Jeremy Paxman

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with an amazing team and to meet some of the swottier brains in the country. It gives me hope for the future.”

~ Jeremy Paxman

Last Monday night, with very little fanfare, Jeremy Paxman let go of his tenure of the role of chief inquisitor on University Challenge, at this year’s final.  He began hosting the show in 1994, so that is nearly 30 years.  We knew it was coming, but somehow missed the moment, and it was briefly mentioned on a news channel.  University Challenge is an important programme in this household, one of the few that hubby and I watch together.  I used to watch it before I went to University, I met hubby at University, and we challenge each other every week during its season.  The only problem is, he beats me about 98% of the time, and on the rare occasion, once or twice a year, that I beat him, I make sure everyone knows about it!  He mops up on the science questions, of which there are always quite a few.

I wrote about Jeremy, on the death of its previous chair Bamber Gascoigne in February 2022:

“Jeremy Paxman Era

Seven years later, the show was revived with a new quizmaster, Jeremy Paxman.  Jeremy displayed a much more hectoring style towards the students.  Jeremy is a Taurean, and also has a strong willed chart.  In 1997 he famously interviewed the politician Michael Howard and asked him the same question 12 times, leading to a nickname of “The Rottweiler”.  Interestingly, Jeremy has the same Quizmaster Archetype of Mercury trine Mars in his chart as Bamber Gascoigne!  The BBC decided to air the new series on 21st September 1994, the anniversary of the original, which meant that again the Sun was on Bamber Gascoigne’s Uranus.  However, Bamber stated that he only ever watched one or two episodes of the show with the new host.  Mars was prominent again in the transits for Jeremy when he took up the show, in that the planet was exactly sextile his natal Mars to the day.  Perhaps that reflects the combative nature of the show.  In addition, Neptune was on Jeremy’s Sun, Pluto exactly opposite his Mercury, and Uranus exactly trine his Uranus on the day (the same transit as Bamber Gascoigne had on taking leave of the show).  In this case it represented the new enterprise for Jeremy.”

To which I would add the Sun trine Mars in his natal chart shows his impatience “Come on!” and the Moon opposite Mars furthers his irascibility!  He also has the go-getting Entrepreneur Archetype from a close trine between Jupiter and Uranus.

Newsnight

Paxman became a presenter of Newsnight in 1989 and continued in that post until 2014.  He was an institution in that post.  As mentioned above, he was notorious for grilling his subjects, most memorably the encounter with Michael Howard (13th May 1997) in which he was expressing some potent transits involving Pluto, such as.Saturn trine his Pluto and Pluto square his Jupiter and trine his North Node.

He announced he was leaving Newsnight in April 2014.  At the time Jupiter was exactly square his natal Neptune, Saturn was opposite his natal Sun (a decision) and Pluto trine his natal Saturn (again, a decision to change).

The Transits for his last episode of Newsnight were Uranus exactly trine natal Pluto (big change) and Pluto still exactly trine his natal Saturn.

There was more fanfare on that night: he interviewed Peter Mandelson and Boris Johnson (then Mayor of London).  The programme included an appearance by Michael Howard.  And the song finale was “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” by the New Seekers.

He commented: “After 25 years, I should rather like to go to bed at much the same time as most people.”  For the record, in our house, we watch Newsnight every night, then retire for the day.

Autobiography

His autobiography “A Life in Questions” in 2016 revealed a childhood coming from a broken home with abusive parents, childhood beatings, and an adulthood alienated from his family, including his siblings. In his autobiography, he claimed that he had suffered on and off depression all his life, and it is easy to find the seeds of that in his life story.  It is a sad tale, and was published during a Saturn cycle, when Saturn was square his natal Saturn.  He traced his father to Australia, and tried to effect some closure, but the encounter was dismal: “I wanted to see if he was all right and I was slightly concerned in case I was turning into him,”  He hardly mentions his mother in the book.  In recent years, particularly since he left Newsnight, he has grown mellower: the Rottweiler image giving way to a mere hangdog expression, and his friends compared him to Eeyore.  He has been a lot gentler with the contestants on University Challenge!  It was observed by Anthony Andrew in the Observer as long ago as 2011:

“Has the formidable Newsnight anchorman lost his edge, or is he just bored with the show?”

Personal Life

He prefers to keep his personal life private, and separated from his partner of 35 years in 2017.  At the time transiting Uranus was trine his natal Chiron (which suggests a necessity).  They have three children, and the split was amicable.  He apparently enjoys fly fishing as a hobby, which may make sense of his Moon in Pisces!

Health

In May 2021 he revealed the difficult diagnosis that he has Parkinson’s disease, when Neptune was opposing his natal Mars in Virgo (we do not have a birthtime for him).  It was at that time mild, and he carried on his role at University Challenge.  A spokesperson for Parkinson’s UK has said:

“Previously, Jeremy pledged to donate his brain to the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank which will, one day, help scientists uncover the discoveries that will lead to better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s.”

Last Programme 

For the last programme On Monday, Mars was trine his natal North Node (a karmic act) and Uranus was transiting his natal Sun in Taurus (a fitting change).

It was recorded last October, when Neptune was opposite his natal Mars, and Pluto trine his natal Mercury (a final word).

Taking over will be Amol Rajan, who was formerly Editor of The Independent, and who interviewed Phillip Schofield this week.  Amol is a Cancerian, but has the Quizmaster Archetype, in the form of a conjunction between Mercury and Mars.  Another quizmaster who has recently taken over Mastermind is Clive Myrie, and he also has the quizmaster showing in his chart, in the form of Mercury exactly sextile Mars.

Wishing him well, this is my fanfare to Jeremy Paxman… 🎼🎺🎷

“I am a political person. But I’m not a party political person. I don’t believe there is a monopoly of wisdom in any one party.”

~ Jeremy Paxman

“What’s sometimes neglected in discussions about Paxman’s style is that he is, or can be, a very astute and incisive interviewer, as well as a skilled and compelling presenter”

~ Anthony Andrew

Aspects

At breakfast time this morning (unless you have a Sunday lie-in), there was a Full Moon in Sagittarius.  This particular emotional high tide concerns the expansive bigger picture (Sagittarius) in your life, your psyche, or the world.  If you are feeling such a maelstrom in your life, then you may need to start by going within to that still small spiritual centre, find peace, then make your responses from that place.

This evening, Mercury will conjoin with Uranus at 20 degrees Taurus.  Mentally it could be off the wall (well, the televised final of Britain’s Got Talent may be described as such).  You’ll be thinking inventively and out of the box.  There may be some interesting synchronicities happening.  Welcome the power of surprise!

Tomorrow (Monday 5th) Venus enters Leo at lunchtime, enabling you to make hay at least at lunchtime – they are at least predicting barbecue weather.  There is an opportunity to get out and about and enjoy the fruits of summer.  You can afford to be bold in seeking entertainment, and also polish up your performance skills.  Let your hair down.  But there is only a short window, before…

…Pluto opposes Venus in the late afternoon, which may end the day on a more dramatic note, especially in terms of relationships, and possibly in relation to money and the Arts.   In negotiations, people may be using negative tactics such as projecting fear. If your struggles are in the realms of art or music, you may have to go back to the drawing board on a creative project, or fundamentally change the values behind what you are creating, taking them to a higher level or a deeper level psychologically.

The next astrological aspect does not occur until Friday, so there is a Fixed Star which can be worked with in the meantime, that of Cursa in the Constellation of Eridanus.  We learn from “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld:

“This star has a capacity to increase endurance and strengthen the ability to do work of a mental nature with many individuals.  Some enhancement of thinking process will take place.  Physical stamina will be enhanced where concentration or direction of the energy flows in the physical body by the mind are necessary.”

– which sounds helpful!

Now on to Friday’s (9th) aspect, which is Mercury sextile Neptune.  This is a time of intense imagination, so it is helpful for creative visualizations..  This aspect will assist you in refining your mindset and remaining mental clutter.  Our minds will be able to receive higher guidance more easily.  Delicate conversations and channelling will also be made easier.  If giving or receiving gifts, be open to non-material gifts.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – emotional high tide; mentally off-the-wall
  • Tomorrow – making hay; soul-searching
  • Tuesday to Thursday – endurance and stamina
  • Friday – intense imagination
Date: Jun 4th, 2023 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities