Aspects for the week beginning 6 October 2013

Ed Milliband, Paul Dacre and the Daily Mail

One of the contentious battles of last week’s Sun-Uranus-Pluto T-square was the battle over the reputation of Ralph Miliband, the father of the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband.  Ed decided in an interview to stand up for his father, against the Daily Mail who had published an article claiming that he was anti-Britain, and challenged the authority of the press to publish anything they like.  The timing of the piece was just prior to the Conservative Party Conference, presumably in order to boost David Cameron by smearing his main opponent. I have written about both Ralph and Ed Miliband, but I haven’t before looked at Paul Dacre and the Daily Mail.  In March I wrote:

Ralph Miliband

“The story begins with their father, Ralph Miliband, whose chart we have (without a birth time); we do not have a chart for their mother Marion Kozak.  The family of Ralph Miliband originally came from the Jewish quarter of Warsaw, but moved to Belgium, where Ralph was born in 1924.  He came to England with his father in 1940 to avoid persecution by the Nazis.

He studied at the London School of Economics, and became a devotee of the philosophy of Karl Marx, and visited his grave in Highgate Cemetery.  At his death in 1994 he was buried there, close to Karl Marx.  In the 1960s he was involved with the movement of the New Left, and published the book Parliamentary Socialism in 1961.

Ralph Miliband had Sun in Capricorn, and Moon conjunct Mercury in Capricorn, the sign associated with politics, and indeed both his sons followed those interests and became politicians, possibly fulfilling some of his aspirations.”

Ed Miliband

“Ed Miliband was born in 1969, and in his relationship comparison with David includes a combustible Uranus-Mars conjunction (Ed’s Uranus conjunct David’s Mars).

When Ed pulled a surprise win in the Labour leadership contest in September 2010, Pluto was conjunct Ed’s natal Sun, and Mars was square to David’s Sun.  It may therefore have been as much of a shock to Ed as it was to David.  It was one of those moments that their mother “couldn’t look”.  Many saw it as a betrayal, that Ed had snatched David’s birthright (not even for a mess of potage), and those who thought New Labour would go forward were disappointed in the direction of the party.

But there is an interesting legacy from father Ralph.  Both Ed Miliband and his father have Sun in Capricorn (politics) square exactly Chiron (their wound) in Aries, so Ed Miliband is carrying an exact astrological gene from his father.

There is a small possibility that Ed could fulfil the true socialist ideals of his father, but with his charisma only marginally appealing to the British population and only incrementally increasing, it remains largely improbable.  Those who hanker after Old Labour know that you cannot bring it back now, any more than you can rehabilitate the beloved NHS in the current political and economic climate, but with Ed’s karmic mission (North Node) conjunct his father’s Uranus (Vision) a glimmer of his father’s light remains in the political domain.”

Paul Dacre

Paul Dacre is Editor of the Daily Mail, and was born exactly the same day in the same year as Prince Charles (yes and near the subject of last week’s blog Hassan Rouhani of Iran).  Does it make him automatically a pillar of  Conservatism?  His Sun is in Scorpio, so he would be likely to be very determined in action, and black and white in his views.  As with Rouhani, we do not know his Ascendant sign.  Dacre’s Moon is likely to be in Aries, which may make him aggressive.  Prince Charles is born late enough in the day to have a Taurus Moon.  Michael Dobbs, ex-Conservative Chief of Staff and author of House of Cards, was also born that day.  I once wrote to him and he kindly supplied his birth time – putting him also in the Moon in Aries bracket.  The hero of his book and the excellent TV series Francis Urquhart does have a decidedly ruthless persona.  I am not suggesting that Michael Dobbs is ruthless or that any of the others born that day are, but he has provided a unique insight and understanding into the ruthless persona, maybe drawn from somewhere in his psyche.  The Venus/Neptune conjunction in the chart of that day can show a love of intrigue.

Daily Mail

It is ironic that in the 1930s  the owner of the Daily Mail, Lord Rothermere, historically allied himself  with Hitler and Mussolini. The chart of the Daily Mail shows a divisive Sun-Moon-Saturn T-square, plus an aggressive square between Mars and Pluto, and a conjunction between Neptune and Pluto (a propensity to dig and delve).  Mars also squares Neptune, which can sensationalize.

Assault  on Ralph Miliband

The timing of the article shows up for Paul Dacre’s chart as Mars trine his own Mars: the use of his Inner Warriorship. The chart of the Daily Mail itself has a couple of favourable sextiles from Uranus, the planet of surprise, enabling the shock factor.  Uranus squares Ed Milliband’s Moon ((emotional shock relating to a parent) and Pluto squares his Uranus (more shock – where is one’s brother when you need him…?). I have not looked into the author of the article itself (Geoffrey Levy) nor the author , Michael Newman, of the book on which the article was based (there are limits for a Sunday morning! – perhaps another time).

Standing up for his Father

Ed’s planet of Self-Assertion (Mars) is in Pisces, which is not a warlike placing.  On a personal level, I think it cost him dear to have to make this stand, but clearly he needed to.  As a stand it is not merely personal: it is about the vilification that can be perpetrated by the free press, a vilification which Neil Kinnock said this week went far beyond his own at the time of his Leadership of the Opposition.  Neptune is currently bisecting Ed Miliband’s natal exact Sun/Saturn square, so he is able to articulate his personal story with sensitivity at this time and to stand up with sincerity and genuineness for what he believes in.  This may or may not benefit him politically, at a time when he is battling on several fronts, such as the Unions and the Energy providers.

Aspects

Tomorrow from the crack of dawn you will be able to address profound issues such as the meaning of life, through a sextile between Mercury and Pluto.  You’ll be asking searching questions, and discussing serious matters, rewardingly so.

In the late afternoon or early evening (UK time) Venus enters Sagittarius and though the focus has been intense, socially you’ll be more relaxed.  You might feel more playful and adventurous.

Tuesday (8^th) brings an early evening conjunction of Mercury and Saturn, so again we have a serious focus.  Concentration is needed, perhaps for form filling.  It’s my tax form deadline looming again…

On the morning of Thursday (10^th) Venus squares Neptune and the gay abandon of Monday evening is challenged and questioned about its authenticity.  Having pondered the meaning of life, shrugged it off and then on again, you then need to examine illusions in relationship, or any intrigues which have come up.  That’s quite a journey already, and the weekend holds further loops and hurdles to negotiate…

…Fortunately they are of the Sagittarian variety.  Saturday (12^th) brings a square between jumping Jupiter and the Sun.  Around tea-time fabulously exaggerated creations maybe served at the Great British Bake Off marquee (figuratively speaking) or at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (also figuratively).  Depending on where these two planets fall in your chart (Cancer and Libra respectively) you may create something spectacular, or overstretch yourself.  For Jupiter, life is a gamble to be played, and not to be held back.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – profundity then relaxation
• Tuesday – focus
• Thursday – intrigue
• Saturday – playing or gambling to win.