Tory Leadership Contest 2022

In the TV debate on Friday evening on Channel 4 hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the candidates did not distinguish themselves, and there was bickering between the candidates jostling for the attention of the floating voters in the audience.  In the event, when they were asked if they were more likely to vote conservative, a mere handful of the audience indicated they would. In a poll immediately afterwards, Tom Tugendhat came top, and Liz Truss came last.

Here are the current contenders, who will be further whittled down this week:

Rishi Sunak

Slogan: Ready4Rishi

Rishi currently has the highest number of votes from his fellow MPs.  He is known to be one of the richest MP currently in parliament, and took some flak over his wife claiming non-domicile status.  He famously saw us through the pandemic with the furlough scheme, and the eat out to help out scheme, etc. He crossed swords in the TV debate with Liz Truss, e.g. saying that there was “no such thing as covid debt”.  He is the only one of the five that thinks it would be madness to lower taxes, and came across as competent and confident compared to others in the TV debate, with the exception of Tugenhardt.  He wants people to think of him as a realist.

When he became Chancellor of the Exchequer, I wrote about his chart:

“So what is the new Chancellor made of?  He was the deputy for Sajid, and has married into Indian wealth.  He has the Sun, Mercury and Chiron in Taurus, the sign of money.  With the Sun/Mercury trine Saturn, he has a great deal of common sense.  But will he be a mere puppet of Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings?  He has a preponderance of planets in the Mutable signs (adaptability and flexibility), but he also has Uranus opposite his Sun (so is capable of rebellion).  It is an intriguing combination, in terms of his future role.  He has Mars closely conjunct Jupiter, energy allied with enthusiasm, which I feel has contributed to his success (at 39, he is a very young age for a Chancellor).”

He is backed by Liam Fox, Oliver Dowden, Dominic Raab and Matt Hancock

Transits now:

Saturn squares his natal Uranus.  He will be finding the process tough.

Saturn urges him to stay true to his cautious principles, and not give rein to his Inner Rebel (Uranus)

Transits 5 Sept (when the new PM is to be announced):

Saturn will square his Mercury (mental headache)

Saturn trine his natal Pluto (power, strength and responsibility)

Neptune trine his natal Uranus (taking on complexity)

It is very likely he will succeed.

 

Penny Mordaunt

 Slogan: PM4PM

 “I could feel myself dozing off in the heat.  Along with almost everyone else packed into the room.  Mordaunt may have a vision but she’s not a natural communicator.  There’s a reason that almost no one outside of Westminster has heard of her.”

~ John Crace

Penny currently has the second highest number of votes from her fellow MPs, but many people are still saying “Who is she?”.  I have previously written about her, but had forgotten I had done so.  She basically wants to lower taxes, but otherwise keep things as they are and fulfil Boris’ mandate.  She has served in a variety of government departments, so like Liz Truss, claims experience.  There is a controversy over her views on gender, which she tried to clear up in an interview with Sophie Raworth this morning, and has taken part in reality TV.  Some of my readers may be interested to know she is enthusiastic about Homeopathy. (Her Nodal Axis is exactly square Chiron, the asteroid which signifies Homeopathy).

Her birth chart:

Penny has Sun in Pisces sextile Mars exactly conjunct her North Node.  She does not come across as a warrior, but her chart marks her out as one.  (She became the UK’s first female defence secretary, and has a background as a naval reservist, among other things).  Sun exactly square Saturn may put a restraint on that.  She has the Sun and Moon in Pisces, being born around the New Moon, which means she has the ability to start afresh.  The Sun sextiles her North Node, meaning that leadership is possibly part of her karmic mission.  In addition, she has Jupiter closely trine Pluto, a sense of comfort around power.  She has said:  “Our leadership has to change.  It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship”.

She is backed by Andrea Leadsom, and was slated by David Frost (of Brexit fame).

Transits now:

Light on significant transits. This could mean she feels free to express herself.

Transits 5 Sept:

Still light on transits…she may have withdrawn the race by then, surprisingly.  Or she may be operating in a different Universe.

 

Liz Truss

Slogan “Delivery, Delivery, Delivery”

“Truss looked blankly straight ahead, her body rigid with fear, and started misreading her script.  She tumbled over words and left pauses in mid-sentence.  She was robotic, managing to make Theresa May sound engaging, animated and personable.”

~ John Crace

Liz currently has the third highest number of votes from her fellow MPs.  She is our local MP.  I never imagined she could one day be running for Prime Minister!  She’s another low tax advocate.  She tries to dress like Margaret Thatcher, and echoing Boris Johnson she promises she will “Get things done!”.  As Foreign Secretary, she has been recklessly loose tongued, in the manner of Johnson himself.  Though she has experience in various government departments, she is not known for any successful achievements.

 There are similarities with Penny Mordaunt’s chart.  Liz has Sun trine North Node similar to Penny Mordaunt’s sextile “that leadership is possibly part of her karmic mission.” but not as exact as Penny’s.  Having 5 Cardinal planets, she likes to lead, and having Sun in Leo, she likes to shine.  With the Moon opposite Venus, she may be divisive on women’s issues.  Mercury square Jupiter makes her mind wide ranging, but not as flowing as Penny’s Mercury sextile Jupiter.  Her Mercury is conjunct Saturn, which may give rise to a stilted delivery at times.  She is not afraid of controversy (Mercury square Uranus), which may be one factor in the bluntness in foreign exchanges referred to above.  Jupiter square Saturn is not so favourable for balanced judgement, as optimism squares up to pessimism in an awkward way.  Jupiter opposing Uranus can give rise to the Chancer Archetype, and putting herself up as a possible Prime Minister may be a measure of that courage.  Saturn squares her Uranus, setting up yet another clash: this time between the old and the new.  I have counted thirteen squares altogether, so it is not an easy chart.

She is backed by Therese Coffey, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries and Suella Braverman

Transits now:

Uranus is on her Mars, so there may be an upset imminent, such as being eliminated from the next round, or realizing that the polls put her last in the TV debate.  Saturn is sextile with her Jupiter, so her judgement and decision making are better than they usually are, at this time.  Jupiter is trine her natal Neptune, so self-belief is also high at this time, and that transit is of greater importance than the Uranus-Mars conjunction, so I cannot completely rule her out.  It is possible that in the next round, she will gain more backers.

Transits 5 Sept:

A lot can happen in the intervening weeks.  In early September Pluto will be opposite her natal Mercury, so if she gets through to the final two, she could suffer a major upset at that time.  If not, she will be having a heavy think about her future at that time.  Neptune will be trine her natal Saturn, so again she may start to follow a new path altogether at that time.  A new Prime Minister may mean different employment.  Mars will oppose her Neptune, so again, feelings may be hurt.  And Jupiter will be opposite her natal Pluto, so not a good transit for power issues.  In the New Year, Pluto will exactly sextile her natal North Node, so a new phase of karma is likely to come about.

 

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch is the former levelling up and equalities minister, and takes the stand of “war on woke”.  She too would lower taxes.

Capricorn Kemi has half her planets (5) in Earth signs, so is very grounded.  Born on a Full Moon (Sun in Capricorn, Moon in Cancer), she could be very emotional.  With the Sun trine Mars, she is another warrior.  She also has Sun closely trine Jupiter, which makes her upbeat and positive, creating a Grand Earth Trine with Mars.  She could “get things done”.  She clashed in the TV debate with Penny Mordaunt on the trans issue.

She has been enthusiastically backed by Michael Gove – with her North Node exactly conjunct his Sun, and her Chiron trine his Venus, they have a strong karmic link. Their Uranuses are also exactly trine, which indicates a good spark between them, and they could work together well (telepathically, even!)

Transits now:

Mars on  her Chiron, she is challenging herself right now.  (Mars is therefore trine Michael Gove’s Venus, so he is really fired up)

Saturn squares her natal Uranus, like Rishi Sunak.  She will be finding the process tough.

Pluto trine her natal Saturn.  It’s powerful exercise for her, likely to earn her recognition and raise her profile.

Transits 5 Sept:

Pluto trine her natal Saturn

Neptune trine her natal Uranus, like Rishi

Saturn sextile her natal Neptune

All very favourable transits.  This suggests she will be happy she stood for office, and that she may gain a place in a new cabinet (maybe Rishi Sunak’s).  Rishi and Kemi were born in the same year, and have Uranus exactly conjunct.  Michael Gove’s Uranus is exactly trine theirs, so the three together might work well.

 

Tom Tugendhat

Slogan: The country needs a “clean start” 

Tom is the only candidate untainted by the Boris Johnson regime, and is the most left wing candidate.  He voted against Brexit in the 2016 referendum.  He promises an unrelenting focus on the cost-of-living crisis (which they all acknowledge as important).  He thinks taxes are too high, and has called for the national insurance hike to be scrapped, plus a cut in fuel tax.

Most  of the candidates stated on Friday that they love this country.  As a Cancerian, Tom may be a genuine patriot   Like Liz, Tom has half his planets in Cardinal signs, signifying leadership.  His military background is seen in his chart as Sun closely square Mars (a warrior, with bells on).  At the same time, his Mars opposes Pluto, so he has a powerhouse of combative energy.  The three planets are locked in a T-square, so he has to manage his passions carefully – when a planets transits one of those three points, all of them are triggered.  His Moon is in Taurus, which gives him some earthiness and grounded, but it is his only planet in the Earth element.  Mercury conjunct Venus indicates he should be good with words…although his denial of Boris’ honesty came in a nod of the head at the TV debate!  Mercury trine Mars gives him quick-wittedness and good co-ordination, an essential in battle.  Mercury trine Neptune means he can be inspired, and Mercury closely sextile Pluto means he is capable of deep thought.  Mars squares his Nodal Axis, another indicator of military karma and involvement.  Jupiter loosely trine Uranus is helpful for entrepreneurship.  And last but not least, Saturn trine Uranus in his chart indicates he can balance the old and the new, the outgoing with the incoming.  He says “The most consequential victim of our age is…Truth”.

He is backed by Damien Green

Transits now:

Neptune squares his natal Saturn, not a promising astrological look

Transits 5 Sept:

Jupiter with square his Sun, may be offered a post in a new cabinet

Pluto opposes his Venus, there may be turbulence in his private life

He is riding high in the polls post-TV-debate, but I don’t expect him to go much further.

I will try and analyse the two final hopefuls nearer the time that the new Prime Minister is selected.  There is another TV debate tonight (7 pm, ITV) hosted by Julie Etchingham, so the hopefuls have another chance to impress us.  You can re-assess them!  Though as Alistair Campbell points out in the Observer today: “Why is the country allowing – yet again – 160,000 mostly very old and similar people to choose the country’s leader?”  We need an overhaul of the constitution, to include proportional representation.  None of the candidates address the biggest issue to affect the planet, climate change, and the headline in today’s Observer stresses that the Climate chief Alok Sharma is threatening to resign if the new Prime Minister “dumps the net zero plan”.  Caroline Lucas of the Green Party is the only M.P. making that her priority.

Aspects

Today Mercury trines Neptune.  Things may fall into place spiritually, and you may be ready to talk about a sensitive subject.  This trine brings mental inspiration, transcendent wisdom, higher harmony, spiritual journeys, and insight.  A kind astrological note to start the week.

Late in the day, it is the turn of the Sun to trine Neptune, so to some extent, more of the same: A sparkling time, especially good for receiving creative inspiration.  Expand your consciousness, and allow your imagination to embellish your work, or project in hand.

Tomorrow (Monday 18th) begins well enough, in the early hours, with Venus entering Cancer.  We place our love on the home and family, and appreciate our locality.  We need to be conscious about our emotional boundaries during this period (to 11th August).  We have been advised to stay in our homes on Monday and Tuesday because of the severe Red Extreme heat warning of temperatures approaching 40 degrees centigrade.  The media are issuing all sorts of advice for managing this, mainly based on staying indoors and out of the sun.  So ingenuity, combined with common sense, are required to find just the right note, and stay safe, while enjoying yourself.  Find novel ways to enjoy staying in, and cherishing the home and family.

There’s an astrological warning to add, from breakfast time (so getting things done very early in the cool of the day may be advisable).  Pluto opposes Mercury, which means there may be a real danger involved in travelling if you don’t have to.  In this country, we are not used to dealing with such temperatures.  We don’t know what can melt, for instance… Watch your mental processes carefully, and be mindful in conversation.  Something could appear to be a minor snag on the surface, but may give you pause for deeper thought, leading to more psychological awareness.  Don’t skirt over it.  Examine the issue carefully, and the resulting insight could be a gift.

On Tuesday (19th) lunchtime we have another ingress, for Mercury enters Leo.  This placement favours applying the mind to ways of finding leisure and enjoyment in this holiday season.   Find novel ways to enjoy staying in, on Tuesday.  Take up a new hobby!  Mercury is on another rapid sojourn, leaving Leo on 4th August, so when the heat subsides, you can come out again.

On the same day, Chiron is Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde), so a healing issue may crop up that day; perhaps you have gone as far as you can with a particular line of healing, and may need to revise or go over old ground for a while.  There may be more understanding to be achieved, for instance, about the emotional component of the healing issue.  If you have Chiron Retrograde in your natal chart, you may be able to assess its greater significance.

The early hours of Wednesday (20th) bring another challenge, and another opposition, that of Pluto opposing the Sun.  Perhaps, on venturing out again, you have a great deal of catching up to do.  There is an opportunity to look at deeper issues in your life, and re-assess what you need and don’t need.  It may be helpful to get the energies and balance right on Tuesday, because of Wednesday’s challenge, which may bring up a lot of emotion and drama for people to balance and process.  It could be a day for sober reflection and unearthing the deep psychological significance behind events.  Being an opposition, there is a requirement again (after Pluto opposite Mercury earlier in the week) to balance two opposing forces, and possibly blend them or transcend the polarity.  A good question to ask on this day is: what needs to be transformed, or transcended?

The Sun enters Leo on Friday evening (22nd).

The Sun has got his hat on hip-hip-hip hooray

The Sun has got his hat on

And he’s coming out today

Well, you can celebrate, if you haven’t had enough of the Sun, and if the heat doesn’t constantly remind you of climate change.  I do enjoy my running in the warm weather, but will desist on Monday and Tuesday, unless the weather forecast turns out to be wrong.  For those of you on holiday by the sea, you may be able to enjoy a dip, alternating with lazing on a deckchair under a parasol sipping a pina colada.  But if the weather is still warm, some cautions may still apply.  Sun in Leo is also about the expression of the human spirit, and that can be enjoyed whatever the weather.  For many schoolchildren and workers, it is the start of holiday season…Have a good time!

The Universe has saved the best till last, this week.  On Saturday (23rd), Mercury trines Jupiter.  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, strikes permitting of course.  There may be media opportunities, for those so inclined, and it could be a productive day.  A cause for optimism may be found.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – spiritually harmonious
  • Monday – focus on the home; mental and travel stress
  • Tuesday – creative thinking; going over healing ground
  • Wednesday – depth of thought required
  • Friday – enjoy the sunshine, whether inner or outer
  • Saturday – helpful for sales, learning and travel
Date: Jul 17th, 2022 · Comments RSS · Tags: News