Liberal Democrat Party

This is the fourth in my political series in the run up to the UK General Election, and I will look at a few of their leading politicians and their prospects on the day.  Currently, the Lib Dems are running neck and neck with the Green Party in the opinion polls.

Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg grasped the nettle, or maybe the poisoned chalice, to enter his party into a coalition with the Conservative Party in the aftermath of the last election 5 years ago.

As Caroline Lucas observed in her new book “Honourable Friends?”:

“So with Labour contaminated by its own time in government, and the Lib Dems muzzled by the coalition agreement, the scene was set for David Cameron to begin an ideological assault on the welfare state”.

Did Nick Clegg have any idea how far he would be used as a scapegoat (Sun in Capricorn) for unpopular Tory policies, starting with the issue of student loans, which hugely dented Lib Dem popularity while the Tories emerged relatively unscathed?

There were many dilemmas for the Lib Dems; they had power, but their hands were tied.  Caroline Lucas picks up on one of those:

“But it [nuclear power] also discomforted the liberal democrats, who as a party were opposed to nuclear, but were now in a coalition with the Tories, who were very much in favour.”

In the Guardian interview yesterday he was quoted as saying:

“Asked how he feels about the swing from net positive to net negative ratings over the past five years, the deputy prime minister said: “it is what it is. I don’t spend too much time…I’m quite a practical person”

His personal planets are not connected in with his outer planets, so there is a sense in which he finds it difficult to connect the personal with the wider social arena.

The Capricorn nature would be black and white, practical and boundaried, but his Piscean side (Chiron/Saturn) would erode those boundaries and bring him to compassion.  The Chiron/Saturn conjunction occurs in his 4th House of home and family, and he said this week that his family means more to him than politics – is it possible to give both equal weight?  I think this conjunction shows a deep idealism, and desire for the betterment of society.  His Uranus/Pluto conjunction in Virgo in 10th House is rebellious and has a strong desire for reform.

He has an optimistic Moon and Ascendant in Sagittarius, and Mars in Libra in 11th House which speaks of taking part in a Coalition with Libran Cameron.  But his Mars exactly squares his Sun, which means he is no stranger to conflict.

His wife Miriam is Spanish, and a lawyer (a Jupiterian profession) and he has the Moon (women in his life) in Sagittarius (from abroad) trine exactly Jupiter (law and foreign lands).  He himself has Russian ancestry (Ascendant in Sagittarius).

In my New Year review of Lib Dem prospects for polling day I noted:

“Nick Clegg (LibDems): [Mixed]  Saturn conjunct his Moon (emotionally dispiriting) but Neptune sextile his natal Mercury [the opportunity for some sensitive communication]”

Vince Cable

Vince Cable is another Lib Dem politician whose reputation has taken a slide since the beginning of the coalition.  He was flavour of the year in 2009 after he had predicted the credit crunch, and lauded for his integrity.  But integrity has been very hard to keep in relation to working in a coalition.

In 2009 I wrote:

“He’s a money-savvy Taurean who states that life has taught him that “All things come to those who wait”.  Perhaps it was his Taurean Sun sign, which swayed him in his decision not to run for leader of the Liberal Democrats, as Taureans tend to prefer the supporting role.  He has a breadth of mental vision which is down to his Mercury sandwiched between Saturn (the old style of thought) and Uranus (the new style of thought), a perfect equilibrium or balance for a prominent member of the LibDem party.”

On polling day, Saturn opposes his natal Uranus, which could make grim processing.  He may retain his seat, but will be disheartened by the overall performance of his party, even though he is a realist (Mercury exactly sextile his Pluto natally) and possesses great strength and resilience (Sun in Taurus sextile Mars and Jupiter).

Danny Alexander

Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been ridiculed this week for his gesture of holding up a yellow briefcase with an alternative budget after the Chancellor unveiled his budget this week. The week before, there was a “dodgy donations” scandal, which was also ridiculed in the press. Another money-savvy Taurean, I feel he has a strong artistic side which is unexpressed, and some aggression from Mars square Pluto which needs to have a constructive outlet.  Pluto trines his North Node exactly, and I think when he is able to express all sides of his nature, he will have a profound contribution to make, and will be less open to ridicule.

At the time we go to the polls, the North Node exactly trines his natal Saturn, and while he may have a sobering result, at the same time the Universe allows him some dignity.

Shirley Williams

National treasure Shirley Williams struggled to express the fine party line on Question Time this week.  Coming close to the election, she was trying to uphold the achievements of the coalition while re-defining the individual goals of her party.

Shirley has Pluto on the Ascendant, hence she changed her political afflilations a few times in her life, but never in a shallow way, always in a deeply considered fashion.

The mother figure is important in her chart, with a dominant Moon in Leo and a Cancerian Ascendant.  Her mother Vera Brittain wrote, and lived, the wonderful “Testament of Youth” account of a woman’s life in the 1st World War, which was subsequently made into a TV series and now a film.  Vera had the extremely challenging conjunction of Pluto and Neptune, one which many of her generation will have had – a generation which had to pull together.  She had no personal aspects to her Sun (except perhaps her Moon, if her birth time were known), and this comes out in her life and work as a deeply held sense of service, or surrender to the needs of her time.  Loyalty was also a theme, with Venus closely trine Saturn.

So Shirley had a rich heritage, and in her later years married an American academic.  Like her mother she has no aspects to her natal Sun, and a strong social conscience and sense of service.  She has a brilliant mind (Mercury exactly trine Uranus) but is hampered by an exact opposition between Jupiter and Saturn, which means she is sometimes hamstrung in decision making.  Her only cabinet post, as an Education minister under Labour, much earlier in her career, did not live up to her potential and promise.  And yet she was born to put herself into a meaningful relationship with society, with Pluto closely trine her Midheaven, and Chiron exactly sextile her Midheaven: she aches to make a difference.

The ebbing Uranus-Pluto square affects her chart at the election: Pluto exactly squares her natal Uranus, and Uranus exactly squares her Ascendant.  At 85, she is no longer an active member of parliament, but is a Baroness and life peer, and publicly supports her party.  This may be a time of a change of direction for her, with the North Node trine her natal Mars.  She may feel the need to nurture her health more or attend to personal activities and family relationships.

Simon Hughes

Simon Hughes put up a valiant resistance to joining the Conservatives in coalition (he has the Warrior Archetype in the shape of Sun conjunct Mars) and is another Taurean.  Eventually he did line up with the party when they came to power.  His chart is very steadfast in some ways (Sun/Mars in Taurus trine exactly Saturn), but rebellious or contrary in others (Venus exactly conjunct Uranus). He doesn’t necessarily care what others think (Venus/Uranus square Jupiter).  If he had the opportunity to advance his career further, he would be valuable as a problem-solver (Chiron exactly trine his Mercury).

He has a Mars Return on polling day, so will be very much in battle mode.

Lib Dem Party Chart

The transits on polling day make very weak aspects to the Lib Dem chart, confirming the general opinion (without astrological consideration) that they will have a poor showing, and that this last participation in government has damaged their party.  They may find themselves spiritually after this point, however, as Neptune is travelling towards a sextile with the natal Lib Dem Neptune, which occurs at the end of May and the beginning of June.  Venus sextiles their Jupiter on polling day, which is a minor transit, but it will help them pull together personally, and a new sense of spirit may emerge afterwards – there is a possibility that may be in the shape of a new leader, but it may be a new spirit under the leadership of Nick Clegg.

The Observer this morning is highlighting disquiet within the Liberal Democrat party about the possibility of a second Tory/Lib Dem coalition, around the subject of the EU referendum. Political Editor Toby Helm writes: “Because Cameron has said the in/out referendum will be a ”red line” for the Conservatives in any negotiations, a Lib Dem refusal to come in behind the idea would spell the end of hopes for a second Con-Lib coalition deal.”  The Lib Dems face some difficult decisions, as do the electorate.

Aspects

Mercury sextile Pluto today is helpful for evaluating and reflecting on the outcomes and meaning of last week.  It favours the teaching and communication of profound concepts.

Tuesday (24th) starts with another sextile, between Venus and Neptune, harmony for the Arts, spiritual unity in relationships, fine balance in finance.  Inspiration early on may see you through the day.

There is also a conjunction of Mercury and Chiron on Tuesday, which suggests the coming together of conventional and alternative medicine.  I know two people who are scheduled to have surgery that day, and for that reason, I am going to digress and write about Chiron before continuing with the week’s aspects.

Chiron

A couple of conversations on the subject of Chiron lately have prompted me to devote a section here to the subject.

I have been working with Chiron since 1987, ten years after it was discovered.  Chiron was a Centaur in the Greek mythological panoply, who had the gift of immortality and healing, but was not able to heal his own wound(s).  I was asked recently: “Is it true that we all have a wound that can never be healed?”

It is true that in astrology, and sometimes in alternative healing, there is more emphasis on the wound than on the healing.  Caroline Myss in “Why People Don’t Heal” writes about the attachment that many people have to their wound(s).

If there was no hope of healing a wound, we might as well give up, and stay in a rut.  We have many lives, and sometimes carry a wound for several lifetimes before we heal it.  But I have found many times, that when we heal our wound, we are able to help others who have the same wound.

Mythology, like Archetypes, can have a strong hold (and a stronghold) on the psyche.  They can be viewed as immutable Gods, rather than principles that can be worked with, like planets themselves.

There is not just one Chiron, we all have an Inner Healer, and if we cannot heal our own wound, we may travel for a time with one who has healed our issue and can point the way.

In the early years of working with Chiron, I began a path of working with Past Lives.  This is one path to healing, and can resolve issues which have been intractable in relation to other healing modalities.

There comes a time in most lives, even those dedicated to natural pathways of healing, when conventional medical intervention (Mercury) has to combine with the alternative methods of healing (Chiron).  Surgery is sometimes a necessity, for instance.

Mercury conjunct Chiron describes the mental crisis which surrounds a health issue, such as when the point comes that conventional medical intervention is needed.  It can also describe the healing that can come when the psychological issue which gave rise to the health problem is suddenly resolved by a new thought pattern, or by a revelation such as the nature of the pattern from past lives.

[End of digression]

So good luck to all those facing mental conundrums or surgical interventions on Tuesday (you know who you are!).

Wednesday (25th) has a much more stable and stabilizing vibe about it, with Sun trine Saturn.  Steady recuperation from any medical procedures are likely.  Any flights of fancy, such as over-the-top artistic embellishments, may be changed to more practical forms.  For example, if you finished a painting on Tuesday, you may decide to tone it down slightly.  Healing outcomes are likely to hold, and prospects brighten, as the Saturn trine brings confidence and reassurance.

Finally, on Saturday (28th)  Venus squares Jupiter, and it’s a day to let your hair down, after a mainly constructive week when you may feel much has been achieved, and you subsequently deserve a treat.  On my diabetic regime, gone are the days of cream teas, but I am allowed a cheese scone now and then!  It’s a good day for a party, or a dinner date, though with the two planets being in square, watch out for social gaffes (gaffe-prone Jeremy Clarkson, currently suspended from the BBC, has this square natally).  Just a celebratory attitude to life will honour this aspect, which fosters gratitude and good news.  I am most grateful for the cataract surgery last week, which has resulted in one eye restored to a level of sight I cannot even remember.  It is so many times easier to see my computer screen, and to cross the road.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – profound thought
  • Tuesday – artistic inspiration; healing
  • Wednesday – solid foundations
  • Saturday – upbeat, with social gaffes
Date: Mar 22nd, 2015 · Comments RSS · Tags: News