile launch this year and the it’s fourth in April. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky; and progressed Mars was conjunction Saturn in the Mars cycle.
Shooting: In America eight children (house 5), aged from one to 14 years old, are killed in a shooting (Mars) in Shreveport, Louisiana, which police (Mars) are describing as a ‘domestic disturbance’ (Moon). Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky; progressed Mars was semisquare Moon in the Mars cycle; and progressed Pluto was inconjunct Moon in the Pluto cycle.
Fire: In Malaysia hundreds of people are displaced after a fire (Mars) destroyed about 200 homes (house 4) in a coastal village in Sabah state. The fire broke out in one of Sabah’s water villages, which feature wooden houses built on stilts and are home to some of the country’s poorest communities (Saturn), including many stateless and indigenous groups. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky; and progressed Mars was semisquare Moon in the Mars cycle.
In-sky aspect Mars (strife and conflict) square Jupiter (finances, shipping and religion) starts > peak date is May 5
April 18: Conflict: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps closes (Saturn) the Strait of Hormuz (Saturn) to all commercial vessels (Jupiter) and says it will target any ship (Jupiter) that approaches it. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky and the Mars cycle.
Airlines: Global air travel (Neptune) remains severely disrupted (Uranus), with many people unable to fly as planned to destinations after the Iran war forced the closure of major Middle Eastern hubs, including Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. Progressed Uranus was square Neptune in the Uranus cycle.
Fire: In Russia’s Krasnodar region an attack (Mars) on an oil depot (Neptune) ignites a fire (Mars) and prompts a large firefighting operation (Mars). Mars was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
April 17: Conflict: In Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the Strait of Hormuz is ‘completely open’ to commercial ships (Jupiter) for the remainder of the Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire (April 26), but the US must end its blockade. In response the oil price plummets (Saturn) and share markets rally (Jupiter). Mars was conjunction Saturn; Jupiter was parallel Pluto; and Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Emergency: The prime minister of Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele issues a statement saying that Pacific leaders have all agreed to invoke the Pacific’s emergency response mechanism (Mars), the Biketawa Declaration, over the looming threat (Pluto) of fuel shortages (Saturn-Neptune). Mars was conjunction Saturn and Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Mars was conjunction Saturn in the Mars cycle.
April 16: Ceasefire: In Lebanon a ten-day ceasefire (Jupiter) begins as Isreal agrees to a US backed deal. Mars was conjunction Saturn and Jupiter was parallel Pluto in the sky; and progressed Mars was sextile Pluto in the Mars cycle.
Religion: Pope Leo (Jupiter) on a four-country trip to Africa blasts the ‘handful of tyrants’ (Pluto) who are ravaging Earth with war (Mars) and exploitation (Pluto). Jupiter was parallel Pluto on the sky.
April 15: Shooting: In southern Turkey at least eight students and one teacher are killed and 13 others injured following a shooting (Mars) at a school by a 14-year-old attacker who was also killed. Mars was conjunction Saturn in the sky and progressed Mars was parallel Saturn in the Mars cycle.
Fire: In Australia a major fire (Mars) at the Viva Corio oil refinery (Neptune) in Geelong, Victoria, deepens fears over the nation’s petrol supplies amid a global fuel crunch. The refinery produces 50% of Victoria’s fuel and 10% of the nations. Mars was conjunction Neptune in the sky; and progressed Mars was parallel Neptune in the Mars cycle.
April 13: Conflict: A US naval blockade (Pluto) of ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ takes effect. Mars was conjunction Neptune and Saturn and Jupiter was parallel Pluto in the sky; and progressed Mars was conjunction Neptune in the Mars cycle. New Mars cycle chart event.
April 12: No deal: The United States and Iran fail to reach a truce deal after high-stakes talks in Islamabad, with US Vice President JD Vance saying Tehran refused to accept Washington’s terms after 21 hours of negotiations. Mars was conjunction Neptune in the sky and the Mars cycle. New Mars cycle chart event.
Change: In Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concedes defeat to Centre-right Tisza party leader Peter Magyar, ending the far-right (Saturn) illiberal Christian leaders 16 years in power. Mars and Saturn were conjunction Neptune in the sky.
April 11: Space travel: Artimus 11 (Neptune) lands safely (Saturn) back on Earth. Mars was conjunction Saturn and Saturn was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Religion: Pope Leo (Jupiter) urges world leaders to end what he called the ‘madness of war,’ in an impassioned appeal as senior US and Iranian officials meet to discuss ending the six-week conflict. At a special prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, he decried the use of religious language to justify war and said a ‘delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us ... is becoming increasingly unpredictable’. Jupiter was parallel Pluto in the sky.
Conflict resolution: US and Iranian negotiators (Saturn) arrive in Pakistan and begin peace talks (Venus and Jupiter). Mars was conjunction Saturn and Neptune and Jupiter was parallel Pluto in the sky. JD Vance heads the US delegation. See his chart progressed to April 11, 2026
April 8: Conflict: In Lebanon Israel launches 100 attacks (Mars) on the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah killing hundreds of people which had Iran suggesting it would be unreasonable to proceed with the peace talks; and less than 24 hours after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire, Iran and the US are publicly at odds over its terms. The White House accuses Iran of releasing false versions of the 10-point plan that Donald Trump called the ‘basis for negotiations’ and the US and Israel say Lebanon was never part of the ceasefire, contradicting Pakistan, which was the key mediator in the ceasefire talks. All the lead actors involved in the conflict and peace talks are terribly confused (Neptune) and don’t seem to know what’s going on. The outcome is likely to be chaos. Mars was conjunction Neptune in the sky and the Mars cycle.
Accident: A trawler (Jupiter) that left Bangladesh on April 4 with 280 people on board capsizes (Mars) in the Andaman Sea. The Bangladesh coastguard rescued nine people. Mars was conjunction Neptune in the Mars cycle and the sky; and Jupiter was parallel Pluto in the sky.
April 7: Conflict: The warring enemies agree to a two-week ceasefire. Did Trump chicken out? He was desperate for an off ramp. Whatever, his ability to think up bigger and better Lower-Pluto threats is just amazing. He’s the world champion intimidator. Neptune put on a great show too: the drama, theatrics, suspense and apprehension were spectacular. It’s not over. The astral atmosphere is saturated in Mars and Neptune energy. The next two-weeks are high risk and fraught with danger. Who’ll break the cease-fire first? Mars was conjunction Neptune in the sky and the Mars cycle.
April 3: Conflict: In Iran two US fighter jets (Mars-Neptune) are shot down (Mars) by hostile fire while conducting operations in the Iran conflict. Mars was conjunction Neptune in the sky.
April 2: Democracy goes: In Burkina Faso Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a coup three years ago, says: ‘People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us.’ In January, the authorities announced a ban on all political parties as part of a plan to ‘rebuild the state’. Pluto was transiting Aquarius.
April 1: Conflict; As the Iran war drags on US partners and allies are pushing back. Spain opposed the war from day 1, France has blocked Israeli military planes from flying through its airspace and Italy has denied US military aircraft permission to land at an air base in Sicily. The UK, Canada and Australia are refusing to get directly involved. Keir Starmer has announced the UK will convene a meeting of 35 countries later this week to explore ‘all viable diplomatic and political measures’ to restore access in the Strait of Hormuz. Progressed Saturn was conjunction Sun in the Saturn cycle. America hasn’t been invited. America's allies are refusing to get involved in the war and Donald Trump isn’t happy. The new Saturn cycle started March 26 and the lack of support and grievance indicated by Saturn in house 7 (war and partners) of America’s chart was virtually instant. It’s a scenario that’s destined to last for the next 14 years.
Space exploration: At 6.35pm ET NASA’s Artemis 2 (Neptune) launches from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The crew should pass around the far side of the Moon on April 6 and return to Earth on April 10. Mars and Saturn were conjunction Neptune in the sky.
Astrology for Aquarius – sharing our knowledge
