As ever, stories come whooshing over the transom, and fly right on by, with no time to deal with them properly in these hectic times. We’ll try to play catch-up here, with yet another AAA version of an “omnibus bill,” compiling several small stories (and some big ones) in a comprehensive review of the doings of late. Topics include the Hungarian elections, a shooting at a Mexican archeological site, and a federal investment in a failing airline.
Mars has been working overtime of late! The planet associated with war, weapons and armed conflict sparked two conflagrations in the Mid-East as it moved to conjoin the degree of the February 17th Solar Eclipse, activating its potential for evoking world-shaking events. On February 26th, long-simmering tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, heated by the unchecked use of Afghanistan as a safe haven for terrorist groups operating in Pakistan, boiled over into cross-border fighting. On the 28th, the US and Israel began joint military operations against Iran, even as ongoing peace talks showed signs of progress in obtaining Iranian assurances that they would not develop nuclear weapons.
In a shocking development, on 19 February 2026, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the Royal formerly known as Prince, was arrested at his home on the Sandringham estate, for suspicion of misconduct in public office. The potential charges stem from Andrew’s time as Britain’s special envoy for international trade, during which he allegedly sent sensitive trade information to noted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While not a sex crime per se (of which he has also been accused), the investigation was prompted by information revealed at the latest release of a tranche of three million documents from the Epstein Files, weeks before the arrest.
Asteroid Church, that is, though both stories chronicled below do involve actual physical structures used as houses of worship. Back-to-back displays on January 28th & 29th of asteroid Church, conjoined the manifestation-evoking Quasar at 8 Cancer, pumped up by Jupiter at 17 Cancer, ran the gamut from groundbreaking promotions to Constitution-threatening arrests, as Sarah Mullally was elevated to become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, and journalist Don Lemon was indicted for reporting on an anti-ICE protest in a St. Paul, Minnesota church.
It’s another catch-up edition of Cosmic Grab Bag, where AAA delves into previously skipped stories, to set the celestial record straight! This issue is all about protest and insanity, with a successful, bloodless revolution in Bulgaria, and an ongoing, bloody protest in Iran; and two Trumpian moments of note.
In the wee hours of Saturday, 3 January 2026, US special forces bombed military and power facilities in the Venezuelan capital, raiding the presidential palace in Caracas and abducting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his wife and son, and transporting them to the US, where they face federal narcotics charges. A build-up of US naval power in the region, as well as frequent strikes at sea on alleged drug-runner boats and the seizure of two tankers supposedly carrying contraband oil, presaged the military operation on the mainland. Trump has been applying increasing pressure on Maduro to leave office, and has now stated that the US will “run” Venezuela while an interim government is established.
