Rick Perry – Reaching for the stars. The astrology of the Texas Governor turned Presidential hopeful.

The expected news came just before the weekend. Rick Perry has had ambitions to be President of the United States but until last week he had been keeping his gunpowder dry. Just before the Iowa straw poll, news came through that the Texas governor was entering the race to emulate his predecessor, one George W Bush. Is America keen for another gunslinger in the White House? I try to asses wether the Lone Star governor has got what it takes astrologically to make it all the way to the top.

Rick Perry was born on 4th March 1950 10 miles outside of Paint Creek, Texas at 10.40am. This time is not absolutely confirmed, but it comes from a Texas Astrologer, so the source seems like a good one

Ok What do we know about him?

Born in a rural cotton farm community where he lived and worked on the land with his family. Apparently it was a tough upbringing and on the cusp of the 4th house we find Virgo and also here is Pluto. Pluto infers the notion of being trapped or controlled. I can imagine that Rick’s home life would not have been a happy one.

As a boy we know he was an Eagle scout. In the 11th house we find the Piscean Sun, he will be a leader in groups and associations and social activities. Ricks friends will be a source of inspiration to him.

At school he studied animal science where he received a bachelors degree. On the Midheaven we find scientific Aquarius and in the house everyday routine and domesticated animals we find Neptune, conferring a real love for looking after them.

We know that Rick was trained to be a pilot and flew military jets while serving in the US Air Force in the Middle East and in Europe until 1977, he also very nearly became a commercial pilot. Mars is the planet signifying the military, and Mars in May 1950 was in social Libra, he was a military pilot turned social one. Mars sits in the 5th house of sports and physical activity and makes a trine to the Aquarian Midheaven conferring him with great technical skill in flying. Venus in the 9th brings fascination in travel and I am sure the chance to go abroad was one of the factors he used in choosing to go into the forces.

We know that Rick is an evangelical Christian. Jupiter is in Aquarius in the 10th house so Rick makes his faith an integral part of his public role. The Sun is in spiritual Pisces and his very conservative religious views are shown by stern Saturn sitting on the cusp of the 9th house.

We are now getting somewhere. Mr Perry’s appearance is always very clean cut, neat and sharp. Even at 61 years of age he looks like someone in their late 40’s which indicates someone who looks after themselves and their appearance, possibly a bit of vanity perhaps? Taurus ruled by Venus sits on the Midheaven showing that streak within him with Mars and Neptune now in the 9th. I understand Rick is a larger than life character and consistent with idea Jupiter is in square aspect to the Ascendant. This aspect reinforces the faith aspect tot his personality and gives him a bit of a lucky streak. 

Finally, here as they say in America “is the kicker”. Rick was encouraged to run for the presidency by his wife. Why did she have to persuade Rick to enter the race? It is because Rick lives under her thumb. Scorpio ruled by Pluto sits on the cusp of Rick’s 7th house. She controls (Pluto & Scorpio) him!! As I will show, her decision affected the race for the Republican nomination.

Right to the chart. Rick has a Sun in dreamy Pisces, the Moon in critical, conservative Virgo conjunct to Saturn, a Taurean Ascendant and a stubborn and erratic Aquarian Midheaven.

The Taurus Ascendant and Aquarius Midheaven give us a man who is a social organiser and a builder of his own little empire, it is in his nature. This is someone who has a very hard line and a severe public face. Rick is in favour of the death penalty, gun ownership, anti global warming and he wanted to go ahead with a $10 billion building programme of coal burning power stations, plans which were drastically reduced under the potential opposition of environmental litigation. All these issues, death, firearms, big business & heavy industry have been very controversial in nature, something that will follow him throughout his work life, he is a very divisive figure.

The basis of this chart are a couple of powerful oppositions. We have the Piscean Sun, dreamy and elusive in a tight opposition to the Moon and Saturn which is retrograde in the 5th house. A lot here to discuss. This opposition is across the 5th and 11th houses, the house of giving and receiving love. With Saturn in the 5th, this is a very reserved man emotionally. The Saturn/Moon combination tells me that Rick had a strict, hard working upbringing. Saturn and Moon together indicate a mother who was tough and critical on her son. Saturn retrograde shows that love was not forthcoming from his father either. Perhaps he was away a lot (unlikely as this was a family farm), or more likely he too was severe or maybe just cold on Rick as he was growing up. With the opposition to the 11th house Sun, I can assume that Rick’s self worth was severely dented as a child. The proof can be seen as Uranus in the 2nd house is exactly square to the Nodal Axis (otherwise known as the maternal axis). Here is a very cold and unpredictable relationship with his mother. The Moon in Virgo opposite the Sun in Pisces is a very sensitive, even shy combination, prone to being hurt and very self critical. In his soul, Perry sometimes lacks motivation, sometimes he needs to be given a kick up the backside to force him into action. It also makes one over-react, to do too much to overcome one’s weaknesses. The Moon in the 5th shows such an over-reaction. Rick’s will dramatize all his reactions, they will be severely over the top.

Being belittled as a youngster I believe forced Rick into action to join the forces, just to prove to his parents that he was worthy. It is telling that he held back in putting himself forward to join the race, almost as if that self-doubt in his chart was holding him back. It took his wife to push him forward to join the race. I believe that his charismatic nature we know is a front, a smokescreen (a very Piscean analogy) hiding a much more timid and deceptive personality out of the public gaze. That charisma comes from the other opposition on this chart. Jupiter and Mercury in Aquarius opposite to Pluto, forming a wedge with Neptune at the point. Jupiter and Mercury also make a trine to Uranus. This conjunction has great vision, big plans and Perry will be an electrifying, powerful speaker. Jupiter provides the scope, Pluto in opposition the depth, Neptune the grace and a poetic tone and Uranus in trine aspect allows sparks to fly. One thing to notice. This combination is great in rhetoric, but where is the detail behind it? Grand conservative social plans yes (Aquarius, Libra, Cancer) in a rather self-centred way (Pluto in regal Leo). There are no earth planets in this combination giving a grounding to the message. Uranus sitting in the 2nd house of finance rives Rick a rather reckless attitude to money in general. Is this exactly what The US needs in times of austerity? His record in Texas on the face of it does seem impressive, but drill below the surface and the picture is not so clear. The BBC says that Texas although the budget has been balanced still owes a lot of money in unpaid debts, the jobs that have been made are only low paid ones, probably taken up by immigrants and the standard of education has dropped through the floor in the state. Sounds remarkably like the situation in Britain, and see where that has lead us in the last couple of weeks!! Will all this be enough, and will the American system really focus in on what he actually has achieved?

The Sun and Moon opposition also contributes two more things to this chart. Firstly, Perry’s character and his emotions will work at cross purposes, so he will send out mixed messages, causing confusion in personal relationships. Secondly, the most obvious aspects often are overlooked on a chart as people are looking too deeply. We have Sun opposite Moon (conjunct to Saturn), a man versus a woman; a very powerful authoritarian (Saturn) one as well. One of Perry’s challenges will be to fight and defeat Michele Bachmann, who may take enough of the religious right and tea party support away from him, to let Mitt Romney who seems more moderate in his views take the centre ground. Finally before I move to look at current planetary movements, one last connection. Uranus sits square to the nodal axis. This indicates someone who generally is out of step with public opinion. When challenged why their views are so different, they tend to get irritated, insensitive or rebellious. Perry will have to hold his tongue in the Republican debates when his motives and especially his religious opinions are questioned.

I move to the transits and looking at what happened astrologically as Perry entered the race. Last week as Perry mulled over entering the fray, the transiting Sun and Venus were conjunct to Perry’s Pluto just before his announcement on Saturday 13th. A minor connection, but a significant one. With Scorpio on the cusp of the 7th as I suggest, the push from a female influence (Venus) on Perry’s Pluto persuaded him to enter the race. I think she fancies 4 years in the White House? As he spoke, the Sun was exactly quindecile to his natal Venus again highlighting the female influence on him. Transiting Jupiter was square the Aquarian Midheaven, Sun opposite his 10th house Jupiter and the transiting Moon conjunct it. Mars, highlighting communication in Perry’s chart (Aries on 3rd house cusp) was square to the nodal axis, putting his actions squarely in the public eye (sorry about the pun). The transiting Moon was also opposite to natal Pluto again highlighting his wife’s influence (Cancer on cusp of 7th) and his Scorpio Midheaven ambitions. 

How are things going to pan out. Well transiting Saturn is going to contact Rick’s natal Neptune in the middle of September which will be a debilitating influence. Natal Saturn sits in the 5th house and Neptune in the 6th, is this a risk he has taken that will suddenly go wrong, the 5th house is the house of affairs? The 9th & 11th houses are involved too, so does this situation have international connections with friends or groups? We shall see next month.  I believe this will be a critical time for him. In December 2011, Perry starts to pick up a transit that will last for him from that time through until the Presidential election itself. Transiting Pluto will square to Rick’s natal Mars and also square his Nodal Axis. Pluto is operating out of it’s own 8th house of change and transformation, Mars is in Rick’s 5th house of affairs, creativity and speculation and rules the 12th house of sacrifice and service. Pluto rules the 7th house of relationships, dealing with others and of open enemies. This square to the Nodes harks back to events in April 2011, when Pluto stationed exactly on Perry’s node before turning retrograde. This square is very destructive and accurately describes the wildfires which were affecting Texas at the time. Looking back, Perry was considered crazy by some at the time as he officially asked for spiritual help for Texas by declaring a 3 day period of prayer for rain as a cure for the disaster affecting his state. The divine intervention never came as the sun continued to beat down. Watch to see if Perry’s opponents jump on this weakness for using God as a panacea for all the ills and disappointments going on in America.

Looking at election day 6th November 2012 if Rick makes it that far, we have a mixed bag of transits for him. On the plus side, we have a nice sextile between transiting Jupiter and natal Pluto and a trine between Jupiter and Neptune. Jupiter will also square the Sun, Moon and Saturn opposition. I feel the effect of over-confidence on this aspect, and in the process he will get a hit to the self-worth profile. Transiting Neptune will be square to his Taurus Ascendant on election day, not a very happy one and dissolving any dreams he will have. Neptune transiting the 10th house of work is also not an auspicious platform for launching a Presidential campaign. This will be a time when Rick will be unsure of his direction in life, and any deceit that he has been party to will come out, or then again may be deceived himself. Transiting Saturn also will be square natal Venus, this will be an emotionally depressing time.

Having now got a definitive birth time, I am still not convinced by Rick Perry. As an outsider and somebody who is looking at this from a neutral perspective, I do feel that there does seem something false about his chart. A lot of bravado & charisma yes, but not so much substance. I also think he tends to hide behind his religious views too much. The other lingering doubt remaining with me is this. If he was so confident of winning, why didn’t he enter the race earlier, and why did his wife have to push him so much to get him to run? Something tells me he is hiding something. The less time you are under scrutiny, the less time there is to dig the dirt on him. As the competition heats up over the coming months, the planets will find out the truth.

**** Update 10th Nov 11 ****

I sort of knew it would happen somewhere along the line. During a live CBS debate, Rick Perry last night made a huge gaff when trying to remember all three government agencies he would cut if he became President. He remembered two, Commerce and Education but then he stumbled, and even asked his rivals if they could help. Fully 15 minutes later, he finally came up with the answer, the Energy agency. Fifteen minutes too late and his Presidential campaign seems to be falling apart. This happens as the transiting Nodes now are starting to square his Sun opposition to Moon/Saturn, Uranus was almost exactly square (0.04 degrees) to it’s own position and disorientating Neptune was approaching an exact square to his ascendant. I think we can now fully discount his chances (at least this time around) for him having any chance of becoming President in 2012.

Angela Merkel – German Chancellor facing mounting criticism over EU bail out.

Angela Merkel is facing opposition in her own coalition in Germany after agreeing to bail out European member states in the continuing debt crisis. As the one economy which is bucking the trend of downturn and depression, Germany is facing the prospect of using it’s hard earned profits to help out it’s poorer and one would say badly governed neighbours in Southern Europe. It is a strategy that is not garnering support in the German nation.
She was born on 17th July 1954 in Hamburg, Germany at 17.45, a Sun sign Cancerian with a humanitarian Aquarian Moon and a outwardly looking Sagittarius Ascendant. The mix of Sun and Moon shows that Angela has a social conscience, her emotions go out to help people. She is an innovator, very security conscious and will protect her position and those who support her as much as possible. Angela will be very sensitive to the needs of other people & she will do whatever she can to foster good relations. As with all those with their Sun in water signs, if things don’t go the way she wants, she can get very moody as well.

There is much Aquarian influence over Angela. Her Sun is closely in contact with Uranus and the Moon is in Aquarius. You know looks can be deceiving. This lady is very much an individual, quite quirky, plus her instincts will encourage her to go out on a limb and stand her ground. The Sun and Uranus are a very stubborn combination in this regard, and it may get her into trouble if she decides on a course of action in disregard to others advising her. It is very interesting that the Sun and Uranus, as well as Pluto (associated with big business) and Venus (associated with social affairs and personal possessions) are all in the 8th house of other people’s money, and her current stance over the debt bail out is the one causing her trouble. With 4 planets in the 8th, interest in big business, investment & finances will have coloured her life. Uranus here always indicates someone who favours free market economics, Uranus does not like barriers. Angela’s relationships will be emotional, intense and stormy with both Pluto, Venus and Uranus in this house, although you won’t know it. The Cancer Sun and Scorpio influence (8th house and Pluto) will mean that both her husband and any problems will be kept strictly out of the public glare, firmly behind closed doors. Angela will also have a interest in scientific subjects, she studied physics at university and also more taboo subjects too like life after death, maybe astrology and the occult, and I am sure that she will be an inventive cook. Cancerians love their food and Uranus adds ideas and the need to experiment. 
The Sun and Uranus make a square to Neptune and the Midheaven. I always say that the Sun and it’s position show a picture of the father and with Angela’s chart it describes him perfectly. He was a Lutheran pastor, a man of the cloth. The link from Sun to Neptune (the spiritual planet) shows this clearly. The interesting part is that despite living in East Germany, he was allowed to preach in West Germany, travelling across the Iron Curtain border without hindrance. The conjunction of Uranus, the planet of freedom and humanitarianism connecting with both Sun and Neptune indicate the privilege he had. In Angela’s life this square highlights that she has a social ideal and dream that she wants to share through her work in service to others. Neptune is in Libra which if anything accentuates the community aspect of this. It is also conjunct to Saturn. Saturn is in Scorpio the 10th, a very heavyweight placing. Angela has a deep overriding desire to administrate, to control & to be in charge, to be a respected person of stature in the world. Neptune adds a preaching element to the mix and through to the Midheaven we have a connection to being at the top of the tree. A sneaky liking for being in the limelight is also given by Neptune being in the middle of the sandwich between Saturn and Midheaven. She will be very hard on herself and also on others around her. Letting go of that controlling tendency to allow other people to do their job, will always cause friction in her life and in her relationships.
Being a social servant of others is also shown by the Moon in Aquarius which is in the 2nd house of finance and personal possessions widely opposite to Pluto. Her emotions are cool on the outside and turbulent on the inside, as well as being fickle. Sometimes she will be passionate and involved, sometimes cold and uninterested. The connection to Pluto shows that on an emotional level, at least once in her life, she will ditch all her ties and start afresh, and it is known that she divorced her first husband Ulrich, and she then remarried. I can imagine there would have been a battle over finances in the split, Moon in the 2nd opposite Pluto in the 8th will fight for their own possessions and money with fierce determination.
That determined streak to win in any battle is shown by Mars trine to Pluto from the first house. Mars is in Sagittarius showing a wonderful pioneering spirit, a Sagittarian Ascendant needs a challenge to keep them going. There is a definite sense that she is someone with boundless energy, full of grand plans and big ideas; although she must also be careful not to promise more than she can deliver. Angela will get most offended if she is not listened to, and if her ideas and philosophies are rejected, then depression can set in. Mars is retrograde in her chart indicating that the energy she has is internally focused and will be turned in on herself, frustration may well be something that beats her up inside, rather than externally venting it on those around her.
Mars makes a tight quindecile to Jupiter and Mercury in the 7th house. Here is someone who will be aggressive and very quick off the mark in debate with others (7th house). She will love the cut and thrust of discussing theories, philosophies and policies and sharing them with the public. She will not mince her words with Mercury trine to Saturn; she will be a straight talker, getting down to the bare bones of an argument or discussion without any fuss. Her brain will work on a deep serious level and she will be able to handle complex problems and ideas in a thorough and methodical approach. Jupiter and Mercury often indicate a talent for teaching and this is one avenue she may well take up once she leaves politics following her mother. Jupiter and Mercury are in conjunction with the Nodal Axis (the maternal axis); Angela’s mother was a language teacher – Mercury accentuates communication and Jupiter shows the international nature of it. The Moon in the second (the other indicator of the mother) shows that she served the public.
Mercury through the trine to Saturn makes a grand mini trine to Venus in Virgo. She will be interested in and will appreciate beauty & fashion, but her own style will be in a straight-forward and unfussy manner, rather more functional than haute-couture.
Problems do look as if they are on the horizon for Angela on the work front. Looking at the transit chart first, the standout aspect I see is Saturn approaching a conjunction with Angela’s Midheaven at 17 Libra. This aspect which becomes exact in September is a double edged sword. Saturn hitting the zenith of a chart is a time when all the chickens come home to roost, everything that you have been preparing for workwise in the previous months and years comes to completion, with either good or devastating consequences. Looking to where Saturn and Capricorn is placed tells me that Angela during the first pass will lay down the law but in the process, her authority will be challenged (Saturn in 10th house) and as such her self worth will be hit (Capricorn on cusp of 2nd house). Saturn will then go on to conjunct with Neptune at 23 Libra and in the process square to her Sun/Uranus and sextile to Pluto; Saturn will finally return to this degree in May, June and July next year. This is a very depressing, downbeat, disintegrating type of influence that is connected with the finance problems which are surfacing now through the connection to the planets in the 8th house. By extended house rulership, the 2nd, 8th, 11th and 12th houses will be hit most  - self worth 2nd, other peoples money and big business 8th, party issues and alliances 11th, and a lack of personal control over things 12th. What happens to her at this time will be the result of other people’s decisions.

On the Solar Arc Charts, SA Pluto sits on Angela’s Midheaven which shows a transformation in progress of her public image. SA Neptune is also making a sextile with her Midheaven, putting a cloud over her authority. SA North Node and Ascendant are both quindecile Pluto showing her making a stance and putting her firmly in the public eye. Finally in one year’s time, as transiting Saturn completes it connection to Neptune, Sun and Uranus, SA Midheaven will conjunct her Ascendant. A time for appreciating one’s achievements, but also a time for moving on? I don’t think so, although after the latest set of transits her authority will be much weakened. Angela is one tough, tough cookie and will take some shifting, she won’t go without being pushed. However in 2013/14 as SA Venus starts to connect with Angela’s natal Saturn, the time of the next scheduled elections in Germany, I think she will either be voted or forced out. Libra rules her Midheaven and so any transit or progression to or from Venus will affect her position as Chancellor.

Michele Bachmann – Is America ready for a female president?

The race for the Republican nomination to challenge Barack Obama is now on and a surprise woman candidate is starting to steal all the headlines, Michele Bachmann. You know, sometimes it’s the one with the momentum, the one who comes out of nowhere who often steals the crown in American elections. Barack Obama emerged from the pack last time out having relatively little experience as a US Senator to eventually waltz away with the Democratic nomination and then the presidency, and the one I remember the most was Bill Clinton. Back a year and a half before Bill won the presidency, I read a newspaper article about this relatively unknown (unknown to those of us in the UK) politician from Hope, Arkansas who was building up a head of steam in the 1992 race. Twenty years on and the effect is happening again. Is this woman the real deal? Let’s look at the astrology.

Michele is a fiery Aries, born on 6th April 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa. I do now have an unconfirmed birth time for her, of 12.08. Is this am or pm? We have a couple of strong clues that it is pm. The first is an insatiable love for caring for children. She has had 5 herself and cared for 23 foster girls too!! The fifth house is the house of children and in her chart Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter (the planet of generosity and excess) is intercepted in the 5th. We also find Scorpio ruled by Pluto which on the cusp  which if anything increases the effect – Pluto never knows when to stop. Those foster children had eating disorders, born out by the Pluto effect. Saturn sits in the 5th house too showing a serious attitude to looking after children opposite to Venus. You can see the link immediately in the opposition, girls (Moon) with serious health problems (Capricorn ruled by Saturn sits on the cusp of the 6th house of health). Placing Sagittarius squarely in the 5th house of children, confirms the second of the two clues. Michele has strong Christian faith, also ruled by Jupiter. By placing Sagittarius in the 5th, we suddenly find that Neptune the planet of spirituality is on the cusp of the 9th house of faith and beliefs. Serious Saturn sitting in Sagittarius adding a conservative edge to her beliefs. A very nice fit indeed.  She will feel that he rightful place is at the top, and with Leo on her Ascendant and Sun and Mercury conjunct to her Midheaven, it only reinforces these desires. 

Ok, working to the assumption that 12.08pm is a probable birth time, we have a 10th house Aries Sun conjunct to Mercury with an Leo ascendant too. The 10th house Sun is always a position of wanting to run things, her career and reputation will be very important to her. The Sun Mercury combination is a partisan one, she will see things her way and she will be outspoken. Aries ascendants as well as Mercury and Sun in Aries always remind me of the proverb “Look before you leap”. This is the thing that she has to learn to do as Sun/Mercury in Aries often doesn’t, landing those with the conjunction often in hot water. She will say and do things she will regret later, however if ever you want someone to lead you out of difficult situation (as the US is financially in), then there is nobody better than a forthright Aries to lead the way & Michele will be “vey” Aries in nature. That is what they were brought onto this earth to do.

The Sun/Mercury conjunction is trine to a Jupiter/Pluto in Leo conjunction sitting in the 2nd house of money and finance. Here is a need for the control of finance and this conjunction is opposite to her Aquarian Moon in the 8th house of big business and dealing with other people’s money. Michele is a finance and tax expert with huge experience. She has an emotional connection to the handling of other people’s money. With Mars in the 6th house of everyday work and Capricorn as I mentioned on the cusp of this house, Michelle will be extremely very hard working and have a very disciplined attitude. A money expert is just what America needs in these austere times? Returning to Pluto and Jupiter, Michele will have a love of luxury life and will spend hugely on making her own home as comfortable as possible. Pluto and Jupiter hate petty minded people, so watch out for her cutting down critics to size in a forthright manner, and also need to feel power and recognition, especially as both these planets sit in regal Leo.

Saturn is retrograde, as ever indicating that lack of love received from her father in her younger years (as mentioned before her parents divorced) and squares onto Pluto. This square is a profound aspect when activated by transits or progressions. Often losses or disappointments in life lead to some sort of emotional breakdown or depression, frustration and reinvention of the personality. Change comes at a cost, often through great pain – I suspect the parental split would have hit her very hard. Alongside these possibilities comes the potential with Saturn/Pluto for great achievement, high ambition and success. These people strive for the ultimate. With a square from Pluto to Venus indicating deep emotions and potential transformation through relationships, a t-square is formed. I get the feeling that when activated, this t-square has the potential for great heartbreak. Luckily for Michele at this time, that activation is someway off in the future. Saturn also trines onto Uranus, so she will have a knack for keeping the conservative values she holds true, yet pushing forward new radical ideas in the same breath. With the same old faces like Mitt Romney & Newt Gingrich seemingly towards the head of the running, and seeing that last time John McCain rain a pretty lame campaign on behalf of the Republican party, I get a feeling that they will be looking for a fresh new face to battle against Obama. Having got a taste of the female touch with Sarah Palin last time out, I wonder if Michele might just be the right woman to appear at the right time? Will her more controversial views like banning same sex marriage (conservative Saturn in the 5th of love given opposite to Venus and trine Uranus) hold up when opened to scrutiny?

There is one more t-square on the chart based around a dynamic Mars/Uranus opposition. Mars is in serious hard working Capricorn and Uranus accentuates this. Michele is a grafter, highly ambitious, disciplined somebody who will use all her energies and talents to get the job done. She will be an excellent strategist and planner and realistic in her aims. Even if she doesn’t make the top job, I can see her being very influential in the financial planning of a future Republican administration along the way. Mars squares onto Neptune in the 4th, so she has an ideal, a dream that that serious Mars in Capricorn is working towards, and she will have some innovative ideas to back her up vision. That vision I believe is two-fold, a social and spiritual vision for society in general based around her faith (Neptune in Libra) and more pertinently to her own situation a dream home full of peace and harmony. Having come from a broken home, one can certainly wish that she finds that ideal.

Finally Uranus conjuncts her ascendant from the 12th house. This gives Michelle a identification with those who are suffering. There is a very humanitarian response to those in need and her instinct reaction will be always to help. With the US in dire need of someone with financial management experience to pull the debt around, I think that this placing was very powerful and instrumental in her decision to run for the Presidency. She like to be an individual, someone out on a limb, and the conservative Tea Party, part of the Republican party but distinct in philosophy and ideas suits her perfectly.

Michele’s chart stacks up nicely alongside the US natal chart too if her birth-time is 12.08 instead of 00.08 . Her Aquarius moon is in conjunction (around 3 degrees) of the US moon, so her emotions will be picked up favourably by the American public. Her Sun/Mercury and Midheaven opposes the US Saturn; this is a huge link as her message will sit well with how the US needs to be administered. Her Neptune (dreams) trine the US Moon or public’s perceptions. Her hardworking Mars opposes the US Mercury, I suspect she may have battles with the press.

Michelle has been very vocal in the recent debt default crisis. Saturn opposite the Midheaven which is happening right now will encourage criticism of her stance on the matter. Saturn will go on to oppose both Sun and Mercury causing frustration and maybe run-ins with the media (Mercury rules the 3rd house of the press). However Saturn transits cause you to learn and by late autumn these transits will have passed. One other slightly worrying transit for her campaign is the fact that transiting Neptune will be square to her Saturn/Venus opposition for quite a while. Neptune tends to hide the truth until other transiting planets bring things into the open. Maybe there are skeletons in her closet? Also Transiting Saturn will hit her natal Neptune mid campaign which may things spinning off the rails.

At the time of the next Presidential election she will have SA Jupiter opposite her natal Sun & Midheaven which signifies luck, success and recognition, her SA Moon conjunct her natal Sun also giving her illuminated achievements and a female initiated influence. Her Solar Arc Pluto will be sextile natal Jupiter which is fortunate and hints at some sort of influential position. Solar Arc Venus will be opposite natal Uranus which gives excitement and a sense of being appreciated. All together, these are a very fortunate set of Solar Arc transits all hitting at the same time. It bodes well for her.  Oh yes, one more aspect for you to consider. On the date of the next Presidential election, transiting Saturn will be exactly trine the US natal Venus, the sign of a female influence on the administration of the country perhaps?

Having looked at all the three main candidates, I am siding to the view that Michele will be involved in some way in the shake-up in the end, but maybe not as the Presidential candidate herself. I am leaning the way that she may be possible vice-president material, possibly to Mitt Romney as the main challenger to Obama, and as a pay off to the tea party supporters who’s influence now have a firm hold within Republican circles. There is a lot of water to flow under the bridge, however Nov 2012 may turn out to be a highlight time for Michele whatever happens.

Benjamin Netanyahu – Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Whilst the world were straining their eyes on the Capitol building to see if the Americans would pass a budget for the next year, a important concession was rung out of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu by President Obama, namely for Israel to accept the 1967 borders as a starting point for peace negotiations with the Palestinians, although places where Jewish settlers were now occupying must also be taken into consideration. In Israeli terms, this is a seismic shift in policy, after in May Netanyahu flatly refused to accept such an idea and at home & it may have severe consequences for a leader under pressure from his own people.
Benjamin Netanyahu was born on 21st October 1949 in Tel Aviv, Israel at 09.30am. He is a double Libran with both Sun and Moon in the sign of the scales and he has, if the birth time is correct a Sagittarian Ascendant although right on the cusp, quite possibly he may have Scorpio rising if the birth time was a couple of minutes out. Libra is the sign of the diplomat, the negotiator, the one who wants an easy stress free life & Benjamin is very Libran in nature with 4 planets in the sign. Incidentally, you may not know, but wheeling and dealing is in the very fabric of Israeli consciousness too (not that you would have known it in the past few years), as Israel also has a Libran ascendant; one which conjuncts with Netanyahu’s Sun. They go together like peaches and cream. Libra does have one big fault though, not being able to make one’s mind up and wanting to keep people happy and it leads you to sit on the fence when a critical decision does have to be made.

To the chart. Netanyahu has his Sun, Moon and Neptune all in the 11th house in Libra surrounding the South Node and still in conjunction with them but in the 10th sits Mercury. It is funny and quite ironic that the 11th house is both the house of politicians and also of love received, politicians adore all the attention, don’t they? That’s why they get into the job. With such a focus on the 11th house, politics and committees were always going to be an avenue Netanyahu in life would have travelled down. Eleventh house people need appreciation and love shown to them, and in that Libran way he will be able to “bend” or sacrifice principles to get the peace and harmony he inwardly craves as well as position himself to vault himself up the political ladder. Netanyahu is somewhat of a yes man, certainly in regard to his dealings with others in positions of power. Now, this chart does have 6 planets in cardinal signs so Netanyahu will be a go ahead type. It leads me to believe that he will act despite the Libran inclination to prevaricate, but in order to keep others around him sweet and possible at the expense of other more pressing matters. Criticism in Israel of Netanyahu’s tenure as Prime Minister has been of his pre-occupation of keeping his coalition together, rather than forging ahead with new policies.
Sun, Moon, Neptune and Mercury is not only quite a gentle combination but also a slippery one too. This conjunction on this chart gives me the impression that Netanyahu goes very much on his instincts in negotiation and discussion, able to go with the flow. We have the influence of both water and air here, highly tuned in but also extremely flexible, so long as it is in the best interest of Netanyahu (and in turn through the connection of the two charts, the Israeli interest). Netanyahu knows his history, Moon and Mercury (especially in 10th) in conjunction always shows a deeply ingrained love of the past, and he should know what will and won’t be acceptable to his people.
I feel that this passionate love of the homeland and history would have been ingrained into Benjamin by his mother, especially because of the close link of the Moon to the South Node and thus Nodal axis. There would have been an inseparable bond between them. The Sun/Moon/Neptune Mercury stellium make a sextile out to Pluto and Mars in Leo in conjunction in the 9th house of faith, education, wisdom and internationalism. This is a very power driven combination, ruthless & determined to make one’s mark on the world. Netanyahu’s Jewish faith will be very close to his soul, and he will defend it with all his might; as faith and homeland are so intertwined, he would fight just as much for his country shown by Mars sextile to his Sun (conjunct Israeli Ascendant). He entered the Israeli army after leaving school and served in the special elite forces with distinction. With a strong accent on this chart on the 9th house, it is no surprise that a major part of Benjamin’s life was spent abroad, mainly in the US studying. Before he became Prime Minister, he served as a long time as Israeli foreign minister, and the international influence in his life also extended to his relationships as he was to married a British woman, the second of 3 marriages in his life so far. Gemini is on the cusp of the 7th house, so Benjamin was never going to be one who would be emotionally tied to just one woman in his life, Gemini is just too fickle for that, and Mercury ruling Gemini is in conjunction with Neptune, which is always searching for the ideal. This is backed up Venus in Sagittarius square to Saturn. Venus in Sagittarius wanders for love, is never settled, always wants more and is not afraid of taking the odd emotional risk. Along that road, Benjamin would have met a lot of setbacks and disappointments (Saturn) in his search for the ultimate love (remember back to the 11th house and his need for love).
We find Saturn in critical Virgo conjunct the Virgo Midheaven. The Virgo accent here clearly gives the message of serving others by administration. There is a hard critical edge to his work dealings, a penchant for order and correctness. I can imagine him to be a hard and severe task master to those below him. Saturn conjunct to the Midheaven is a statement of ambition to rise to the top of the tree, which he has done. The Saturn square to Venus I wrote of earlier leads us to the first house. There is obviously a very sociable side to Benjamin away from his work, although I feel that Saturn’s influence would get in the way of him being a true party animal. Venus in the first is very conscious of one’s personal appearance, and again rather than being casual and relaxed as you would expect a Venus in Sagittarius to be, I suspect that neat and tidy would be preferred Netanyahu’s style, coloured by that precise, just so Saturn. Venus in Sagittarius does hint at the idea of idealism, and that idealism in Benjamin flows out from Venus through aspects to Mercury and Neptune (political idealism, 11th), to Saturn and the Midheaven (idealism in his ambitions & position in society/work, 10th) and to Pluto (idealism of his strongly held beliefs and faith, 9th). you can see why he took the path in life he did.
The Sun and Moon square to Jupiter in the 2nd house of money. Here is a big spender who will like a lavish lifestyle, no expense will be spared in acquiring quality possessions. This is a generous man with a big, almost self inflated ego. The square hints to a cheerful, optimistic disposition who generally looks to the bight side in life, there’s always another opportunity around the corner. Jupiter in Capricorn is shrewd with money and here we see another link with his work career and Netanyahu served as Israeli finance minister. Uranus sits in the 8th house of big business and points to him being a big advocate of free market policy, Uranus never if fond of restrictions of any sort. Uranus squares back to Mercury giving him a quick thinking brain; he is an original thinker and will be a electric public speaker able to excite a crowd.
Uranus in the 8th house of change and death is a very dangerous position for it to be sitting, especially if one has a Pluto Mars conjunction as well. It certainly hints at a very up and down life, with big highs and lows, three marriages is an indication of the rollercoaster that Benjamin has lead. His brother Yonathan was killed in the forces while in military action (Aquarius ruled by Uranus is on the cusp of the 3rd house of brothers and sisters) and I get the feeling that Mr Netanyahu better be careful in the decisions he makes, there are a lot of enemies he could make whatever he decides on the Israel/Palestinian question, and nationally he is already in a weak situation.

Currently we are approaching one of those very nasty and potentially dangerous periods for his own political ambitions. Transiting Uranus is square Benjamin’s natal Uranus which is also being opposed by transiting Pluto. On 10th/11th August, Mars will conjunct Netanyahu’s Uranus at 5 Cancer and a few days later hit the July 1st eclipse degree of 9 Cancer, still in conjunction with that natal Uranus. Remember, Mars and Pluto are in conjunction in Benjamin’s chart so any Mars transit will be transformational. In this few days we have Uranus, Mars and Pluto all combining. Now Pluto is operating out of the second house of finance and natal Uranus is in the house of other people’s finance and possessions. Netanyahu at home is facing social protests (Uranus) over housing and social benefits (all 8th house and Uranian issues) and he has record low popularity ratings. Pluto’s rules Scorpio which rules the 12th house on this chart, so Netanyahu will feel helpless to stop the terminal decline he is facing. There could be worse to come as Mars connects up with natal Uranus and hits the eclipse degree. The fact that that eclipse hit Netanyahu in the 8th house of change close to natal Uranus could be a fatal hit. Transiting Saturn also shows a similar picture, as it is conjunct natal Neptune (showing weakness) and it will soon hit his 11th house Moon (depressing) and South Node (a spot on the chart which is always a fall position). By agreeing to this so called compromise with Obama, will the coalition in the Israeli Knesset stay together, or will his own Likud party members see this agreement as the last straw, and decide to distance themselves permanently from the embattled Israeli Prime Minister? The stars do not look helpful for him…

Arnold Schwarzenegger – A look at the horoscope at the film star and politician suffering from personal problems.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has had a tough time recently. First he split from his wife Maria Schriver  in May after a 25 year marriage, and then in the past week his 13 year old son Christopher was severely hurt in a surfing accident and the estranged couple broke off divorce proceedings to be at the bedside of their son in intensive care. Luckily he is in recovery now but in the words of Schwarzenegger, it has been a “scary week”.

Arnold was born on 30th July 1947 in Graz, Austria at 04.10am. He is a proud Sun sign Leo in the first house with a hardworking Capricorn moon and a protective Cancerian ascendant. Immediately one can sense that this is a man who would work like a trojan to get to the top at whatever he set his heart on. The Leo Sun wants to be number one, to rule is his “raison d'être”. With Venus also in the 1st house this is a friendly, kind big hearted fellow, a larger than life character for sure. One with a love of a sentimental side, a love of his family and of his nation. With Venus in the first house also a love of his own beauty, definitely someone who would look adoringly at himself in the mirror, yes Arnold would have a touch of vanity. Once he got to the top, he would protect his position with gusto. The Cancerian ascendant is always a little paranoid of anyone impeding on one’s territory, putting barriers up around one to protect what one has.

The Moon sits in the 6th house of everyday work in Capricorn. Here is the need to administrate combined with huge ambition. These type of people can handle several jobs at the same time, they are true workaholics. The feelings are stifled, well at least on the outside and Arnie may appear tough and business like, while inside he is as emotional as the next person. Moon in Capricorn people are afraid of showing emotion. This is a very practical position for the Moon and Arnie will instinctively act to make the lives of those around him better.

The Moon makes two quindecile aspects to Mercury and Mars (conjunct to Uranus) all in the 12th house. The 12th is the house of service. The Moon/Mercury quindecile shows that when he does speak, and I don’t think he enjoys public speaking, he speaks from the heart in tune with his emotional state at the time.  Mercury trines onto Jupiter giving Arnold a philosophical mind as well as a flair for law and diplomacy.  This endears him with the public  and he will instinctively know how to deal with them, and what they want from him. The Mars/Moon quindecile is emotionally charged. Mars in the 12th in Gemini is busy, wanting to know everything going on, doing several tasks at the same time. It is also a position where one wants to help others and with Uranus adding extra impetus to this, Arnold will work tirelessly on behalf of other people, putting his own needs a distant second. The proud and emotional tie to his community as well as the notoriety and drive that Arnold showed in service to others propelled him to the post of Governor of California. Not bad for a boy from a poor family in Austria. Arnold is not without is impulsive side and when frustrated Mars conjunct Uranus can also be indicative of a sharp temper.

The Moon also make a square aspect to Neptune in Libra in the 4th house. Neptune rules Arnold’s Midheaven through Pisces being on the cusp, and also makes a powerful quindecile aspect to the Midheaven. This Midheaven is connected to most of the planets on the chart, you can the aspect radiating out from the top.  Neptune and Pisces (as you will know if you read my blog regularly) rule creativity, TV and films. The powerful square from Mars and Uranus to the Midheaven show his ambition and determination to be a unique talent on the silver screen. This was always going to be his initial career path.

Neptune makes a sextile to a heavy Saturn/Pluto conjunction in the 2nd house which is also conjunct to that first house Sun. The connection between the Sun and this conjunction shows that the young Arnold would have been dominated by his controlling father. Saturn and Pluto in the 2nd house of self worth indicate that Arnie would have felt completely unworthy. Neptune sort of confirms this fact in the 4th showing that the home was a confusing, destabilizing place. Saturn and Pluto in the 2nd also confers a huge need to build up wealth and possessions, because of a fear of not having enough. There is a huge motivational force here if Arnie could find it as Saturn Pluto can move the earth and achieve incredible feats, however it can also bring one crashing down to earth in a huge way (see my post on Rupert Murdoch and his family).

So we have a young lad who feels inferior and wants to prove himself to his father, who has a streak of vanity within himself and has a dream to get to the top. What did he do? He took up bodybuilding to increase his confidence. There is square from Saturn/Pluto to Pluto in Scorpio in the 5th house. The 5th house is the house of sport, games, exercise and creativity. Arnold always like sport and Jupiter here makes one go to extremes. The Scorpio influence would have increased the effect, making Arnold compulsive about developing his physique and doing heavy workouts. As we all know, Arnie became a champion body builder eventually winning the Mr Universe competition. Jupiter trines to the ascendant too and confers a love of children and a rather risky attitude to affairs of the heart. The revelation that Arnie was fathering two children with 5 days of each other with two separate women back in 1997 just goes to show the dangers of Jupiter and it’s need for excess.

Through the transits of today you can see the see directly the problems Arnie has been suffering. Transiting Pluto has been conjunct to Arnold’s natal moon for the past few months, so this is a breakdown in his emotional life. The Moon rules his ascendant through Cancer so this hits him personally and Pluto through Scorpio sits on the cusp of the 5th house of children. The discovery of the previously unknown (Pluto) child (5th) he fathered has broken his long standing marriage. Transiting Uranus is opposing natal Neptune and is square to natal Moon. As we know, there has been an accident (Uranus) affecting his family (4th house) on water (Neptune) bringing him and his wife (Moon) unexpectedly (Uranus) back together as one, just for a while in support of their son. However this reunion will not last for long and when Saturn squares his ascendant in October this year and not long after squares natal Venus, the divorce process will be complete and Arnold will at last be able to move on with his life.

The American Debt Debate – Going to the wire and maybe beyond?

Over the pond in America, the debt debate is raiding it's ugly head as well as in Europe. As I understand it, the federal budget runs out on 2nd August and unless they lawmakers in America and the President agree a new budget or the President signs an extension to the current agreements in place, then the US will effectively run out of cash and will be defaulting on it’s current debts. Obama and his Democratic lead Senate wants to introduce a package which include $4 trillion of cuts but if the Republican lead house of Representatives does not play ball, then the President may be forced to raise the government’s debt ceiling as a temporary measure, obviously something he does not wish to do.

This debate goes back to 30th November last year when Obama forced through a pay freeze for federal workers, a measure to trim the huge federal deficit. Astrologically at that time Saturn was almost exactly conjunct the US natal Saturn. Saturn on the US natal chart is found at 14 degrees Libra in the 10th house of government and Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) sits on the cusp of the 2nd house of finance indicating that movements of Saturn will directly affect the US money supply. Saturn natally squares the natal Sun, showing the constant battles between the Government (Saturn) and the President (Sun). This aspect will always be a thorn in the side of both, no matter what parties or persuasions of the two factions. This conflict is inbuilt into the US chart and forever the animosity will be.

Moving onto April 1st and a raging debate over spending cuts and disagreements over a new budget pushed the US to within two hours of a government shutdown. Saturn, now moving retrograde had returned to 14 degrees Libra conjunct the US natal Saturn. This time Saturn is approaching it’s final pass of 14 degrees Libra before moving through for a final time as it continues it’s journey around the zodiac, returning back to this spot in 28 years time. Yet again, disagreements between the President and the Senate have flared up, and this time Saturn will hit 14 Libra towards the end of August. This says to me that the President will have to raise debt levels before an agreement will finally be thrashed out towards the end of next month. This agreement will have a lasting impact on the US economy, and we will see the ramifications of what they agree in around 7 years time when transiting Saturn squares it’s natal position.

Hugo Chavez – Venezuelan President stepping out of the limelight to fight cancer

One of the giants of the Central and South American political scene, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is only making fleeting appearances now as he fights to a serious bout of colon cancer, although the Venezuelan authorities argue that he is making a full recovery. I look at a fascinating man and assess the health story looking at his current chart aspects.

Hugo Chavez was born into a relatively poor family on 28th July 1945 in Sabaneta, Venezuela at 04.00am. He entered the army, and disagreeing with the political system of the day was part of a coup to unseat the government. That attempt in 1992 failed and he was jailed, but after he was released he formed a new political party. In 1998 he swept to victory in national elections, and has been incumbent as President ever since.

Chavez has a proud, arrogant Leo Sun as well as a protective, security conscious Cancerian Moon and Ascendant. You can see the mix here all too well, the Leo Sun will exert all his energies to get to the top, as far as Hugo will see his rightful place to be, and then the Cancerian Moon and Ascendant will go to all costs to protect his position - Hugo will build in barriers around himself,  change laws, promote those around him who support him and erect levels of national security to make sure his position is safe. The Sun in the 2nd house reinforces this need for security, as well as an aptitude for finance, economics & trade. Hugo will place great emphasis on his own possessions and a comfortable lifestyle, indeed he may see the Presidency as his own possession too.

Alongside the Sun there is a stellium of planets in the 1st house. Here we find Jupiter, the Moon, Mercury and Uranus, all in Cancer. Make no bones about it, Hugo Chavez is one very smart guy. The Mercury in the first house within conjunction to his ascendant sees to this, however not only is Chavez intelligent, more pertinently he feels. Almost instinctively he will know the right course of action at the right time. The Moon in Cancer will sense the moment, emotionally he will be able to pick up the mood of the people, with Jupiter in Cancer he will be able to empathise with them. Mind you he will end up doing his own thing, the Moon in the first house is a very self-sufficient “gonna do things my way” position. He will then tell them all about  his plans, endlessly. Mercury in the first house does seem to like the sound of it’s own voice. It is a bit of a con-trick he pulls, sucking the people in to follow his revolutionary (Uranus) socialist ways. I say socialist, because the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury sextile onto social Venus. Jupiter and Mercury create the idea of a big scale ideal and Venus adds the social angle to it. Venus in the 3rd house likes harmony, beauty, a local environment in peace without disorder or inequality. We find Venus in Virgo which promotes devotion and service. You can see the socialist ideas running right through this set of sextiles.

Before I move on to the other planets, I want to focus on the Moon which is in very close conjunction to the South Node. This connection to the Nodal axis or paternal axis as I see it shows a very close connection to the person who mothered him and brought him up. Normally this would be the parental mother, however because of the size of the family (he had 6 brothers and sisters), he was brought up by his grandmother. The grandmother of a man can always be seen in the first house, and this is where this Moon and South Node were tenanted. She would have been an inspiration to him and someone he would return to again and again when he needed any advice. Incidentally if you were wondering, the grandmother of a woman can be found in the 7th house.

Uranus squares to Neptune in Libra in the 4th house which suggests that Hugo would always have been  a revolutionary with a social dream (Libra in this case providing the social element). Neptune conjuncts Saturn, the dreams is serious, ambitious and has the need to build a society and to administer it. The two conjunctions Uranus/Sun and Neptune/Saturn square each other and you can see the tense flow of energy between them. Squares always drive you onwards and upwards; as you overcome the obstacles along the way and make progress until you reach your goal. Once you are there however, you relax your guard and then of course the problems mount and it becomes harder and harder to stay at the top. Square aspects forever will challenge in new ways as the transiting and progressing planets circle around the chart and connecting and disconnecting to the natal aspect, sometimes favourably but sometimes not. Returning to Saturn/Neptune in the 4th house, we know the Chavez household would have been a strict one and also one with a conservative religious air, something that Hugo still believes in being stoutly Roman Catholic with Pisces (ruled by spiritual Neptune) on the cusp of his 9th house of faith.

There is one more aspect formation on this chart that I have not explored. Neptune sits at the point of a mini grand trine based around a powerful Pluto in Leo in the 2nd trine to retrograde Mars in Sagittarius the 6th house. Mars trine Pluto is an enormous store of pent up energy, based around control of money and possessions (remember I stated that Chavez will see the presidency as his possession) and his physical health and everyday work. Chavez joined the army, he would have seen it as an adventure (Sagittarius) and a way to exert all that energy. However soon as he rose up the ranks, he would have seen the opportunity to use the army to further his insatiable need to have control over money & possessions and also to fulfil his social dreams (Neptune). Mars through Aries rules his Midheaven, his work and public position and Pluto through Scorpio rules the speculative 5th house. Chavez was willing to gamble (5th) that his underground movement (Pluto) would eventually get him to the position he desired – leading Venezuela in a new socialist direction. Mars being retrograde in the 6th has one other effect. It will put a lot of stress on one’s health. Because the energy of Mars is working internally (this is the effect of retrograde planets) rather than outwardly, this will have the effect of loading huge stress on his psyche and in the 6th on his health. It sort has the same effect as those with lots of water in their charts, the effect to to internalize any problems, however with the water signs the effect is more emotional than physical.

Chavez has both, with 5 planets in water signs, so will appear amazing calm on the surface, however beneath the surface he will feel physically and emotionally tied in knots. Mars retrograde is more a planner and plotter rather than someone who takes direct action, waiting for the correct time to act; when it actually feels right to him. One with this placement will want to go it alone too, shunning the help of others unless it is absolutely necessary. With connections to debilitating Neptune and transforming Pluto, this Mars and Chavez’s health was very vulnerable. In medical astrology, the colon, focus of Hugo’s cancer battle, is ruled by Scorpio (Pluto) and to a lesser extent by Mars. The health problems he faces now were predicted in the natal mini grand trine at his birth.

Now looking at the present and future, immediately one can see that Hugo is facing huge pressure from transiting planets. Transiting Pluto is exactly opposite his ascendant at 6 Cancer. Pluto has been around this degree zone for a fair while and will not clear through until late next year. Pluto will force Chavez to change his life direction and is affecting the way the public see him through the opposition to the ascendant and square to his Midheaven. At his Midheaven we find transiting Uranus, often associated with a change of career status. Indeed the Solar eclipse on the 1st July with a cardinal cross at it’s formation impacted all 4 angles of Chavez’s chart. This will be a time when Chavez’s life takes on a new direction. By Solar Arc, SA Saturn has in the last 3 years has been conjunct to natal Mars, it is now 2 and a half degrees from being exact and separating away from conjunction. The damage however has already been done and Saturn would have weakened his energy (Mars) around that time (2008 to the present), his body not being able to fight any physical problems in a normal way.

I believe it should be time for him to focus on his battle with cancer and to step away from the Presidency. Of course, he won’t want to being so Cancerian and protective, however if I were his astrologer, I would be advising him to move aside. This is a battle in which he will need all his will and his energies in order to make some type of recovery.  

Links

5th March 2013 - Hugo Chavez president of Venezuela passes away

David Cameron – Standing firm while the storm clouds gather.

Starting today at around 6.00pm the Public Sector unions go on strike over pension reforms for a full day and a half strike. Workers like teachers, custom’s officers, public employees in courts, job centres, tax offices and even driving centres will all stop work, as Britain grinds to a shuddering halt. Even though the public finances are in trouble and few argue against that cuts do have to be made somewhere, it firmly lies at the door of the Prime Minister where those cuts fall, and by targeting the Public Sector so heavily, Cameron now faces a dire summer of severe discontent, and a battle with the unions. Heard that one before???

David Cameron was born on 9th October 1966 in London at 06.00am (from memory). This give his one of those nightmarish charts for astrologers, with his ascendant right on the cusp of Libra or maybe right at the end of Virgo. A few minutes either way in birth time makes the difference. In such cases with the Ascendant on the cusp, I like to try to find a blend of the influences, blending the harsh critical edge of Virgo with the socially aware side of Libra. This means that all the angles, Ascendant , IC, Descendant and Midheaven are treated in the same manner. This being the case, the personality he will portray is of someone who does have the values of careful housekeeping which is very Virgo but with a social conscience (more Libran). Cameron in an interview described his  political views as Liberal Conservatism – pretty accurate portrayal of sitting on the astrological fence, by the man himself.

Ok we do know that David is a Sun Sign Libran with a wide conjunction to Venus in the first house. A first house Sun is normally very self-assured and confident of himself. To lead is one’s role in life if you have a 1st house Sun and he will tend to clash with strong like-minded individuals. David has to to feel in total control, however he will have to network and share ideas; Librans need to network to get on in life. This is quite at odds with the first house Sun, so how to we square the circle? I feel that David will use his charm  (Sun & Venus in 1st) to coerce friends and associates to help him to get him where he needs to be & then he will tend to disregard these contacts once their use has come to an end – in short, he will use people to progress. Bad news for Liberal Democrat coalition partner Nick Clegg then!! Maybe these politicians should consult us astrologers before making important decisions of who to support? Venus in the first likes to portray a neat smart appearance, a touch of vanity perhaps? Certainly, David is almost always seen in a sharp suit, and even in his more casual moments he looks as if he has just walked out of the menswear section of John Lewis. Venus in the first is also very kind, sympathetic and popular, and David will always give a helping hand if asked to aid someone.

The Sun makes a sextile aspect to the Moon in Leo, just into the 10th house conjunct to Jupiter. The Moon in the 10th needs to run things themselves and will not like to be seen as subservient, doubly so in regal Leo. This is a position that prefers to invest time at work rather than time at home, and this can lead to problems with partners and family if the work/life balance is not correct. Moon conjunct Jupiter is tolerant and forgiving, will to give a second chance if mistakes are make. Watch out for this if ministers overstep their brief or upset the public. As PM, it can be seen as a sign of weakness.

Moon/Jupiter is square to Mercury in Scorpio in the 2nd house of finance. As well being interested in finance and money related issues, Mercury here in Scorpio will be adept with the hands in making things like sculpture, pottery, even doing mechanics. Alongside Mercury in the second house is creative, dreamy, escapist Neptune. Quite appropriately, one of his loves at school was art studies. He also studied history and of course with a second house Mercury, economics. Mercury squares the Moon and gives David that interest of history, the past, nostalgia and patriotism. He will be a confident public speaker, has a talent for listening and will have a genuine interest in the lives of others. Anything with a human element will fascinate and engage him. David will have grand plans and ideas, but may gloss over the important details when questioned, just because he failed to consider them all. That’s always the problem with Jupiter, promising more than you can deliver. The “Big Society” is so very Jupiter in description, yet nobody, including David himself it seems, knows what he means by the slogan. It just sounds good. David will also love travel, and I am sure will get away to foreign shores at the drop of a hat.

Following on around the chart, we find Mars in Leo the 11th house peregrine (unaspected to any other planet). This Mars will tend to dominate the chart. In Leo and unaspected, this Mars is very pushy, very proud, very arrogant and does not take no for an answer. David will always be right and will throw tantrums if he isn’t. Now interestingly Mars in the 11th is the ultimate team player, however just as he will be part of the team, David will just have to be captain. Life for him will be a competitive sport, and he will have huge will to win. Mars feeds into the Midheaven by trine, as does Venus and Mercury. You can see the focus towards his career (Midheaven) like an arrowhead as well as another one to authoritarian Saturn (his ambition). Sometimes astrology is easy, to see the focus in life you just look at the patterns and they tell you the story.

Now then, there is one very difficult aspect on David’s chart. A very nasty Uranus/Pluto conjunction in Virgo in the 12th house opposite to the Saturn I mentioned retrograde in Pisces the 6th. Whenever I see an opposition including Saturn along this axis including Virgo and Pisces I immediately think “health”. Saturn retrograde shows that the love from the father was missing in some way in the younger years, and as Saturn is so afflicted by this heavy opposition, it was no surprise in researching this piece that David’s father had both legs deformed and was forever in hospital having surgery to correct them. Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) sits on the cusp of the fourth house on the parental axis, reinforcing my assumption that his father suffered with his health. Aquarius ruled by Uranus (part of this opposition) is on the cusp of the fifth house, the house of children. Tragically, Ivan their first child had severe health problems with cerebral palsy and a rare form of epilepsy. He passed away aged just 6. With Saturn here in the 6th house, David naturally takes his personal health very seriously and is known to religiously keep fit. Nonetheless, no matter how well you keep yourself in trim, if the planets indicate a weakness, then when difficult transits come along, those weaknesses will be exposed. Those also with a 6th/12th house opposition or with Saturn that I have looked at (Steve Jobs and Serena Williams) have both had major health issues in their lives. As far as I can see, David should be fine in the next few years and I hope that he has seen the last of his family tragedies for a long while to come.

The Uranus/Pluto generation of the mid/late 60’s was a generation that wanted to sweep away restrictions and make a difference to the world. I am one of that generation, and I try to do this through my astrology in service to the public. I try to change public perceptions and open their minds to new ways at looking at situations. Like myself, Cameron has a Uranus/Pluto conjunction in the 12th house. He tries to change perceptions through service to the public too. With David, that service is through administration of things (Saturn) – in government. Trine to Neptune, that governance take on a more ministerial or preaching approach which may appear quite condescending in tone. Trine to Jupiter, over time David will learn when to push and when to hold back, when to be optimistic and when to be more sober. That will only come with experience in the top job, and hopefully the pride I mentioned of earlier will not get in the way of the humbleness needed with all the responsibility he wields.    

The current situation for David is fraught. Just look at the transit chart and you a myriad of aspects covering every planet and almost every angle and I could be here a week trying to explain every nuance of what is happening in the PM’s life. Let’s just say it’s very, very stressful. Picking out a couple of important aspects, transiting Uranus is square to Cameron’s Midheaven and opposite his ascendant. Neptune trines the Midheaven and is opposing natal Mars. Uranus represents rebellion (those on strike) opposing him and his work position, and is transiting through the 7th house of open enemies. Neptune shows disruption and confusion and opposite Mars in the 11th house of groups and unions, you can see the picture very clearly.  The trine to the Midheaven shows either that Cameron is complacent thinking he will solve this problem easily (Neptune is moving though the speculative 5th house) or he is confused or trying by deception to solve the problem. Uranus and Neptune do not move quickly, so this problem is not going away very soon. I fear a summer of disruption continuing at least into the autumn and maybe longer.

One other aspect from the transit chart I noticed. Pluto is 3 degrees away from a square to his natal Venus. Venus rules relationships and with Libra on his ascendant, any transit to Venus will hit  David Cameron very hard indeed. Pluto when exacting the square will sever a relationship either (professionally or personal). Will it be personal, will the coalition government be on the brink of collapse or will the effect be seen elsewhere away from the Downing Street bubble? Look for the signs around Christmas time this year to find the initial cracks in this particular relationship, although any potential break will not effect themselves until a year later around November 2012.

Sarah Palin – Unpredictable, controversial, and back on a bus to blitz the US.

Whether you love her or just can’t stand her, one thing is for sure. It is impossible to ignore the former Governor of Alaska, as she fills more column inches on the internet, the media and the newspapers than Barack Obama himself. As she starts her national bus tour, very reminiscent of the political “battle buses” the political leaders climb aboard before a UK election to tour the country, one wonders if she harbours an ambition to challenge the incumbent President in 2012, or is this a stunt to build up a powerbase before having a clear shot in 2016? With Palin, it is hard to predict, as her natal chart, (born on 11th Feb 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho at 21.44 – disputed birth-time), is one of the more unusual that I have seen.

Sarah Palin’s chart is dominated by Uranus and Aquarius, and I mean dominated!! Sarah is a Sun sign Aquarius in a close conjunction to Mars and Saturn, if the 21.44 time is accurate straddling the 4th and 5th houses. Also in Aquarius we find both the Moon and Mercury, so she acts like and Aquarian (Mars), thinks like an Aquarian (Mercury), reacts emotionally like an Aquarian (Moon), has Aquarian ambitions (Saturn) and what is more all those planets save Mercury have stressful aspects to Aquarius’ ruler Uranus, which itself is in a hard-line conjunction to Pluto, the aspect that defined the revolutionary spirit of the 60’s. Talk about an overload of one planet!!

Aquarius is the mover and shaker in the heavens, the planet that more than any over casts aside the old guard and ushers in new fresh ideas and attitudes. Aquarius through the planet Uranus represents revolution, rebellion and unpredictability. It also gives a severely social edge to anyone, wanting to do the best for the people in a purely humanitarian way. You will find Aquarian people have a severely glamorous edge, this is an electric quality that crackles and fizzes with enthusiasm; there is a real edge to the personality. Finally, there is the cool detached Aquarian, the one you just can’t get close to but are fascinated by. Sarah has all these characteristics in her chart and and more.

Ok, down to the details. The Sun as I said is part of a powerful conjunction with Mars & Saturn. Here is serious, determined ambition (Saturn in the 5th), Sarah will take the world on her shoulders to get to where she wants to be, without the help of others. That place is somebody who is special, recognised and notable in some way. Sarah seeks attention and adoration. With Mars on the cusp of the 4th & 5th houses, the influence of Mars will blend into the two. The Martian spirit to be first will come through, this is one tough ultra-competitive lady, who will hate to being beaten by anyone. However, with these planets in Aquarius she will go about this in a unique way, if necessary using shock tactics to hammer her point across. This is underscored by the quindecile to Uranus from the triple conjunction. In essence, Sarah is obsessed with bring in a new type of conservatism to gate crash the old politics that have dominated the American political scene for a long time now. With Pluto connected to Uranus by conjunction these ideas are harsh, hard-line and in some cases very extreme. It is interesting that she and Glenn Beck teamed up on the Tea Party project. They are astrological twins, born one day apart and both affected by very similar aspects, they sing from the same Aquarian hymn sheet looking to usher in new values, rebelling against the old Republican line. Whether this is too radical a step for the American people to take at this juncture will be down to them and their consciences. However a bus tour around the whole country certainly from the outside looks like an attempt at the very least to soften them up and to get used to the ideas and ideologies that she has. One other thing before I leave this segment, being Aquarian, watch out for her using technology, Twitter, Facebook and any other social media forums to get her point across – she naturally is very tech-savvy.

Returning to the Sun, Mars Moon & Mercury in the 4th house, here is a lady who very much likes to keep home as a private place and with the Moon here, I can guess that her mother would have been a big influence on her life. Mercury and the Moon here indicate a love of history, heritage and the past plus a love of books and reading, Sarah despite her image will be very well read and she will love to write too. Her book “Going Rogue” says all you need to say about her, with yet again a very Aquarian title. Sextile to Mercury and the Moon is Venus in the 6th house. This aspect gives Sarah a charm and caring edge, especially in one to one encounters, as well as considerable artistic flair. Mars and Sun quindecile Uranus hints that family life in the Palin household will be punctuated by temper tantrums and disagreements and the atmosphere will be quite chaotic, however with the Sun and Moon in the 4th all this will be kept tightly under wraps.

Jupiter all alone in the 7th house is peregrine and sits opposite her ascendant. This is a very positive position and this positivity and optimism will shine through her personality. It indicates a fruitful and enjoyable married life, she thoroughly enjoys being a wife and being opposite her ascendant gives her abundant good fortune, she will feel that she can get away with murder. Jupiter unconnected to any other planet will encourage her to do everything in a BIG brash way. The bus tour is a good example. She isn’t visiting just targeted states, she is travelling around the whole country. The Jupiter influence also extends to her faith which she will openly acknowledge, she was born into a Roman Catholic family and she has described herself as a bible believing Christian.

Now we come to the real fly in the ointment for me. Connecting to the Sun Mars Saturn conjunction by square aspect and to the Uranus Pluto aspect by sextile is Neptune placed in the 2nd house of self-worth and finance. Wherever you find Neptune it casts a cloud of confusion and deception, maybe of rose-tinted optimism over whatever it touches. Neptune in the second could make her either confused or deceptive over her financial dealings, the joint aspects to Pluto and the Sun indicate that some elephants could be hiding in the cupboard somewhere along the line; the square may encourage her to embellish the truth. In my experience, taking that course of action always comes back to hurt you later on. Neptune square Sun always wants to take the least line of resistance. Neptune in the second house is often the position of someone who makes their money from creative mediums like TV and film and radio. Already Palin has had a headline spot on Fox News in the US.

If Sarah does officially decide to run for the Presidency, I will look at her suitability for the position in a following post, however just by looking at her chart I would guess that creative media like TV and radio will offer the former Governor of Alaska a far more fulfilling career long-term, as I believe her views are far too controversial for majority of Americans to take and I think she would buckle under the pressure of such high an office, with that troublesome and debilitating Neptune square Sun, Mars and Saturn. Time of course will tell…

John Edwards – Charged over campaign funding abuse

This is a story that I have been following from here in the UK for a while now (to see my previous post please click at the bottom of the article). Today a court in South Carolina formally charged the former Presidential candidate with using funded money to cover up an affair with Rielle Hunter who worked with Edwards on his Presidential campaign. Edwards allegedly paid her off to cover up the fact that he fathered her child.

Having a glimpse at Edward’s progressed chart, something I had not done previously the events of today are very much highlighted.

  

Edward’s progressed moon is passing through his first house exactly square to his Neptune/Saturn conjunction, the one I mentioned in my previous post that I believe deluded him into believing that he could get away with the alleged fraud that he has been charged with. The Moon rules his chart and so any aspect it makes or transiting planets make to it will affect him acutely. Saturn square Moon means of hard emotional lessons learned and those lessons include deception (Neptune). Widening out the picture, Saturn with Capricorn on the cusp of the 7th house rules his personal relationships and legal affairs (remember the 7th is Libra’s house -  the scales of justice) and Neptune through Pisces on the cusp of the 10th house rules his public image and career prospects now tainted with the allegations of the deception and cover-up. One other aspect of note on this chart is that progressed Mars is exactly to the minute conjunct his South Node and thus opposite his North Node. Edwards is firmly in the public eye (North Node) for all the wrong reasons. Mars natally sits in the 12th hidden house and Aries is totally encompassed in the 10th house; there was something hidden about his personal ambitions. Now Progressed Mars has entered the 2nd house of self worth, and in order to protect his personal standing Edwards used the money his followers had invested in him (8th house of investment and other people’s finance). Unfortunately for Edwards, Mars’ conjunction with the South Node which is normally a tough connection has brought these dealings into the public domain.

Looking at the Solar Arcs chart for Edwards, one aspect screams out. Edward’s Solar Arc Midheaven is now just 3 seconds of a degree form an exact square to transformational Pluto. In Astrologer Noel Tyl’s own words on this Solar Arc square, this is a time when “past mistakes can be opened to view and threaten ruin”.

John Edward’s life from here on in will never be the same ever again…

Please see my previous post - John Edwards - Falling from Grace