Another short blog, while I master my new physiotherapy exercises!

Conservative Party Leadership – Part 3

I cannot believe that I find myself writing again about the Conservative Party leadership contest.  Switch off now, if you find the topic agonizing.  The contest formally begins tomorrow, Monday 10th.  Some candidates pulled out last week, but there are still a couple of candidates I haven’t covered, and they are both outsiders.

The Drug Issue

The top runners have set out their past drug habits: Michael Gove has just admitted to taking cocaine 20 years ago, Boris took some while at University, and Jeremy Hunt once took a cannabis lassi.  Rory Stewart smoked some opium in Afghanistan.  In a late flurry yesterday, not to be outdone, Andrea Leadsom, Matt Hancock and Dominic Raab all admitted to taking cannabis at University. Presumably this is something we need to know…For me, it is the quality of their consciousness right now which is more worthy of scrutiny, as well as their innate character.  The drugs of course may have had a permanent effect on some of them.  There is an outcry in Michael Gove’s case that he is a hypocrite, in relation to the drugs admission.  Politics of course is full of hypocrisy, and very few of the candidates can be seen as blameless in that respect.  I am not an admirer of Gove, but am in the “Anything but Boris” camp.

Sam Gyimah

Sam Gyimah is the first of the two candidates left, who I haven’t already looked at. Sam is seen as a one-nation Tory supporting social programmes, and a more sympathetic character than most.  For a Sunsign Leo, he comes across as fairly unassuming, but with the strength which that sign brings, in a strong willed chart.  Leadership is also indicated by Sun in Leo, plus Uranus conjunct North Node in Scorpio.  Although we do not have a birth time, looking at transits in relation to important points in his life story, it seems that his Jupiter in Taurus has been important in this respect.  He studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University and Jupiter and Chiron in Taurus may indicate a skill in economics, useful for a future Prime Minister.  After graduating he worked at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker (as well as Jupiter in Taurus, he has Uranus conjunct the North Node in Scorpio, another sign of skill in banking).

His Brexit stance is unusually (for the candidates) one of proposing a further referendum, and categorically refuting a no deal.  He voted remain in 2016, and that is one reason he is not likely to be a front runner in the candidacy.

Transits for 31st July (by which time the leadership contest should be settled)

Mars will be on his Sun at that time, so he will be ready to draw a line on the matter and forge ahead with his future plans.  Uranus will be on his South Node, so karmically too there will be change in his life.  Pluto will be trine his Mars, so something will be galvanizing him and firing him up, for his next project in life.

Transits for 31st October (the Brexit deadline)

Mars will be sextile his natal Sun at that time, so again he will be energetic and focussed on new pathways.  Pluto will still be trine his Mars, giving him the oomph to achieve his aims.

Mark Harper

Mark Harper also has potential for leadership in his chart, in his case the Sun conjunct the North Node.  Like Sam Gyimah, he studied PPE at Oxford University, though at a different college.  He is very much his own person, with an unusual feature in his chart being 3 unaspected planets: Mercury, Mars and Pluto.  Despite the lack of aspects to Mars, he has a strongly martial bent with Mars and Chiron in Aries, and has consistently supported military intervention overseas; under Cameron’s government was made spokesman for the armed forces welfare issues and veterans. Again we do not have a birth time, but looking at transits in relation to important points in his life story, it seems that his Mars in Aries has been important feature in this respect. He has also supported fox hunting.  His credentials as a Sun in Pisces were sealed when he broke his foot (Pisces) dancing (Pisces) at his wife’s leaving do in Soho.

He sees himself going to Brussels to negotiate changes to the backstop, and wants to avoid a no deal.  He doubts a deal can be negotiated in time for the end of October deadline.   Like Gyimah, he also voted remain in 2016, which puts him at the back of the queue.

Transits for 31st July

A couple of minor transits may initially put him on the back foot: Mars will be opposing his natal Mercury at that time, so he may be angry about something; though Mars transits are short lived, they can trigger events for people.  Jupiter will be square his natal Venus, so he may even make a social gaffe.  It could be a slightly awkward time for him.  Saturn sextiles his Venus, which can help him rebalance and regain ground.  Uranus sextiles his Sun, so he will have a surprise or new venture up his sleeve, though.  The positive will outweigh the negative for him.

Transits for 31st October

By this time, Mars will be trine his Mercury, so he can be assertive about what he thinks without offending.  Saturn will be exactly sextile his Venus on the day, so a personal issue could be very stabilizing for him, but also if offered a post in the cabinet it may be related to finance.  Uranus will be transiting his natal Saturn, so there is also some discomfort or shock involved with change.  Neptune also transits his natal Venus, so I imagine some important readjustments being made in his personal life too.

Other Leaderships

Anna Soubry became the new leader of the rapidly dwindling Change UK party this week.  According to the Guardian: “Soubry said she was particularly stricken by Umunna’s decision. “I will always be more sad than you can imagine that Chuka is not with us. I think he’s a man of huge ability and talents, and I think he has made a very serious mistake.”  It was the strength of their friendship which was one of the factors that led to the formation of the original Independence Group.  When the leadership was announced, Chiron was trine her natal Saturn and Uranus (some have greatness thrust upon them!)  Her bond with Chuka shows his Jupiter trine her Saturn (she finds him uplifting), Her Uranus on his Jupiter (she sees his highest potential), Her Venus conjoins his Uranus (a magnetism) and his Neptune is on her Sun (she finds him inspiring).

Jo Swinson is tipped to succeed Vince Cable in the Lib Dem party leadership contest.  Since the European MEP elections the party has been transformed into more of a going concern, a more palatable prospect if she does succeed.  The only other candidate to have declared is Ed Davey, and she has been much more high profile (e.g. in the media).  The contest officially began on 24th May. Jupiter was transiting her natal Neptune (opportunity for her dream job?!) and Jupiter sextiled her natal Pluto (the opportunity to seize power!)  Sounds perfect.  The new leader will take over on 23rd July, and at that time Jupiter will be exactly sextile her natal Sun (success in a contest!).  However, Pluto also squares her natal Pluto, so she will learn all about the challenges of Power.

Better just look at Ed Davey too.  He’s a Christmas Day Capricornian, so maybe should have been called Noel…At the time the contest began Uranus was trine his Sun, so he may have surprised himself.  Saturn was trine his Uranus, so he may have been pushing himself beyond his comfort zone, but in a constructive way.  The North Node sextiled his Uranus, again pushing him to take a bold step.  Neptune was opposing his natal Pluto, so the push may have caused him some niggling worries.  But the whole prospect seems exciting for him.  For 23rd July, Neptune exactly opposes his Pluto on the day (likely to rain on his parade), but Pluto sextiles his Neptune (he will be strong psychologically).  If Jo Swinson did not have such winning planetary line ups, I’d say his Uranian transits were quite respectable for such a contest.

Aspects

Today, Venus enters Gemini, bringing a more mental focus to relationships, and increasing communication around love, art and money. Your diary is likely to be full of engagements during the period that Venus travels through this sign, which takes us up to 3rd July.  We’ll all be social butterflies, deftly spinning plates in social circles!

In the early evening Neptune squares the Sun, and we might be a little dizzy from the social whirlwind, or from other factors.  Even the young in age might experience a senior moment under this aspect.  You may need to slow down, centre yourself, and chill out until you can achieve the clarity or grounding to work with this aspect.

Tomorrow (Monday 10th) Jupiter opposes the Sun, so we’ll need centring in a different way.  We will be more grounded, but will be trying to cover too much ground, and maybe overstretching ourselves, erring on the side of arrogance, although likely to be in good humour.  You’ll want to be travelling, whether physically to far off places, or mentally in your armchair reading about travelling (in my case a recliner chair, with my arm currently in a sling).  If lazing in a chair, philosophical reflections on the quality of freedom in your life can bring relevant insights for this Jupiterian aspect and timing.  Or if you can extend to a desk, writing a comedy script would also be a suitable occupation for the day.  Otherwise, enjoy the foreign holiday, or the planning or prospect of one.

Skipping to Friday (14th), as the middle of the week is an unaspected desert, we have a trine between Neptune and Mars.  This is an aspect I personally like, for it ensures sensitive use of energies, such as meditative activities.  Yoga, Tai Chi and Qijong all represent this vibe.  Mars represents the use of energy or anger directed (in a trine) in a constructive way, and Neptune represents empathy. I recently came across an interview with Melinda Gates (who has the Mars trine Neptune energy in her own natal chart) where she was asked the question, “Why do you write that empathy is more effective than outrage?”.  Her reply was interesting, for example from the point of view of activism:

“Outrage is a knee-jerk emotional response, but empathy helps you take in the other person’s point of view and decide what you are going to do with it and how you are going to move forward.  There might be times when you need to use anger, but you must always use it strategically.”

There is a lot of activism, protesting and demonstrating going on at the moment, especially in relation to climate change.  I would always like to see peaceful demonstration (no cause justifies violence), and Mars trine Neptune is the right energy for this.

The Mars-Neptune trine occurs early in the morning, and may serve the first half of the day at least, but there is a block mid-afternoon when Saturn opposes Mars, and if you are not careful (but you will be, because you will have read this blog!) it could undo some of the subtler and delicate work of Mars trine Neptune.  It is as if you had fashioned a beautiful sand mandala on the shore, and someone has come along and stomped all over it with hobnail boots.  So you might be forgiven for installing protective measures as you work with the more refined energies earlier in the day.  Towards mid-afternoon, deliberately leave the cloud, and work on the grounding of your achievements, having thought about possible loopholes.  It is possible that you may be pleased with your outcomes, but then face criticism from another who does not understand what you have produced, or the processes you went through.  Your own feeling about your work is what is more important, so don’t be swayed.

What could override both aspects, and gives a structure to the day (you’ll find the day overall very meaningful) is a semi-sextile between Saturn in Capricorn and Jupiter in Sagittarius.  This is a balancing between two important planets, which may not be comfortable, but forces us to take into account factors we may otherwise overlook.  It occurs just after the Mars-Saturn opposition.  Jupiter and Saturn are both in their own signs, and therefore strong and true to themselves, but they need to come to some accommodation.  They can’t ignore each other, and so you may find that your creation needs to somehow co-exist with someone else’s, even if it is not your thing.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – social whirling; confusion
  • Tomorrow – over-egging the pudding
  • Friday – sensitive activities, a challenge, then the necessity for resolution

 

Date: Jun 9th, 2019 · Comments RSS · Tags: News