Anthony Weiner – Another day, another scandal.

Anthony Weiner is a really interesting individual. A former US congressman and a current Democratic party member, he is currently running in the race to become the Mayor of New York. Now Weiner has more than a chequered past, having resigned from the US Congress in 2011 because of an online sex scandal. This is a guy who can’t seem to get away from controversy and now he has been implicated in another “faux pas” after he admitted having another lewd online relationship with a 48 year old woman, including sending her explicit photos. Mr Weiner is married and obviously has a very, very understanding wife, yet what is it about this man which draws him into such a mess, time and time again? The astrology shows a clear picture.

Julia Gillard ousted as Australian Prime Minister as Kevin Rudd takes over.

In an amazing night of drama in the Australian capital city of Canberra, Julia Gillard the now former Prime Minister in an attempt to firm up her position before the upcoming General Election, held a snap leadership vote as one of her aids in the Labor party suddenly switched allegiances to her rival for power, Kevin Rudd. The vote held in the past couple of hours saw Mr Rudd win by 57 votes to 45 and now it is he who becomes Prime Minister and will lead his party into the upcoming election.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Facing the wrath of his own people.

The Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not been out of the news since he agreed for the demolition of Gezi Park, one of the few remaining green spaces in Istanbul to be bulldozed in making way for a shopping mall. Since the protest against the scheme began it has mushroomed from a simple environmental protest into a referendum of the leadership style of the Prime Minister who bluntly refuses to back down. After 10 years in power, Mr Erdogan is finding that the longer you sit in the top job, the lonelier it gets. Lets have a look at the Astrology of the embattled Turkish leader.

Margaret Thatcher – Passes away at age 87

Margaret Thatcher, one of the most iconic leaders in the 20th century passed away today aged 87 after suffering a stroke. It is true that her health had been ailing in recent years, however it is a shock to us here in Britain. She was Prime Minister in the UK from 1979 until November 1990, the first and only ever woman to hold the post. Singlehandedly she turned around the British economy from the sick man of Europe to become a hub of commercial activity, she took on the unions in a bitter and protracted dispute dividing a nation into those who loved her and those who loathed her. The one thing was, you could never ignore her. I looked at her horoscope in a post about Meryl Streep and her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher last year.

Hillary Clinton – Blood clot drama predicted by November’s Solar Eclipse

Hillary Clinton, the current secretary of state has been struck down with a blood clot on her brain and is being monitored in hospital. As I understand it, early in December Hillary fell ill with a stomach bug in Europe on a trip to meet European Union leaders, after which a few days later she collapsed from exhaustion hitting her head later causing a concussion. Now a blood clot has formed and affected her a couple of weeks later. Looking at the astrology, there is a definite link between her natal chart, this incident and the recent Solar Eclipse in Scorpio.

Paul Ryan – Bold, deeply conservative and with time on his side.

Over the weekend, Mitt Romney picked his running mate and to many it was a surprise. He chose a brave option in the bold and brash but rather inexperienced Paul Ryan, a congressman from Wisconsin. Seeing as the race is tight, I thought that he might chose quite a heavyweight candidate maybe to tip the balance in his favour, but I was mistaken. Let’s look at Paul Ryan and his own prospects to become vice President, and what light it shines on the impending presidential race.

United Kingdom – More cracks appearing in the coalition government.

The news dominating the the UK may be about the Olympics, but had this celebration of sport was not going on, then Nick Clegg’s announcement that his own House of Lords reform bill was “dead in the water and that the Conservatives had broken the coalition contract” would sound alarm bells ringing in the UK media and in the government parties. This is the one piece of legislation that the Liberal Democrats, partners to David Cameron’s Conservative party, have been pinning their hopes on to prove their worth. Now it will not happen, what is left for the Liberals to achieve? Will the disgust of the rank and file members of the Liberal Democrats put severe pressure on Nick Clegg to pull away for the coalition agreement, or ask him to derail future Conservative proposals threatening the viability of the partnership? The astrology shows the government are now in a very tricky spot.

Enrique Peña Nieto – A new fresh face for Mexico.

It looks like Mexico has a new President as Enrique Peña Nieto seems to have taken a big enough share of the vote (37% at the last count) in Mexico’s election take over from outgoing President Felipe Calderon. His victory brings the old Mexico party, the PRI, back into power the first time since the year 2000 after years in the wilderness following accusations of corruption and associations with drug lords and gangs. Mr Peña Nieto is a new breed from my generation of the mid to late 60’s, and with his wife Angelica will cut a suave and fashionable presence in the circle of world leaders.

Senator John Edwards - Falling from grace

I first posted this article on 4th March 2011

On hearing this story (we here in the UK don’t get much US politics unless there is a big election on) I had to have a look at the astrology. Very interesting as you will shortly find out. Astrology has a funny way of delving behind the scenes and uncovering motivations and the truth that you wouldn’t normally know. The story for those out there in the world who don’t know is pretty shocking. John Edwards was a previous US Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator for South Carolina and a Presidential candidate in 2008. His wife until she passed away in December 2010 was suffering for the last 7 years of her life with breast cancer. During the 2006 Edwards met up with Rielle Hunter to arrange some promotional films of life on the election campaign trail and from that liaison, it was alleged that Edwards and Hunter had an affair, finally culminating with the birth of a daughter in February 2008. If this wasn’t bad enough, the current stories running seem to suggest that Edwards syphoned off several thousand dollars of his pledged campaign money to Hunter to keep her quiet about the relationship and the baby.

Tony Blair – Working his way back into the British political scene.

Yesterday I watched a very polished performance at the Leveson enquiry into the future of the British media industry, one where former British Prime Minister Tony Blair dominated the agenda and set out his views very forthrightly on the future of UK press controls. Calm, calculating and seemingly unruffled by a protester who entered the court chamber at one point, Tony reminded everyone what a incisive and heavyweight political brain he still has. Recently he has been expressing views that he wishes to return to UK political life. Looking at his natal chart and the transits hitting it, these desires may not be as far fetched as they initially seem.

Julia Gillard & Kevin Rudd – Could political war seriously undermine both of them?

Australian politics is seeing an almighty punch up right now as Kevin Rudd, the Australian foreign minister resigned his position to openly challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard. She in turn did not hang around and promptly called a leadership election of the Aussie Labor party with winner takes all as the prize.  There is serious bad blood between the two, as Gillard staged a coup in 2010 to oust Rudd from the Prime Minister’s job. In a swipe at the former Foreign Secretary she said  he was  “running a dysfunctional and chaotic government when he was Prime Minister”. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Francois Hollande – The man hoping to unseat Sarkozy & become the next President of France.

Here in Britain and I would hazard to guess around the world, we do not know much about Francois Hollande the Socialist Party candidate who will fight against Nicolas Sarkozy in late April in the French Presidential elections. By May, we might know a lot more about this man who is striving to take France in a different political direction. Francois is a career politician and a former student and follower of Francois Mitterrand. His lucky break may have been when Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York over an alleged rape charge, all but ruling him out of contention for the Socialist Party berth. Hollande jumped with glee into his shoes and he hasn’t looked back since.

Mitt Romney – All aboard the Washington Express

I’ve been saying for months now on Solaris Astrology that Mitt Romney was the “chosen one” for the Republican nomination and his crushing victory in the first of the big states, Florida, brings him a huge step to achieving his goal to take on Barack Obama in November. This latest victory comes as transiting Neptune is on the verge of entering Pisces. Mitt, a Pisces himself is now going to be enthused as the big blue planet which rules his Sun is enhanced in power as it enters it's own sign.

Barack Obama – How the planets have been affecting him in 2011, and are shaping his thinking in 2012.

Astrology can be a hugely complicated subject, so just for once I am just going to concentrate today solely on the position of the planets with the President, as they can still infer a lot of meaning to the chart. Sometimes even I can get bogged down at looking for the hidden meaning and nuances of a chart, when the real truth is staring you squarely in the face. With this look at Barack Obama, I go back to basics.

Margaret Thatcher – The astrological link between the Iron Lady and Meryl Streep

Baroness Margaret Hilda Thatcher was a huge worldwide influential figure who whether you loved her or hated her, you just could not ignore. Her image, her style and even her voice has been magnificently replicated by actress Meryl Streep for the new film for 2012 “The Iron Lady”. I was looking away from the TV the other day when a trailer was shown, and the voice Meryl recreated sent shivers down my spine. Looking at the astrology, there is an obvious link between the two women; this was a role that Meryl was born to do.

Vaclav Havel – The peaceful revolutionary and a truly great man of our age.

This is a very, very emotional piece for me to write, as I count him as the most influential and greatest man (so far) that I have encountered in my life. I was living in the magical city of Prague at the time, and on 17th Nov 91, a freezing cold evening I remember, my girlfriend at the time spotted a small crowd of people walking up Wenceslas Square. Being inquisitive, we wandered over to see what was going on. It was Vaclav Havel and a few colleagues making their way to the top of the square. Of course this day was the 2nd anniversary of the start of the Velvet Revolution, and Havel was there to pay his respects. There was virtually no security, no announcement that he would make such a gesture and no fanfare. Here was the President of Czechoslovakia walking down the street like a normal citizen, with a wreath of flowers to lay at the statue, St Wenceslas on the square where the revolution had taken hold two years earlier. The act of remembrance, and the manner in the way he did it was typical of the man. After he laid down the flowers, my Czech girlfriend and I moved to the front of the throng of people and shook his hand. We said simply thank you, Mr President “děkuju Vám, pane Prezidente” and then he departed.

Newt Gingrich – Having his moment in the limelight but troubles lie in wait.

Looking at the race for the US Presidency from the other side of the pond, I think you get to look at the potential candidates with very much an even handed way. For one thing, I have no preference who eventually runs the most powerful country on planet earth. I have no “party bias”, indeed I think it should be down to who is the best man or woman for the job. There are caveats in my opinions though. When somebody runs for office who as part of a Republican lead House of Representatives years earlier shuts down Government and then tries unsuccessfully to remove a serving President from office (through him having an alleged affair) when his own marital record is none too successful, it does rather smack of hypocrisy, doesn’t it? I don’t know about your views, however that type of action in a potential President doesn’t hold quite right with me. The fact that Newt Gingrich now leads the GOP race to be the official challenger to Barack Obama does indeed surprise me. On looking at the astrology, Newt Gingrich is being favoured by the stars right now, but trap doors lay in his path to glory.

Michael D Higgins – Ascending to the top later in life

From just across the water, I always keep my eye when I can on how Ireland are doing. In the recent elections for the Presidency, Michael Higgins came out of nowhere to sweep to victory. He is the 9th president of the Republic of Ireland and having discovered a birth time for him, I today look at his horoscope and also his Presidency chart as he was inaugurated at 12.30 on 11th November.

Mitt Romney - Christie endorsement a welcome boost to his chances to win the Republican nomination.

Mitt Romney is on a role, just as I thought he would be. He has just had a ringing endorsement from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who many in Republican circles thought might make a late dash into the Republican race himself. The backing not only gives Romney a real boost ahead of an important New England debate, but will swell his financial coffers too with the financial backers behind Christie, now turning around to lend their support to the former Massachusetts Governor.

Mitt Romney – Swimming with the tide. A look at the astrology of the Pisces Massachusetts governor running for President.

Mitt Romney is currently leading the polls in the race for the Republican nomination to take on Barack Obama in 2012. This time 4 years ago he failed in his attempt losing out to Senator John McCain. Are things any different this time around and does Mitt stand any chance of becoming president? I look astrologically at his chances.

Mitt was born on 12th March 1947 in Detroit, Michigan at 09.51hrs. There is a second potential birth time which is known to Astrologers of 10.00am but the difference is negligible, for the moment at least. Like his main rival Rick Perry, Mitt is a Sun Pisces and he has a Scorpio Moon and a Gemini Ascendant. Before I delve into the planetary details, it is interesting to note that Mitt has no planets in Earth signs like Hilary Clinton. Those without any planets in earth often lack grounding (an obvious but true statement) and common sense. Starting things off and leading from the front is not really in the nature of the Governor of Massachusetts too, as he only has one planet in a Cardinal sign, and this is spiritual Neptune. With 5 planets in water, Mitt is someone who feels his way through life. He has tremendous determination and staying power with 5 fixed planets, and he is flexible and can shift his position to suit the situation with 4 in mutable signs.

Mitt’s Sun sits in the 11th house in wide conjunction to Mercury and we also find Mars here as well. His strength is in being a team player. He will work best when as part of a group, association or in cooperation with friends. As such, if he does achieve the nomination, his potential running mate I think will prove crucial to his chances, as Mitt is the polar opposite to Barack Obama who is very much his own man and somebody who prefers to run things by himself. With Mercury and Mars in conjunction, Mitt has a sharp mind, his arguments will be clear and convincing and will snap back with a quick response if challenged; this man is a good debater and has a clever turn of phrase in his armoury. Mitt’s Mars is in Pisces so at heart he is naturally non-aggressive and will hold back if challenged to fight. Mercury retrograde is quite reflective, introspective and deep thinking especially when it comes to personal subjects, or things of an emotional nature. Mitt certainly will have a poetic way of communicating, but I suspect he lacks the real passion of emotion in his speeches to inspire the masses, like a Kennedy, Reagan or Clinton for example. The Gemini Ascendant will make him question every action and concept put to him, make him strongly independent and often seem on edge, he may suffer with nervous tension and anxiety.

The Sun and Mercury square to Uranus in the first house. This man likes to be original, to be an individual standing out in the crowd. He will thrive in a fast paced environment, but his energies and thoughts may become scattered once under pressure. Uranus is in Gemini, he may attempt to sort out too many things at the same time, with the risk of nothing ever getting completed. This is also compounded by the lack of earth in the chart. A Taurean emphasis would be so handy here, a steadying hand on the tiller and this is why I believe that above anything else, Romney will need to choose very carefully a running mate who is going to compensate for his lack of earth signs. Mitt will have a penchant and an interest for science, development and the latest technology.

The Sun makes a trine to the Moon and Jupiter closely conjunct in the 6th house of health and everyday work. Here is an optimistic link, someone who believes that luck and fortune is on his side, and generally it is. He has big visions and and will work and work and work to achieve them. Here is no lack of effort. He will be drawn to help people in whatever way he can, to fix what has gone wrong. The 6th house suggests that health will be one area that he will especially be compelled to sort out. This is a tolerant man who will forgive mistakes in others, a worthy aim but one in a politician which can signal weakness. He is emotionally generous, but also very secretive and he will want to know what is going on all around him. Scorpio Moons need to know everything. Scorpio Moon can cause one to be very controlling and even cruel in situations. The iron fist of a tyrant lurks beneath the gentle watery Piscean air that Mitt will portray. This all leads me to think that this could be a very difficult man to work for, sometimes helpful but also capable of being very ruthless.

The last formation on the chart is an extended wedge formation encompassing the 4 planets I have yet to look at. We see a heavy Saturn/Pluto conjunction across the nadir of the chart opposite to Venus conjunct to the Midheaven with Neptune sitting at the point of the wedge. The Saturn Pluto conjunction is capable of huge success in one’s life, it concentrates power, determination and ambition however, as with all the planets the fall side of these planets can be quite devastating. I have nicknames this formation the crash and burn connection, because I have seen so many people with these two planets in a stressful aspect (conjunction, square or opposition) abuse the power and status that it brings, only to suffer the consequences, Rupert Murdoch just recently comes to mind – he has an opposition. Mitt’s conjunction lies opposite to his Midheaven, so it doesn’t take much genius to imagine that a square aspect or opposition from a malefic transiting planet could cause his lasting harmful damage to his reputation. Saturn in the 3rd house makes Mitt rather staid and serious in his communication, he will like to be strictly accurate and light hearted exchanges of views are not really his thing. Saturn is retrograde, so we know that the love of his father was never very forthcoming. Pluto sits in the 4th house, indicating that the relationship with him was very close and controlling. His father would have had a huge influence over his upbringing, someone Mitt hugely admired and yet feared at the same time.

Venus sits in the 10th house in Aquarius. Mitt is married to his work and commitments as much as he is to his wife. Venus in this sign suggests that Ann his wife is very much his friend and that they got married in unusual circumstances, they married immediately after he returned from travelling abroad as a Mormon missionary in France. The trine from Neptune to his Midheaven shows the spiritual link to his early work, and Capricorn on the cusp of the 9th house shows Mitt’s serious attitude to religion. He will want to be known for contributing something positive to the world. If he does become President, watch out for a huge encouragement to the arts, to entertainment and to American creativity in general. This is something that Mitt will want to be associated with. Neptune trine to Venus shows a dreamy expressive quality that is quite lovely. There is a soft heart to this man, someone who will love movies and music, art, theatre and fantasy. Neptune in Libra can be “influenced” by those stronger or more persuasive around them, there is the potential for gullibility or maybe deception in this position and connected to this powerful opposition in the natal chart, this just could be an achillies heel in his personality that could be exposed in the future.

On first inspection of this chart, I would not really believe that Mitt has the confidence and go ahead authority to make it to the White House. No earth signs and just one cardinal planet is not exactly the driving force that America requires right now as the world financial crisis takes a grip. On the cusp of the 2nd and 8th houses, the financial axis on his chart, we find Gemini and Sagittarius which is very laissez fair in one’s attitude to spending and dealing with other people’s money. It is almost expansionist rather than restrictive!! None the less, the transits and progressions for Mitt Romney seem up to the 2012 election quite kind. He has very few oppositions or squares to deal with until the middle of next year, and in late Summer when the big decisions are being made to whom to chose as Obama’s opponent, Romney has some spectacular transits with Jupiter hitting his Ascendant in June, trine to his Midheaven in July as well as being conjunct his North Node. The fact that his main opponents in the race, Bachmann and Perry are so reactionary in their views may just count hugely in his favour. The tide seems to be flowing in his favour this time around.

In August, on 27th the day of the Republican Convention in Tampa, the transiting South Node will be exactly conjunct his Gemini Ascendant. This is a very uncomfortable place for the South Node to be for the subject. Everyone will be so pleased at the wonderful position he is in, but internally he will want to hide away, to be invisible, to disappear. If Romney does win the nomination, and with these planets in the year before this day it is very possible he will win, will the enormity of the position he will find himself in hit home? I think that they will. At that point, he will know that he faces a lion on the attack, the incumbent Leo President that is Barack Obama. Romney’s progressed Moon at that point will start to enter his large 12th house, a time of unravelling of the life, a time of enforced changes when one is kept in the dark while the world around him swirls with confusion and deception. Once you realise what is going on, often it is too late to react and so you have to accept what is really going on. Because of the size of Mitt’s 12th house, the progressed Moon will not exit into his first house until 2016. It does not fill one with a great amount of confidence looking ahead. At the end of August, Mitt will start to pick up a square from transiting Saturn to his Saturn/Pluto conjunction, just as Saturn enters Scorpio in late September. Maybe his beliefs will come under attack, Capricorn ruled by Saturn sit as I mentioned before on the cusp of the 9th.

If you would like to read my updated assessment of who between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will win on 6th November 2012 please click on the following link below…

Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney – Who does astrology say will win the 2012 US Election?

****Update 1st February 2012 **** 

All abroad the Washington Express – A look at Romney and why he won the Florida Primary.