Donald Trump and Boris Johnson: Men for our times ?
Are Donald Trump and Boris Johnson the right men for our times?
Do they really reflect where their countries are at this time?
It depends on whom you ask. The progressives would clearly say "No" because the chain of progress seems to have been broken. Most of the less educated folks would say that it is time to dig in for a national identity, to bring back a more glorious past (MAGA) when they felt more honored and less threatened. The threat is to their majority, as the influx of browner immigrants is rising in number and status. This fear is at a primitive visceral level. They let the herd instinct take over. These are the people of the MAGA rallies. They are also the more economically threatened people. But, the top 1% has hitched on to this populist movement because they see that immigrants are scapegoated and not the 1% that keeps the wages stagnant and opportunities limited.
Since we live in "democratic" countries, those who come out to vote largely determine the shape of the future. Many experts would agree that how people vote is more emotional than intellectual. People vote for those who appeal to them on a gut feeling level, not after a careful analysis. How people feel at the time is very important. Candidates who read the mood of the times well get elected. They blow up people's fears and put themselves up as saviors. Yes, "I alone can fix it!" worked for Trump. Except that he is too ignorant to know how to fix it. The latest evidence: he did not even bother to get the latest hurricane Dorian updates before speaking.
What determines the prevalent mood of the times? What determines how the majority that comes out to vote feels? We see the cycles of progress and retrenchment play out in politics. What works against continued progress? Why is progress seen as a threat? Why do people want to go back to some imaginary past? For one, we can never go back to the past. That moment can not be recreated. But people still want the world to be the same place it was, so they can feel safe. There is something in human nature that wants that. It does not affect all of us equally. Some are more susceptible to this fear.
Astrologically, the signs that tend to be conservative, those who feel most attached to the past, are: Cancer which is ruled by the Moon, Taurus which is very materially conscious, and Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn. People whose charts are dominated by those energies will react in more fearful manner. They are less open to change than someone with Sagittarian or Aquarian qualities dominant.
On the global scale the transiting outer planets, which have long-lasting effects, are presently approaching an exact Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Last time we had such a conjunction (1980-1984) Reagan was in power. The Saturn-Pluto opposition of 2000-2004 coincided with G.W. Bush. The conservatives mobilized to take power. The most dramatic Saturn-Pluto alignment probably was the opposition of 1930-1933 when Hoover was in power during the Great Depression. It took the unorthodox leadership of FDR to get the US out of that debacle.
When looked at through historic events, the Saturn-Pluto stressful alignments have been described by Richard Tarnas: "... alignments of the Saturn-Pluto cycle coincided with especially challenging historical periods marked by a pervasive quality of intense contraction: eras of international crisis and conflict, empowerment of reactionary forces and totalitarian impulses, organized violence and oppression, all sometimes marked by lasting traumatic effects... the transformation was through contraction, conservative reaction, crisis and termination." When we look at the events happening under Donald Trump's and Boris Johnson's leadership, these qualities are clearly apparent.
With Saturn opposition Pluto in his natal chart, Boris Johnson is a man of the times. The Saturn-Pluto energy is an integral part of him. He will instinctively fight for UK's contraction and exit from the EU. With Mars quincunx his Moon, Johnson will be fighting for his home and family (Moon). Or so he feels. Boris Johnson's natal chart is shown below in the inner circle with the transiting planets of September 3, 2019 (in red) on the outer circle.
Several astrological factors indicate Johnson is a reactionary conservative, in addition to the Saturn-Pluto opposition. His Midheaven and North Node are in Cancer, the sign of family and clan. His conjunction of Sun, Venus, and North Node indicate that "family" plays a very big part in his life. In his mind all of UK is his family. The Water Grand Trine of the Moon, Saturn and the conjunction of Sun, Venus and North Node means that Johnson will feel very deeply about his "family" and what is right (Saturn) for them. With the tip of the T-square (in red) pointing to his Mars, Johnson will fight for his cause. With Mars in less than one degree semisextile to his North Node, Johnson will fight for his people. His Mars is energized by the the squares to Uranus-Pluto and Saturn. The Uranus conjunction Pluto is the aspect of revolutionary change and destruction of existing institutions. Saturn adds the compelling energy of traditional order. Johnson wants to take UK back to the old order.
Astrologer Roger Eliott describes the person with stressful aspects between Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto as someone who may have a deep hidden grudge and who wants to liberate himself from real (or imaginary) bondage. In Boris Johnson's mind the UK is in bondage to the EU, and he will employ whatever means are necessary to liberate the UK and bring it back to some ideal state. With such compelling energies within him, Johnson is clearly the man of the times. But he may not be the best for the times.
What about Trump? His base applauds every cruel thing he does. The rest are shocked. Trump's natal chart with transiting planets on the outer circle is shown below.
Like Boris Johnson, Trump has a stellium in Gemini. Both are glib, socially oriented, but not necessarily deep thinkers. With three planets in Cancer, Trump is very influenced by family and clan. Trump's Mars is very trigger-happy with its conjunction to the Ascendant and semi-sextile to the Venus-Saturn conjunction. He will strike if he feels least bit slighted. With Mercury in Cancer semisquare Mars, Trump will fight for family and clan. Trump's Moon is very active with aspects to Mars, Venus-Saturn, Sun, North Node and Uranus. In Trump we have a person similar to Johnson with feelings for family and his white clan being a strong motivating force.
It should be remembered that both Trump and Johnson ascended in politics due to Putin's interference in elections. There is another layer to the story. The newly discovered dwarf planet Eris has been at work in 2016. Eris is known as the planet of strife and discord. That certainly describes the political situation in the US and UK. Boris Johnson has his Descendant and Pluto in exact aspects to Eris. He is a major disruptor with, as of now, no end in sight. Trump, with his Mercury and Neptune in nearly exact aspects to Eris, is lying and deceiving on a daily basis, sewing confusion and chaos. Both Johnson and Trump are deeply disruptive to the social fabric of their countries.
For more on effects of Eris I refer readers to my previous blogs on Putin, Trump, Eris and elections.
Do they really reflect where their countries are at this time?
It depends on whom you ask. The progressives would clearly say "No" because the chain of progress seems to have been broken. Most of the less educated folks would say that it is time to dig in for a national identity, to bring back a more glorious past (MAGA) when they felt more honored and less threatened. The threat is to their majority, as the influx of browner immigrants is rising in number and status. This fear is at a primitive visceral level. They let the herd instinct take over. These are the people of the MAGA rallies. They are also the more economically threatened people. But, the top 1% has hitched on to this populist movement because they see that immigrants are scapegoated and not the 1% that keeps the wages stagnant and opportunities limited.
Since we live in "democratic" countries, those who come out to vote largely determine the shape of the future. Many experts would agree that how people vote is more emotional than intellectual. People vote for those who appeal to them on a gut feeling level, not after a careful analysis. How people feel at the time is very important. Candidates who read the mood of the times well get elected. They blow up people's fears and put themselves up as saviors. Yes, "I alone can fix it!" worked for Trump. Except that he is too ignorant to know how to fix it. The latest evidence: he did not even bother to get the latest hurricane Dorian updates before speaking.
What determines the prevalent mood of the times? What determines how the majority that comes out to vote feels? We see the cycles of progress and retrenchment play out in politics. What works against continued progress? Why is progress seen as a threat? Why do people want to go back to some imaginary past? For one, we can never go back to the past. That moment can not be recreated. But people still want the world to be the same place it was, so they can feel safe. There is something in human nature that wants that. It does not affect all of us equally. Some are more susceptible to this fear.
Astrologically, the signs that tend to be conservative, those who feel most attached to the past, are: Cancer which is ruled by the Moon, Taurus which is very materially conscious, and Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn. People whose charts are dominated by those energies will react in more fearful manner. They are less open to change than someone with Sagittarian or Aquarian qualities dominant.
On the global scale the transiting outer planets, which have long-lasting effects, are presently approaching an exact Saturn-Pluto conjunction. Last time we had such a conjunction (1980-1984) Reagan was in power. The Saturn-Pluto opposition of 2000-2004 coincided with G.W. Bush. The conservatives mobilized to take power. The most dramatic Saturn-Pluto alignment probably was the opposition of 1930-1933 when Hoover was in power during the Great Depression. It took the unorthodox leadership of FDR to get the US out of that debacle.
When looked at through historic events, the Saturn-Pluto stressful alignments have been described by Richard Tarnas: "... alignments of the Saturn-Pluto cycle coincided with especially challenging historical periods marked by a pervasive quality of intense contraction: eras of international crisis and conflict, empowerment of reactionary forces and totalitarian impulses, organized violence and oppression, all sometimes marked by lasting traumatic effects... the transformation was through contraction, conservative reaction, crisis and termination." When we look at the events happening under Donald Trump's and Boris Johnson's leadership, these qualities are clearly apparent.
With Saturn opposition Pluto in his natal chart, Boris Johnson is a man of the times. The Saturn-Pluto energy is an integral part of him. He will instinctively fight for UK's contraction and exit from the EU. With Mars quincunx his Moon, Johnson will be fighting for his home and family (Moon). Or so he feels. Boris Johnson's natal chart is shown below in the inner circle with the transiting planets of September 3, 2019 (in red) on the outer circle.
Several astrological factors indicate Johnson is a reactionary conservative, in addition to the Saturn-Pluto opposition. His Midheaven and North Node are in Cancer, the sign of family and clan. His conjunction of Sun, Venus, and North Node indicate that "family" plays a very big part in his life. In his mind all of UK is his family. The Water Grand Trine of the Moon, Saturn and the conjunction of Sun, Venus and North Node means that Johnson will feel very deeply about his "family" and what is right (Saturn) for them. With the tip of the T-square (in red) pointing to his Mars, Johnson will fight for his cause. With Mars in less than one degree semisextile to his North Node, Johnson will fight for his people. His Mars is energized by the the squares to Uranus-Pluto and Saturn. The Uranus conjunction Pluto is the aspect of revolutionary change and destruction of existing institutions. Saturn adds the compelling energy of traditional order. Johnson wants to take UK back to the old order.
Astrologer Roger Eliott describes the person with stressful aspects between Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto as someone who may have a deep hidden grudge and who wants to liberate himself from real (or imaginary) bondage. In Boris Johnson's mind the UK is in bondage to the EU, and he will employ whatever means are necessary to liberate the UK and bring it back to some ideal state. With such compelling energies within him, Johnson is clearly the man of the times. But he may not be the best for the times.
What about Trump? His base applauds every cruel thing he does. The rest are shocked. Trump's natal chart with transiting planets on the outer circle is shown below.
Like Boris Johnson, Trump has a stellium in Gemini. Both are glib, socially oriented, but not necessarily deep thinkers. With three planets in Cancer, Trump is very influenced by family and clan. Trump's Mars is very trigger-happy with its conjunction to the Ascendant and semi-sextile to the Venus-Saturn conjunction. He will strike if he feels least bit slighted. With Mercury in Cancer semisquare Mars, Trump will fight for family and clan. Trump's Moon is very active with aspects to Mars, Venus-Saturn, Sun, North Node and Uranus. In Trump we have a person similar to Johnson with feelings for family and his white clan being a strong motivating force.
It should be remembered that both Trump and Johnson ascended in politics due to Putin's interference in elections. There is another layer to the story. The newly discovered dwarf planet Eris has been at work in 2016. Eris is known as the planet of strife and discord. That certainly describes the political situation in the US and UK. Boris Johnson has his Descendant and Pluto in exact aspects to Eris. He is a major disruptor with, as of now, no end in sight. Trump, with his Mercury and Neptune in nearly exact aspects to Eris, is lying and deceiving on a daily basis, sewing confusion and chaos. Both Johnson and Trump are deeply disruptive to the social fabric of their countries.
For more on effects of Eris I refer readers to my previous blogs on Putin, Trump, Eris and elections.
