{"id":7370,"date":"2023-04-09T13:05:59","date_gmt":"2023-04-09T13:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=7370"},"modified":"2023-04-09T13:18:55","modified_gmt":"2023-04-09T13:18:55","slug":"aspects-for-the-week-beginning-9-april-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=7370","title":{"rendered":"Aspects for the week beginning 9 April 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nigel Lawson (1932 – 2023)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“My golden boy”<\/em><\/p>\n

~ Margaret Thatcher<\/p>\n

Nigel Lawson, famously a Chancellor of the Exchequer in Margaret Thatcher’s government, has died this week at the age of 91.\u00a0 Many people would quarrel with his values, but\u00a0 he did not care what others thought.\u00a0 He was a Piscean, normally a sign that cares too much, but also a sign that can live in a world of their own.<\/p>\n

Birth Chart<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nigel had Mars, the Sun, North Node and Mercury in the 12th House (a world of his own).\u00a0 His Sun in Pisces was exactly trine Pluto, born to take power (in tribute, Keir Starmer called him “a powerhouse”).\u00a0 Politics and Conservatism are shown in his Capricorn Midheaven (Careerpoint) with Saturn in the 10th House of Career.\u00a0 But his strongly and strangely individualistic stances are shown in his placement of Uranus in the 1st House.\u00a0 He was resolute about not following the herd, but enjoyed leadership (Ascendant in Aries).\u00a0 He helped to shape Thatcherism, and as such the karmic economic path of his day, with the Sun conjunct his North Node.<\/p>\n

His aptitude for finance and economics are shown by Mercury in Aries (accountancy) and a conjunction of the Moon and Venus in early Taurus (the financial sign), together with a problem-solving conjunction of Chiron and the Part of Fortune, also in Taurus, in his 2nd House of Finance.\u00a0 He also had the Entrepreneur Archetype, in the shape of Jupiter trine Uranus.<\/p>\n

Life and Career<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nigel was born into a non-Orthodox Jewish family in Hampstead, with his mother coming from a family of stockbrokers, while his paternal grandfather was a merchant from Latvia. From Westminster School, he won a mathematics scholarship to Oxford University, where he obtained a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.<\/p>\n

He initially pursued a career in journalism, starting on the Financial Times, <\/em>and then moving to the Sunday Telegraph, <\/em>and then to The Spectator.<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1972 he wrote a book entitled “The Power Game” with Jock Bruce Gardyne, about power and decision-making.\u00a0 According to the Guardian obituary by Julia Langdon, its conclusion was that “so often it is pure hazard which tips the scale of decision in the end”.<\/p>\n

In February1974, he entered parliament as MP for Blaby in Leicestershire, a position he held until 1992 when he retired.<\/p>\n

When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, she appointed Lawson to the post of Financial Secretary to the Treasury.\u00a0 In June 1983 she promoted him to Chancellor of the Exchequer, a post he held for the unusual length of six years. In this period of influence, he is said to have helped shaped Thatcherism, which he once defined as a:<\/p>\n

“mixture of free markets, financial discipline, firm control over public expenditure, tax cuts, nationalism “Victorian values” (of the Samuel Smiles self-help variety), privatisation and a dash of populism.”<\/em><\/p>\n

He had a strongly reforming aspect in his birthchart of Uranus square Pluto, and set about privatising British Airways, British Telecom and British Gas, paving the way for numerous other privatisations and deregulation.\u00a0 He declared “We are seeing the birth of people’s capitalism”.<\/p>\n

During his years of tenure, tax rates went down, as did unemployment, so for a time his policies seemed to be working.\u00a0 In 1986 the City of London financial institutions were deregulated, and Lawson conceded in 2010 that this may have had repercussions in the 2008 financial crash.\u00a0 Towards the end of his years serving under Margaret Thatcher, she began to favour a different economic approach, from Alan Walters (an advocate of the floating exchange rate) which ran counter to Lawson’s vision.<\/p>\n

He resigned in October 1989, this relinquishing of power being shown by the transit of Pluto to square his natal Jupiter.\u00a0 The Guardian obituary recounts that after his resignation William Whitelaw wrote to him:<\/p>\n

“that Thatcher could not bear to be on the losing side of any argument and added: ‘That failing may ditch us all.’.”<\/p>\n

The Uranus rising in his chart had a lot to answer for in some of his later involvements, as a Contrarian.\u00a0 He campaigned for Brexit (arguably not controversial), and then for the denial of Climate Change (definitely contrarian).\u00a0 He argued long, hard and passionately for both; they were not fleeting whimsical ideas for him.<\/p>\n

He also tackled the issue of weight, Moon conjunct Venus in Taurus being a prominent factor in that necessity, and wrote “The Nigel Lawson Diet Book” <\/em>in 1996, a book which sold well.<\/p>\n

Family<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Nigel Lawson had six children altogether, depicted in his chart as Jupiter early in his 5th House of children.<\/p>\n

His first marriage was in 1955 to socialite Vanessa Salmon.\u00a0 They had four children together, including Dominic Lawson, firstborn, who followed his father into journalism (a Sagittarian depicted in Nigel’s chart as Jupiter at the beginning of the 5th House); and the domestic goddess herself Nigella Lawson, known for her unctuous cooking.\u00a0 I wrote in 2013:<\/p>\n

“Nigella was born into a political family: indeed her father Nigel Lawson is graphically portrayed in her chart as Sun in Capricorn (politician father) conjunct Saturn (accentuating the politics).\u00a0 She did not have a good relationship with her mother, who did not treat her well.\u00a0 She describes her as depressed, but as she is depicted in Nigella\u2019s chart she comes over as fiery and volatile (Sun in Aries trine Mars and Jupiter)… She has a highly entrepreneurial exact trine between Jupiter and Uranus.” Note that her father handed down that trine.<\/p>\n

Nigel had two more children with his second wife Therese Maclear, a marriage which lasted until 2012.\u00a0 He later formed a relationship with Tina Jennings, a visiting fellow at Oxford University.<\/p>\n

He has a unique place in history: hardly palatable to left-leaning climate-upholding remainers, but it was the life of his choice.\u00a0\u00a0 We all have that prerogative.<\/p>\n

Aspects<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the early hours of Tuesday (11th), Venus enters Gemini.\u00a0 Although Venus is most at home in the sign it is just leaving (Taurus), there is a lightness and freedom of heart with the new placement.\u00a0 It brings a more mental focus to relationships, and increasing communication around love, art and money. Your diary is likely to be full of engagements during the period that Venus travels through this sign, which takes us up to 7th May.\u00a0 We’ll all be social butterflies, deftly spinning plates in social circles!<\/p>\n

Mid-morning on the same day, Venus will be trine Pluto in Aquarius.\u00a0 This aspect can settle your deepest feelings into a more comfortable psychological context.\u00a0 It helps us through changes and transformations on a human level.\u00a0 Venus in harmony with Pluto benefits both love and money.<\/p>\n

Late on Tuesday brings even more benefit(s), with the Sun conjunct Jupiter, one of the most favourable aspects of the year.\u00a0 It takes place at 21 degrees Aries.\u00a0 It is an aspect of hope, or even celebration.\u00a0 It will certainly be lucky for some.\u00a0 Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.<\/p>\n

The mood dips a little towards the end of the week, with the last aspect, on the afternoon of \u00a0Friday (14th) being a square between Venus and Saturn.\u00a0 Perhaps your concerns are about close relationships and money, both of which are ruled by Venus, and under constraint by Saturn.\u00a0 Maybe you felt let down by someone or you disappointed yourself in some way.\u00a0 Forgiveness could be a solution, in that case.\u00a0 We need a great deal of patience in our human interactions, and some may be dealing with rejection or sadness.\u00a0 We need to acknowledge those feelings before we can move on.\u00a0 Try and look at things differently.<\/p>\n

Something may be salvaged later in the day with a sextile between Saturn and the North Node.\u00a0 This is a chance to stabilize your karma, or listen to what is required to right things.\u00a0 The answer may come during a spot of meditation, or while taking a power nap.\u00a0 Allow your left brain to rest, and allow your right brain to provide the next constructive step on your path.<\/p>\n

The week in bullet points:<\/p>\n