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.
2026 got off to a tragic start in Crans-Montana, a Swiss alpine ski resort, where a New Year celebration took a deadly turn, sparking a fire that killed upwards of 40 people, with an additional 115 wounded. At about 1:30 AM CET, patrons at Le Constellation, a popular regional bar in Switzerland’s Sierre district, watched in horror and scrambled for the exits as a champagne bottle, topped with either sparklers or a lit candle (reports vary) was hoisted to the rafters by a staffer resting on another staffer’s shoulders. The wooden ceiling caught fire, with flames spreading rapidly to create an inferno. Pandemonium ensued, with guests smashing windows to make their escape.
US President Kim Jong Don will be celebrating his 79th birthday on Saturday, 14 June, 2025, with a North-Korean-style military parade in the nation’s capital, while simultaneously, 3000 miles away, US National Guard and Marines patrol the country’s largest city, ostensibly to quell “insurrectionists” protesting his administration’s immigration policies. The dual displays of military power, both unprecedented and controversial, well encapsulate the leading feature of Dear Leader’s Solar Return, which occurs the day before: a square between Mars, planet of the military, violence and war, and Uranus, planet of shocks, upsets, controversy, volatility, and extreme reactions.
On 17 September 2024, rapper and recording mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs (AKA Puffy, Puff, and Puff Daddy, at various points in his career) was arrested on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The charges largely stem from Combs’ infamous “freak-offs,” coerced sex acts performed by sex workers which Combs allegedly orchestrated and filmed, in marathon sessions lasting for days, fueled by drugs which kept performers compliant. Combs has been denied bail as a flight risk, and remains incarcerated.
The October Surprise has a venerable history in American politics, dating back more than a century, and referring to a sudden, often shocking, unanticipated turn of events which threatens to upend a presidential election. Perhaps the most famous example is October of 1980, when it was announced that the hostages held at the American Embassy in Tehran would not be released before the election, thus further imperiling Jimmy Carter’s hotly contested race with Ronald Reagan (spoiler alert – Carter lost!).
But this year, the October Surprise may come early, with an astrologic flair, as Uranus, the planet of shocks, surprises and the unexpected, will be coming to its retrograde station on September 1st, perhaps tossing a bombshell into the presidential race. The reason why that may be so is Uranus’ prime placement, occupying 27 Taurus, celestial real estate that strongly impacts both major candidates, as well as VP Kamala Harris and Trump’s running mate, JD Vance. But the most strongly affected will be Joe Biden, with Uranus exactly opposed his Sun at 27 Scorpio. Uranus moves onto the 27th degree of Taurus on August 8th, so the fireworks could ensue as early as that.
“As a man soweth, so shall he reap.” – Galatians 6:7
Former US president Donald Trump, foremost promoter of political violence in America, was injured in an unsuccessful assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, PA on Saturday, 13 July 2024. Nicked in the ear and bloodied by a shooter some 150 yards away, Secret Service agents quickly swarmed on the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, covering him bodily until word came that the shooter was down. At that point Trump was taken to an armed vehicle and whisked from the scene. Several attendees were injured, and one man died, as well as the shooter.
