Farewell Gareth Southgate

“We have the best fans in the world, and their support has meant the world to me. I’m an England fan and I always will be…I look forward to watching and celebrating as the players go on to create more special memories and to connect and inspire the nation as we know they can…Thank you, England – for everything.”

~ Gareth Southgate

The sad departure of Gareth Southgate as England manager in the world of football may be the best thing for him, to quit while he is ahead.  He faced criticism throughout the Euro 2024 tournament, despite being the best thing that had happened to English football since sliced bread (or Alf Ramsey).  You never miss a good thing, ’til it’s gone.

I did write a blog about Gareth in 2021, when the extent of his talent and success was clear to see.  My analysis of his birth chart:

Birth Chart

“We do not have a birth time for Gareth, but will make do with what we can glean from a Noon chart.  Half his planets (5) are in Earth signs, so he is very grounded.  He has 0 planets in Fire signs, hence his reputation for being calm, and not too excitable (except when his team wins).  He has the Sun in Virgo, and fashion-wise waistcoats and spotted ties are very much the Virgo style.  He has an immense attention to detail (Virgo), checking on the well-being of each individual player, and studying the form of the opponents carefully before selecting his team.  His Sun in Virgo is unaspected, so he is very individualistic and able to think outside the box.  With the Moon in Libra, again he is equable in mood, and has diplomatic skills – he says he adopts a listening approach. However, his Moon is conjunct Uranus, so he mixes that cool emotion with a high intuition, and is responsive to people.  Mercury (his mindset) is also in Virgo, conferring an analytical way of thinking.  It trines Saturn, so he is methodical and systematic in thought, and a good planner.  Mercury is his ruling planet, for his Sun sign, and has further qualities: a close sextile with Neptune means he is capable of receiving inspiration, and an exact conjunction with Pluto adds depth of thought and perception.  His Venus too, representing his ability to relate, is well connected: it is in Libra, the sign of diplomacy, exactly sextile the Galactic Centre, which may give him added power.  Venus sextiles Mars, providing some passion; it is conjunct Jupiter, giving him a love for humanity in general; and it is trine his North Node, making relationship and negotiation part of his karmic mission.  Mars is in Virgo, representing the economic use of  energy, and sextiles Jupiter (a sporting aspect).  In addition, Mars on the South Node shows he has built up the skills teamwork in past lives (e.g. on the battlefield).  Saturn trines Pluto in his chart, revealing great strength, an aspect I associate with good managers generally.”

Focus Now

From reading the sports pages of The Guardian and The Observer (something I don’t tend to do outside of Wimbledon season) the emphasis now seems to be on preserving his legacy, and ensuring that what he brought to the managing of players is honoured, and built upon.  Going forward, a successor is going to have to have the same skills of empathy and skill, and more, in order to advance Gareth’s record of two international semi-finals and one quarter-final, and raise it to the final level which would satisfy the experts, pundits and supporters: an actual win, which has eluded us since 1966.  Obviously a tall order, and I am not proposing to look at the various names which have been put forward so far (maybe in a later blog).

Looking at his qualities from my previous blog:

Walking his Talk

“Gareth has been clear about his ethics, and tried to adopt a positive philosophy.  His autobiography (“Anything is Possible”) notes:

“When working with the England football team, we focus on what we might achieve instead of worrying about what might go wrong. I honestly believe that with the right mindset, a willingness to learn from our mistakes, and the ability to cope with the highs and lows, every one of us can make the most of our lives.”

It has been noted that the current stock of players in the top team has been transformed.  In the Guardian, Simon Hattenstone has written this week:

“But there is something even more impressive about this group. After decades of seeing players get rich quick and keeping stumm in the face of social injustice, here is a generation of footballers with values. Many struggled in their childhoods, experienced first-hand what the years of Tory austerity stripped from society, and stood up to racism. Now they are determined to use their clout and wealth to support today’s disadvantaged kids.”

He has honourably kept the practice of players taking the knee before matches, on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement (despite criticism).  And during the coronavirus outbreak, Southgate agreed to take a 30% cut in salary.”

Euros 2024

Even a die-hard fan would admit that England made a lack-lustre start at the beginning of the tournament.  Though they muddled and struggled through, they were not playing at their best.  At the start of the Euros, Gareth Southgate had no encouraging transits.

When they really showed progress, and possibly at their peak, England won at the semi-final against Switzerland on 7th July.  After drawing 1-1, they banished their long-standing phobia of penalties, to triumphantly score all five.  Though the manager’s transits are not the full picture, Gareth Southgate’s own transits were more encouraging, with a sextile from Jupiter to his natal Chiron.

In the final, England did not quite play to their full potential, whilst their rivals Spain played to theirs.  Gareth could hold his head up high, from an astrological perspective, with Jupiter exactly square his natal Sun, Uranus exactly trine his natal Mercury, and Uranus exactly trine his natal Pluto. This was last Sunday, 14th July, the day of the aftermath of Donald Trump’s attempted assassination and the Mars/Uranus conjunction.  Harry Kane did not live up to expectations in this tournament, and I wrote:

“At the time of the final, Kane will have Mars square his natal Chiron, Saturn still trine his natal Mercury and Saturn sextile his natal Uranus/Neptune conjunction.  These are transits necessitating care.”  The final was probably Harry Kane’s lowest point.

By the time Gareth decided to quit on Tuesday 16th, Mars had joined Uranus in transiting Gareth’s chart, to trine his natal Mercury and Pluto, a decisive trigger for him to quit while he was ahead.  This represents a fortunate  venture for him.  Recognizing the right time to leave a situation is an art!

Recognizing his Achievements

England Managers come and go, and many were pushed out after just a few failures.

Gareth wasn’t pushed out, but can claim several successes, and a long period of stability.

Here are some stats:

Gareth Southgate managed England 102 times, earning 61 victories at a win percentage of 59.8%. Of the remaining 41 matches, England drew 24 of them and 17 ended in defeat.

Jonathan Freedland wrote in the Guardian on 13th July:

“But if Southgate’s England have modelled a more enlightened stance on race, they have offered a different version of maleness, too. The Graham play focuses on how Southgate worked to fix the fear that haunted previous England teams: fear of penalties, fear of failure, fear of disappointing fans, fear of not matching up to England’s much-mythologised past. Part of the remedy was to bring in psychological help, to get the players to talk about their feelings, to encourage them to be kinder to themselves and each other.”

Freedland highlights the virtues of Gareth Southgate’s “woke” approach, and hints at the possibility of carrying his approach to new styles of government.

“A force for good that comes from the heart, kindness changes lives. It opens up opportunities and can be our greatest strength.”

~ Gareth Southgate

Aspects

Today’s Full Moon at 29 degrees Capricorn occurred late morning, which may have been marked for you by a benchmark of achievement or an emotional peak (or trough!).  Full Moons can be a revelation.  Even if you were making an important start on your plans for the day, you may still be feeling some tension.  This Moon represents the pull between authority and individual needs.  There are questions about society, such as how far can authority be accountable for an individual’s fate, and how much can the individual expect from authorities – where does the balance of responsibility lie?

We have two aspects this evening.  The first is easy to work with: Venus sextile Jupiter, one of the brightest aspects of the year.  It’s a highlight, conducive to socializing, celebrating partying, and romancing.  This sextile combines luck and love.  Enjoy!

Still later in the evening, you may encounter some sort of glitch or gremlin, especially on the tech front, with Mercury square Uranus.  Back up your computer files (mental note to take my own advice!), and consider I.T. loopholes.  Speech may be controversial.  Use your intuition to be one step ahead – the Universe may be trying to show you new pathways, and possible new perspectives.  This influence may pick up on features and experiences arising from last week’s big Outage by CrowdStrike, or the Mars/Uranus conjunction which triggered an upswing in the affairs of Donald Trump.

Tomorrow (Monday 22nd) bestows upon us two trines and an ingress, which could be an opportunity to make some progress.  In the early hours of the morning, it first brings a trine between the Sun and Neptune: this is a sparkling time, especially good for receiving creative inspiration.  Expand your consciousness, and allow your imagination to embellish your work, or project in hand.  Hope springs eternal.

Soon afterwards, Mars trines Pluto, so a double trine effect almost occurs.  This aspect speaks of self-empowerment, but you have to remember that everyone also has this force!  This is a great aspect for tasks which need great energy.  There may be some upheaval involved, as when you are decluttering in earnest, but you should have the energy to start afresh once you have cleared some old ground.  Although this aspect occurs in the middle of the night, it may galvanize you into action come the daytime.

At breakfast time, the Sun enters Leo.  For many schoolchildren and workers, it is the start of holiday season, so have a good time.  Sun in Leo is about the expression of the human spirit, and that can be enjoyed whatever the weather.   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, if the weather is fine  (the weather forecast is mixed).  For those staying at home, it is about enjoying aspects of life and being, generally.

A sharp dose of reality could occur on Tuesday (23rd), for Pluto opposes the Sun, posing challenges.  Perhaps you have a great deal of catching up to do, or some psychological processing you have put on the back burner.  There is an opportunity to look at deeper issues in your life, and re-assess what you need and don’t need.  It could be a day for sober reflection and unearthing the deep psychological significance behind events.  Being an opposition, there is a requirement 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?

Moving now to Friday (26th), there is more opportunity for resolution, especially in issues of force or even violence – this is courtesy of the Sun sextile Mars.  It is another early-hours-of-the-morning arrival, so may keep you awake or enliven your dreams.  Energy is injected into our affairs for the day.  It should hopefully allow you to press on with active projects, and dynamically get your jobs done.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – emotional high tide; then social harmony; then technical hitches
  • Tomorrow – spiritual inspiration; full steam ahead; holiday atmosphere
  • Tuesday – psychological challenges
  • Friday – getting things done
Date: Jul 21st, 2024 · Comments RSS · Tags: Sport