Dominic Cummings

“But then he had just appointed as a special adviser Dominic Cummings, the former Vote Leave campaign director, a man so toxically divisive he couldn’t even unite himself”

~ John Crace, July 2019

Dominic Cummings has been in the news this weekend because on Friday night it was revealed that he broke his own lockdown rules when he contracted coronavirus in approximately late March, by driving 260 miles to Durham to take his child to his parents.  It is rumoured that he makes the rules for Boris Johnson, who makes up the rules for the cabinet and the whole country.  Calls for his resignation inevitably abound, but at the moment it does not seem likely that he will relinquish his power willingly.

Birth Chart

I wrote a short sketch of his birth chart last July when he took up the post of Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister:

“Dominic Cummings was the chief architect of Vote Leave, and also assisted Boris’ recent campaign to be Prime Minister.  He is known as a slippery character, and remarkably 8 (out of 10) Mutable planets, and no Fixed planets, so slippery by astrological nature.  He has the Sun exactly opposite Saturn, so can be very strict in what he believes in.  His Sun is exactly conjunct Neptune, so he is very Piscean too.  His Sun sextile exactly Pluto makes him a very powerful character.  Jupiter sextile his Uranus makes him an Entrepreneur.  North Node sextile Chiron makes him a ‘Fixer’.”

I can expand on that a little now.  We Sun in Sagittarians have sometimes been accused of lawlessness, and with his ruling planet Jupiter sextile Uranus, he is someone who can be prone to take a chance (and is often lucky in the outcome).  His Mercury is in Sagittarius, and at University he was described as “fizzing with ideas”.  Mercury conjunct closely with Venus gives him a way with words (he invented the slogan “Take Back Control” for the Brexit campaign).  Mercury loosely square Pluto may produce a ruthless mentality (I could not possibly say).  The same professor at university is reported as saying he was “something like a Robespierre – someone determined to bring down things that don’t work.” He has great strength and is a good strategist, with Saturn closely trine Pluto.  But in terms of being a strategist and a problem-solver, it is his strong Chiron that stands out for me, with three trines and an exact sextile to the asteroid.  Apparently he runs a company that “tries to solve problems”.   [Hubby disputes this point, saying he causes problems]

Life and Career

Dominic was actually born in Durham (the site of the rule break), and his mother was a teacher and behavioural specialist.

From 2007 to 2014 he acted as Special Adviser to Michael Gove.  He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and on the way, he labelled Iain Duncan Smith “incompetent” and David Davis “thick as mince” and “lazy as a toad”.

In October 2015 Cummings became campaign director for Vote Leave.  Saturn was at the time on his natal Sun, a tremendous responsibility, as it turned out pivotally in the nation’s fortunes.

I wrote about his transits at the time he was appointed Special Adviser to the Prime Minister:

“Mars trines his natal Jupiter, sparking up his energy and enthusiasm (he has Mars square Jupiter natally, making him super-energetic anyway).  He has a Jupiter Return, so this is a red-letter moment for him.”

Until coronavirus came along of course, we talked about nothing but Brexit.  In the current crisis, he is rumoured to have engineered the approach to dealing with the pandemic, and has been known to sit in on meetings with SAGE.  Controversially, he is reported to have taken the view early on that the strategy should be “herd immunity, protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad”.

Timeline – Tracking and Tracing

The government line just prior to lockdown on 23rd March was:

“You should not be visiting family members who do not live in your home.  The only exception is if they need help, such as having shopping or medication dropped off.”

Boris Johnson was reported to have tested positive for coronavirus on 27th March, and later the same day Dominic Cummings was seen running away from 10 Downing Street.

Transits: Mercury on his Mars, a minor transit entailing running!

28th/29th March Dominic Cummings was reported to have experienced symptoms of coronavirus by initial accounts.  However this has become a moveable feast to explain the fact that he was able to drive to his parents just before he got the symptoms but just after his wife had them.

Transits: The Sun transiting his natal Chiron (the wounded healer), a minor transit entailing contact with the virus, perhaps.

30th March he was at the time reported to be self-isolating.  By all accounts he had not yet driven to Durham.

31st March is the day he drove 260 miles to Durham.

Transits: Mercury squaring his Jupiter, a minor transit entailing long distance travel, possibly illicit or rule breaking!

31st March reportedly the family were apprehended by the police about breaching rules.

The next two weeks he and his wife were reportedly ill and self-isolating

According to his wife, he was extremely flattened by the illness.

5th April 2020 he was spotted outside the family home in Durham.

From the Guardian:

“The Guardian has also been told Cummings was spotted near the gate of his parents’ home with a young child, believed to be his son, at around 5.45pm on Sunday 5 April,” five days after a complaint was made to the police about breaching the rules.

Shortly after this point, Dominic was reportedly starting to feel better.

Transits: Saturn trine his natal Pluto, a major transit, feeling stronger

[Overnight it emerged that there have been other, unconfirmed sightings of Dominic Cummings breaching the rules on 12th and 19th April]

25th April Dominic Cumming’s wife broadcast an interview about the couple’s coronavirus experience, in which she included a comment that her husband was “extremely kind”.  She did not reveal where they had spent their time in isolation.

Transits: Saturn sextile his natal Sun, a major transit, life re-stabilizing

Friday evening 22/5/20 the story emerges about his rule break.  Opposition parties call for resignation (Labour Party: “Number 10 needs to provide a very swift explanation for his actions.”), but by yesterday (Saturday) it was clear that members of his own party are rallying round him.  He is refusing to resign (as I go to press).

[Note: I may need to start a new category, as this is the second coronavirus timeline I have tracked in recent blogs…]

Synastry with Boris

Within the power play between the two, Boris’ Mars opposes Dominic’s Sun and trines Dominic’s Pluto.  It is a dynamic and fiery relationship.

The question is not just will he stay (most likely) or will he go, but if he were to go would Boris be able to manage without him?  Will the absence of the chief puppeteer create a power vacuum, and what would fill it?

Aspect

Just one aspect this week, so make the most of it, and make it last (you may be able to draw upon it all week, if you want to!)

The aspect occurs tomorrow (Monday 25th), at 6.48 a.m., so you can seize the day at that time; or relax knowing you can focus on this aspect all week, and don’t need to make a special effort to get up for it.  If you do rise to greet the aspect, you may be able to crystallize a facet of its effect, which can inspire you to further action throughout the week.  If you decide to sleep on, ask for a dream clarification of its potential.

Mars sextiles Uranus, which promises dynamism for the day, if not the whole week.  Engineering especially benefits from this aspect, but that also includes social engineering.  Electricity and Astrology are other areas which can be stimulated by this combination.  Cars, mechanics, mechanical goods and household appliances may receive a boost or a renewal (James Dyson, the inventor, has this aspect in his natal chart).

This aspect can refresh your energies, if you have been feeling jaded.  It is helpful for both beginning new tasks, or completing long term projects.  It can be a day (or week) of breakthroughs.  The power of surprise may be constructive today, too.

So if this day is successful for you, remember to stretch it out…

On Thursday (28th), Mercury enters Cancer (which is not an aspect, but an ingress).  If you need an exact time to pin it on, 18.08 Hrs can be your working focus.

The collective mind will be more able to encompass emotion when considering an argument.  This could fudge the issue when considering, for instance, whether a politician driving his child to his grandparents conforms to the principles he asked the public to abide by, as the strings of sentiment may come into play, and some may be swayed.  Mercury will be staying in Cancer until early in August (including a retrograde period in that time), so we have plenty of time to wrestle with such conundrums, although many will see that particular issue as being more clear cut for other reasons.  In our philosophy class this term, we are studying the rights of children, and that is a subject which may be considered during this period.  For example, Gove, Gavin Williamson and others have argued that children have a right to return to schools and have the benefit of their education, whereas others might say they have more right to stay safe and healthy and to help keep society so.  This is a conundrum which promises to provide lively debate right through this period, with one option being to recommence schooling in August.  Family matters are under the mental microscope throughout Mercury in Cancer.

The week in bullet points:

  • Tomorrow – Dynamic; can electrify the week
  • Thursday – incorporating emotion into logical processes; incorporating logic into emotional processes
Date: May 24th, 2020 · Comments RSS · Tags: News