Australian Prime Minsters and the 2007 Federal Election.
Australia’s 1901 Federation horoscope has a huge emphasis on the elements fire and earth.
Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury, Chiron and the North Node are in Sagittarius, Juno in Aries and Vesta in Leo while the Sun and Saturn are in Capricorn, the Moon in Taurus, and Mars is in Virgo.
Apart from Neptune and Pluto and the other two main asteroids which are in air signs, every planet is located in either fire or earth, and there is no water at all.
This is an apt description as far as our geography is concerned, for Australia is the driest continent on earth, with an extremely hot interior, known colloquially as the red centre. As Dorothea Mackellar wrote in her poem, My Country , Australia is indeed a sunburnt country.
As clear felling and pollution has impacted on the environment, Australia has no doubt become drier and hotter since Federation in 1901.
With so much fire and earth, it’s not surprising these two elements also describe our national character. Yes, we are the lucky country; easy going, and sport-loving, but we are also deeply conservative and highly security conscious.
When it comes to choosing a Prime Minister, Australians likewise have a strong preference for fire sign and earth sign leaders.
So much so, that in the 106 years since Federation, Australia has had ten fire sign Prime Ministers and nine earth sign Prime Ministers, but only five who were born under a water sign (in power only five years in total) and only one born under an air sign (in power for 7 years).
Significantly, in 94 of the 106 years since Federation, Australia has had either a fire sign or an earth sign Prime Minister. This is about 90 per cent of the time, almost double the number that would be statistically expected.
The only air sign PM was Billy Hughes a Libran, who in classic Libran fashion couldn’t decide on which side of the political fence he preferred to stand.
The longest serving member of the Australian parliament, over the course of his 51 years in politics Hughes was a member of no less than six different political parties.
He started off in the Labor camp, then switched to National Labor, then to Nationalist, then to Australian, to United Australian, and then to Liberal. He was expelled from three of these parties and represented four different electorates in two states.[1]
The second longest serving PM of an element other than fire or earth was Gough Whitlam, a Cancerian, who was in power for only 2 years and 11 months, before being booted out by the Governor General, Sir John Kerr in 1975.
Apart from these two, we've had a handful of Piscean and Cancerian Prime Ministers; most of whom were in power for only a few weeks. The longest serving of these was Billy McMahon, a Piscean, who was in power for one year and eight months. All the rest have been fire or earth signs.
As fire and earth are generally considered to be mutually exclusive in a psychological sense, likewise the Australian people tend to fall into two camps. We have two main political parties, though trying to align left and right with astrological elements, or with signs of the zodiac is probably impossible.
Just as the Sun is a symbol of leadership, power and authority, we Australians prefer our leaders to have their Sun in Fire and Earth signs, which is in keeping with the spirit of our national identity.
It is important for Australians to have leaders who embrace the outgoing, freedom loving and sporty qualities of Fire, and/or the conservative, down-to-earth, hard-working ethos of Earth.
Prime Ministers of Australia from 1901 to the present
Prime Minister Sun sign Element Edmund Barton Capricorn Earth Alfred Deakin Leo Fire John Watson Aries Fire Gerrge Reid Pisces Water Alfred Deakin Leo Fire Andrew Fisher Virgo Earth Alfred Deakin Leo Fire Andrew Fisher Virgo Earth Joseph Cook Sagittarius Fire Andrew Fisher Virgo Earth Billy Hughes Libra Air Stanley Bruce Aries Fire James Scullin Virgo Earth Joseph Lyons Virgo Earth Earle Page Leo Fire Robert Menzies Sagittarius Fire Aurthur Fadden Aries Fire John Curtin Capricorn Earth Francis Forde Cancer Water Ben Chifley Virgo Earth Robert Menzies Sagittarius Fire Harold Holt Leo Fire John McEwen Pisces Water John Gorton Virgo Earth Billy McMahon Pisces Water Gough Whitlam Cancer Water Malcolm Fraser Taurus Earth Bob Hawke Sagittarius Fire Paul Keating Capricorn Earth John Howard Leo Fire Kevin Rudd Virgo Earth
Table 1.
Number of years in power for Australian Prime Ministers according to their Sun sign as at end 2007.
Table 2. Years in power for Australian Prime Minsters according to element as at end 2007.
Why Virgo Prime Ministers?
Of all the signs of the zodiac, Australia has had more Virgo Prime Minsters than any other sign, five in all, and one, namely Andrew Fisher, was in power on three separate occasions. Given Virgos are not naturally drawn to positions of power this seems highly significant. With a Federal election fast approaching, things are looking good for Kevin Rudd, who is also a Virgo.
The Five Virgo PMs are:
Andrew Fisher
1908-1909 again 1910-1913 and again 1914-1915 LABOR
Elected 3 times… if we count these then there have been 7 periods when we have had a Virgo PM
Elected in first instance with Jupiter transiting Virgo
James Scullin
1929-1932 LABOR
Elected with Neptune transiting Virgo, landslide victory just prior to Wall St Crash.
Joseph Lyons
1932-1939 UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY
Elected with Neptune in Virgo in Dec 1931 after new party split from Labor.
8 months later Jupiter entered Virgo.
Ben Chifley
1945-1949 LABOR
Elected by party as PM with Jupiter in Virgo, after death of John Curtin in 1945.
He won the next election in 1946.
John Gorton
1968-1971 LIBERAL
Elected by party as PM after Holt’s disappearance, when Jupiter and Pluto were in Virgo.
Won next election in 1969.
Note that Jupiter in Virgo transits appear to play a significant role in boosting the chances of Virgos being elected.
Current Political Climate -2007
Saturn entered Virgo in early September 2007, so maybe things aren’t so good for Rudd after all. Jupiter is not in Virgo, it’s about to move into Capricorn, a sign in which it was positioned when John Howard was elected in 1996.
But Saturn in Virgo will probably be helpful to Rudd in this instance as Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter are all moving out of fire signs and into earth signs between September ‘07 and January ‘08.
2008 is also the year of the Earth Rat, adding yet more earth energy, which John Howard, a Leo, may continue to find it difficult to deal with, though he does have a fair bit of earth in his chart too.
With so much earth energy coming through, humanity as a whole has an opportunity to reconnect with the earth itself.
Already the momentum appears to be swinging as environmental concerns are taking centre stage. Climate change is on everyone's mind.
The Pluto in Virgo Generation (1957-1972)
This boost in earth energy will probably assist Kevin Rudd for as Pluto moves into Capricorn there appears to be a generational shift taking place. A number of politicians have recently resigned, including two State Premiers; Bracks and Beatty.
At long last the Pluto in Virgo generation (1957-1972) is emerging from the wide shadow of the Pluto in Leo folk (1939-1957) who, let’s face it, have had a pretty good run. Now seems like a good time for them to hand over the reins of power.
John Howard was born with Pluto at 1 degree of Leo, at the very beginning of the Pluto in Leo generation, just one week before the outbreak of World War II. He has been in power for 11 years, almost one full Jupiter cycle.
With Pluto about to make a 150 degree aspect to Howard’s natal Pluto/Sun conjcunction, there is the potential for health issues to arise for him in 2008. At the very least he will probably experience a reduction in his influence, power and energy.
Rudd was born in 1957, at the start of the Pluto in Virgo generation, with Pluto at 1 degree of Virgo.
Interestingly, Peter Costello, Liberal leader in waiting, is also a Leo, was born only a few weeks before Kevin Rudd, though Costello has Pluto at 29.50 Leo.
Whether Costello becomes the next leader of the opposition, or a future Prime Minster remains to be seen. But he too is likely to benefit from the current changing of the guard as Pluto is making a trine to its natal position for all those born in 1957.
Kevin Rudd [3]
Rudd’s Mercury in Virgo makes an exact conjunction to Australia’s Mars, so Australians tend to view him as competent and clever. Rudd’s own Mars is in a tight conjunction with his Sun, suggesting he has the energy and mental toughness for the job.
He has a fixed grand cross too, showing he is highly determined. When combined with a mutable Sun, Mars and Saturn, this makes for a formidable combination of both strength and flexibility.
Rudd turned 50 on 21 September 2007 and is therefore in the midst of his Chiron return. He is also having a number of other heavy transits.
In September, transiting Saturn makes a conjunction to his Pluto and at the end of November transiting Pluto will make its final square to his Mars/Sun just when the election is held. At the same time the transiting North Node is opposing his natal Pluto, so Pluto is highly activated.
These are rather intense transits, putting him under pressure, but at the same time also giving him the energy, drive and confidence to handle the challenge of the election campaign.
As transiting Pluto and Jupiter will also make a trine his natal Pluto, it seems we will soon elect our 6th Virgo Prime Minister. The polls certainly indicate so, though it won’t be without a battle. If we have learned anything from the past 11 years, it’s that John Howard should never be underestimated.
Past Changes of Government
There have only been a few occasions when Australians have voted for a change of government, nine times in all. On five occasions Labor has been victorious.
So what kind of transits to Australia’s chart are conducive to a switch from Liberal to Labor and are there any signs pointing towards the same patterns being triggered in 2007?
Let's just look at the conjunctions and oppositions to Australia's chart, which are the aspects most associated with beginnings and endings.
Switch to Labor Switch to Liberal
13/4/1910 31/3/1913
5/9/1914 10/12/1949
12/10/1929 13/12/1975
2/12/1972 2/3/1996
5/3/1983
1910 Election
Andrew Fisher, a Virgo, elected as Prime Minister.
The Main transits were:
- Transiting Pluto opposing Jupiter and Mercury
- Transiting Pluto conjunct Neptune
- Transiting Mars conjunct Pluto
- Transting North Node opposing North Node
1914 Election
Andrew Fisher elected for the third time, with WWI looming, we elected someone familiar, offering security.
The Main Transits were:
- Transiting Vesta conjunct Pluto
- Transiting Saturn and Pluto had just entered Cancer (near MC)
- Transiting Mars conjunct Ascendant (Libra rising chart)
- Transiting Sun conjunct Mars
1929 Election
Landslide win for Scullin, a Virgo, just days before Wall St crash.
The Main transits were:
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Pluto
- Transiting Jupiter opposing Uranus
- Transiting North Node conjunct the Moon (Libra rising chart)
- Transiting Chiron conjunct the Moon (as above)
- Transiting Saturn conjunct Jupiter and Mercury
1972 Election
Whitlam, a Cancerian, elected after a generation of Liberal rule.
Slogan “It’s Time.”
The Main transits were:
- Transiting Chiron conjunct Descendant (Libra rising chart)
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Saturn
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Sun
- Transiting Saturn conjunct Pluto
- Transiting Neptune nearing conjunction to North Node and Venus
- Transiting Mars opposing Moon (Libra rising chart)
- Transiting Sun conjunct Venus
1983 Election
Bob Hawke, a Sagittarian, comes to power with a host of planets moving through Sagittarius.
The main transits were:
- Transiting Uranus conjunct Venus
- Transiting Uranus conjunct Uranus
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Venus
- Transiting Jupiter conjunct Uranus
- Transiting Uranus and Jupiter approaching opposition to Pluto
- Transiting Neptune conjunct Chiron
- Transiting Pluto at 29 Libra about to change signs
The 2007 Federal Election
The Federal Election will be held on 24 November 2007. The electorate appears ready for a change. All the opinion polls indicate Labor will be elected.
So are any of these transits which show that Australians are seeking a change of government showing up currently? And what else are the planets up to?
Current transits include:
- Transiting Jupiter conj Jupiter and Mercury and opposing Neptune
- Tranisting Pluto conj Mercury and Chiron and opposing Neptune
- Transiting Saturn conj Mars
- Tranisting Mars conj MC
- Transiting Sun conj North Node
- Transiting Venus conj Ascendant
Apart from the generational shift of Pluto changing signs, there are a number of transits involving Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Mars and other points which are being activated.
Probably the most pressing issue facing humanity is the urgent need to address climate change.
The impetus for change is at a critical point in 2008 as Pluto moves into Capricorn, the sign of the political establishment and big business.
Over the coming 16 years, we will witness a new kind of industrial revolution as our obsolete infrastructure and technologies are overhauled.
A change of government in Australia is just the start of the cycle of major overhaul, that some would say is long overdue.
In just about all the prior elections when there has been a change of government from Liberal to Labor, Pluto has featured prominently.
In the past, Australia's Pluto has been transited by conjunctions of Vesta, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and in 1983 by oppositon from Uranus and Jupiter.
Similarly transiting Pluto has itself triggered planets in Australia's chart when the opposition has won.
Pluto was either about to change signs or had just done so, in 1914, 1972, 1983 and also in 1996 when John Howard came to power when Labor was defeated.
"There is tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries; on such a full sea we are now afloat; and we must take the current the clouds folding and unfolding beyond the horizon."
William Shakespeare- Julius Caesar
Now and then a Full Moon or New Moon coincides with the Moon's closest approach to the earth.
Like the planets, the Moon's orbit is elliptical, not circular, which means there are times when the Moon is at perigee (closest to the Earth) and times when it is at apogee (furthest away).
When the Moon's closest approach coincides with a Full Moon or new Moon, there are high tides and additional pressure on the earth's crust.
The technical term for this is a perigee syzygy, or SuperMoon for short, a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle. see his website (astropro.com) for more on SuperMoons.
SuperMoons happen fairly frequently, but interestingly there is a SuperMoon at 1.29 am (Canberra time) on Sunday, 25 November, 2007, just hours after the close of counting in the 24 November Federal Election.
The Moon will be located at 1.55 Gemini, the Sabian Symbol for 2 Gemini is:
"Santa Claus filling stockings furtively."
Meaning that politicians will be making every effort to give the electorate lots of goodies in a last ditch bid to win votes.
The "furtive" reference can be interpreted as promises that most likely are undeliverable. Interesting too, that the SuperMoon takes place exactly one month before Christmas.
With this SuperMoon tying in with the Federal Election, the potential exists for a complete landslide victory, or extremely high tide in voter sentiment, which is confirmed by the current opinion polls. Rudd's lead keeps increasing, while the PM's chances are on the wane.
URANUS STATIONARY DIRECT
In addition, on the evening of 24 November, (Canberra time), Uranus will be stationary direct.
The planet of sudden and unexpected change may have a surprise in store as the results come to hand.
Perhaps the minor parties, the Greens for example might do better than expected. Uranus is the planet associated with the future, with the maverick, the outsider, so anything might happen.
It seems highly doubtful that Howard will be re-elected, whereas candidates and parties who embrace the future and have vision are likely to do well.
Uranus is a thinking planet, the planet associated with the future itself. As it stations and moves direct, we will be awakening to a new day.
***After the Election...
Well Rudd and Labor have won the 2007 Federal Election, the Howard era is at and end and Peter Costello has opted out of the Liberal leadership.
Despite pundits tipping Malcolm Turnbull (who was born 24/10/1954 on the cusp of Libra/Scoprio) as the new opposition leader, he has lost out to Brendan Nelson, who, you guess it, is another fire sign, a Leo born, with Pluto in Virgo 19/8/1958.
Kevin Rudd was sworn in as Australia's 26th Prime Minister on the morning of 3 December, 2007 in Canberra. His first act as Prime Minster that day, was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Malcolm Turnbull elected opposition leader
September 2008
I do not have a time of birth for Malcolm Turnbull.
I have used 11.00 am which is speculative, and was chosen by intuitive rectification (just using the time of day I happened to calculate the chart).
This places transiting Venus, Mars and Mercury (in stellium) on his MC on the day he was elected opposition leader.
A notable feature of this chart is the large number of planets located at 0 degrees, including the Moon, the Sun and Venus which are positioned at 0 Libra, 0 Scorpio and 0 Sagittarius respectively.
If this time of birth is correct, then his Ascendant is likewise at 0 degrees (Aquarius). Pallas is also at 0 Scorpio conjunct his Sun.
Based on the fact that Australia has never had a Scorpio PM, it seems doubtful that Turnbull will become Prime Minister, or at least too early to tell, unless Australia becomes a Republic and we get a new national chart before the next elections, in which case we would need to reassess his prospects.
It's possible that Australia may become a Republic in the not too distant future, which may possibly coincide with Pluto's transit to Australia's Sun, which will take place in 2012-13.
Turnbull, though more popular than his predecessor, is generally seen as being too elitist, arrogant, wealthy and too upper-class for even blue-blood liberal voters.
Australians like their PMs to be fiery and earthy, and Turnbull has virtually none of either element in his chart.
Though his Ascendant is not known, the only fire in his chart is Venus at 00.00 Sagittarius and Pluto in Leo, and the only earth is Chiron and the North Node, both in Capricorn.
[1]Source; Wikipedia
[2]Does not include those PMs who served more than once
[3] Time of birth is unknown. 11.18am has been selected by intuitive rectification, which is just using the time of day when the chart was calculated.
