Cressida Dick

The currently serving Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, has again come under pressure to resign following this week’s sentencing of ex-policeman Wayne Couzens, who murdered Sarah Everard on 3rd March.  Sarah’s murder is a watershed in so many ways, highlighting violence against women, and mistrust of the police, misogyny in the police force, as well as the inadequacies of police vetting.  Should Cressida stay or should she go, and will she stay or will she go?  The whole issue raises, among other things, the question of the responsibility of individuals in authority

Birth Chart

I wrote in April:

“She is the first woman to hold the post.  In her chart, she has a close opposition between Mars and Saturn, so is capable of being tough in this post which would assume toughness!  Saturn trine Pluto in her chart is another sign of great strength, also a requirement.  Saturn exactly trine her natal North Node assumes a karmic mission of seriousness and discipline.  She took up the post on 10th April 2017, with transiting Mars squaring her Chiron (stressful, not healing), Saturn on her Jupiter (a limiting and disciplined event in her life), Saturn sextile her natal Chiron (requiring discipline for healing), Uranus trine her natal Uranus (a surprise), Neptune sextile her natal Saturn (complex discipline required), and Neptune on her South Node (a result of complex past karma).  In her position, she has had to contend with lack of funding by the government, who have refused to increase pay for the police, as with the NHS.  She claims that low recruitment can be laid at the door of the glamourization of violence and social media.”

To which I would add:

She has an extremely strong chart: the Moon conjunct Pluto links her with the police force, Mercury trine Mars can be combative in speech and able to debate, or stand up for herself; Mercury loosely square Uranus means she is not afraid to be controversial, and Mars sextile Pluto conveys the sense of strength and power you would expect from a Police Commissioner.

Sarah’s Murder

Sarah Everard’s murder may prove to be a defining moment for the Met, and for Cressida.  The event of course is beyond tragic for her family, and certainly changed Wayne Couzens life, as he has now been handed a Whole Life sentence, apparently a rare type of sentence.  Only a hundred such sentences have been handed out since its introduction in 1983 (the year Pluto went into Scorpio, a telling ingress).  A candlelight vigil was held for Sarah by the public.  At the time of the murder, Cressida’s transits were Jupiter square her Mercury, Saturn square her Neptune (very difficult) and Uranus trine Pluto (insistent change).

The transits for the chart of the Metropolitan Police at that time shows the North Node (karma) square its Venus (female issues), and Pluto square its Mars (the Institution in danger, or disrepute).  Jupiter sextile its Saturn indicated an opportunity.

Sarah’s chart shows a lighthearted and gentle spirit, with Sun sextile Jupiter and the Moon trine Venus.  Harshness towards her may be shown by a conjunction of Saturn and Uranus opposite her Sun.  Karmically, she had three squares to the Nodal Axis, which is quite unusual.

Her murderer, Wayne Couzens, was Sagittarian (of the opposite to her Gemini Sun).  He was a Full Mooner (very emotional), with the Sun square to Pluto, the planet of darkness, but also of the Police.  However, he has apparently shown no contrition.  Mars was unaspected in his chart, which could have been a problem (misdirected sexual urges, or something unattainable niggling at him).  Jupiter was loosely square Uranus in his chart, indicating a Chancer.  Was this a cocktail recipe for a murderer, or do other factors such as sociological considerations come into play in the development of such a psyche?

How did he chance upon his victim?  There is one karmic conjunction, which is her Mars on his South Node.  Their synastry shows: her Sun trine his Uranus (his power of surprise), her Mercury opposite his Jupiter, her Venus trine his Pluto, her Jupiter opposite his Uranus – in each exchange, his planet has the advantage.  That is not to say that her murder could not have been avoided, given the changes we know we need in policing and public safety for women.  This murder exposed loopholes which needed to be addressed.

Wayne’s actions impacting on Cressida’s life and work are also interesting to look at:  his Sun at 28 degrees Sagittarius is exactly conjunct her Jupiter (the psychological principle of trusting to luck), which in turn is sextile her natal Chiron.  His Uranus (shock) is on her Sun, and his Chiron (crisis) is square her Saturn, posing a troublesome problem.

The transits operational for Sarah at the time of the murder included Uranus opposite her natal Pluto, in this case devastating change.

And the transits operational for Wayne Couzens included Saturn sextile his natal Mercury, suggesting premeditation (a fact which is undeniable, in the face of all the preparation he made in the hiring of a van etc.)

Cressida’s Life and Career

Cressida’s career has had its ups and downs.  She earned a degree in Agriculture and Forest Sciences from Balliol College Oxford, before joining the Met in 1983.  She later took a Master’s degree in Criminology.  In 2005, she was at the head of the operation when the innocent Jean Charles de Menezes was shot and killed by the police.  Though the Met was blamed, she was cleared of responsibility. She commented about this in 2008, saying: “If you ask me whether I think anybody did anything wrong or unreasonable on the operation, I don’t think they did.”  Later still, she commented: “The events of that day stay with one; I think about it quite often. It was a traumatic period. It was an awful time for so many people, obviously and most of all Jean Charles’s family, the people who were there when it happened, the firearms officers, the surveillance officers.”  In 2012 she oversaw the security operations for the Met in the Summer Olympics.  She was selected for a five year term as Commissioner for the Met in 2017, notably being the first woman in that post.  The announcement came on 22nd February, with transiting Jupiter on her natal Sun (a promotion).She criticized the cuts in budget to police funding, and also in 2018 warned about the effects of Brexit on services.  In the same year, she initiated a campaign to recruit more female officers in the Met, something which is needed for the safety of women.

What Now?

81 women have been murdered in the 28 weeks since Sarah died, including the murder of schoolteacher Sabina Nessa in South East London on 17th September, for whom the public also paid a candlelit vigil. It is now clearer than ever that something needs to be done.  Is Cressida Dick the right person for the job?  She initially recommended that if women felt unsafe in an encounter with a police office in the future, they should resist arrest, run away and flag down a bus or call 999.  These and other recommendations which have been put forward all seem lame, and women have responded that the onus needs to be put on men to be educated and be responsible, and to act appropriately.  That is difficult to implement if you are dealing with a psychopath or deranged personality which is determined to act out aggression.

Today’s Observer Leader comments: “All the emphasis is on women changing behaviour to protect themselves but there is an overwhelming lack of strategy to prevent male violence by working with perpetrators of domestic abuse and fostering healthy attitudes towards women and girls among boys.”

The transits for the Met currently show a Solar Return (a spotlight on the Institution), Jupiter trine its Mercury (a good time to look at improvements), the Nodal Axis square its Venus (a karmic need to revise its behaviour towards women) and Mars opposite its Uranus (triggering a needed shock).

The Observer this morning included suggestions going forward from prominent women, who came up with Compel Action, Improve Vetting (warning signs were ignored about Couzens), Changing the Culture, Earning our Trust (ironically, Boris Johnson urged us to trust the police), and the Police Listening to Us.  Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding Jess Phillips advocated a change in culture, saying “British policing needs to, for the first time ever, prioritise violence against women and girls and include it as serious violent crime, with all the prevention strategies and resources that come with that.”

Catherine Bennett, also in the Observer, comments on Cressida’s role: “The kindest thing that can be said about Cressida Dick, given the evidence of employee mistreatment of women tolerated in police forces, is that this misogyny is so entrenched as to have defied any attempts she may have made to expunge it.”

In an article by Rajiv Syal and Vikram in yesterday’s Guardian,  they wrote:

“Asked if Dick could continue in the job, [Lord] Stevens said she should ask herself some searching questions. ‘You have to look at yourself and say: Can I continue?  Can I continue with confidence?  Can I continue in a way that brings around the change that’s necessary to make the public feel safe…Have we got people in the police service who should not be there?'”

Cressida’s transits for the sentencing this week show Jupiter trine her natal Sun, Uranus trine her natal North Node, Pluto sextile her natal Venus – someone has been brought to justice, but these transits imply she probably would not resign now.

As for my penny’s worth, I think it all comes down to psychology, needing to get to the root of why men need to do this.  And then the encouragement of violence through violent film and media.  No doubt there are similarities across the globe, so the human race may need to be rewired.  And yet, I believe that the human heart is fundamentally sound, so when and how does it get twisted in that way?  Answers on a postcard.

Aspects

The Sun is opposite Chiron today, a day of wrestling with conundrums.  Apologies for too many Observer quotes in my piece about Cressida Dick, but I felt that this week’s issue was too important and too complex to skim over, as I am sure you will agree (!)  It is good to cultivate a good relationship with your Inner Healer today, and thus find more intuitive answers to any problems.  Look more deeply into the source of the symptom or problem.

Tomorrow (Monday 4th) brings us a splendid trine between Mercury and Jupiter (although Mercury being retrograde may take off a little of the shine).  This aspect will help business transactions, and expand our horizons, minds and philosophies.  This is an upbeat vibe mentally, one that takes in great wads of information, produces good ideas and may incline one to travel (as more countries are taken off the red list).

A New Moon at 13 degrees Libra graces us on Wednesday (6th).  Some of the artistic, musical and relationship issues you have been grappling with could receive new impetus and a more confident direction.  Where there has been struggle, there could be more harmony.  Where there has been vacillation, there may be more balance.  But whether or not you are conscious of beneficial changes or shifts in these matters, they may still be progressing and bear fruit over the next month.

Additional help arrives in the evening, with Pluto Stationing prior to turning Direct.  We may feel we are coming through a transition, or at least on a more salubrious path.  The ruminations of the entire retrograde period (since late April) bear fruit.  Breakthroughs can take place at this juncture, e.g. reunions where perhaps people have not been speaking to each other.

A fresh social vibe arrives on Thursday (7th) with the advent of Venus into Sagittarius.  You may be in party mood, whether in person, socially distanced gatherings, or in virtual reality.  Venus in Sagittarius ensures that the mood stays around, right through till 5th November.  It is there if you need it.  Venus in Sagittarius is a good-will-to-all men and women vibe.

On Friday (8th) there is an upsurge of energy (and possibly conflict) with the Sun conjoining with Mars in Libra.  This signals two days of intensity in relationships, due to a triple conjunction in Libra.  You can get things done, but also it can bring out the warrior in people..  If you are sure that you are entirely justified and constructive, then go for what you want.  If you are a peacemaker, then your work may be cut out.  It is not a day to take big risks, for either type of personality.

The next component of the triple conjunction is the Sun conjunct Mercury which occurs on Saturday (9th).  That brings a touch of sparkle to your consciousness.  It is a good day to apply your mind with clarity,  concentrate and focus,  make important statements, and look to the future.  You may write or speak some memorable lines.  Look out for some telepathy, too!

And the final side of the triangular process completes in the evening, when Mercury conjoins with Mars.  This brings brisk action, mental and physical stimulation, and again can help movement in your projects.  Again, there is a small element of risk of being incident-prone, as in minor cuts and bruises.  So mindfulness is a key to successful outcomes.  It is mentally acute and favours critical thinking, if you are composing an analysis, a review or critique.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – wrestling with conundrums
  • Tomorrow – educational and mind-stretching
  • Wednesday – new beginning; psychological progress
  • Thursday – party time or party planning
  • Friday – upsurge of energy
  • Saturday – mental clarity; brisk action

 

Date: Oct 3rd, 2021 · Comments RSS · Tags: News