Friday, February 22, 2008

Famous Philanderings USA and UK Style

As the lunar eclipse progressed, under thick cloud cover, on Wednesday evening we were watching a 10-year old movie on HBO, "Primary Colors". I first saw it years ago, back in the UK, but in those days much of its significance would have gone right over my head. This time I thoroughly enjoyed it and, by the time the Moon was again shining above the clouds, I understood it. The story-line is very apt just now, with politics and the presidential race full in our faces.

"Primary Colors" the movie was adapted from a novel, originally said to be the work of an anonymous author, later unmasked by a clever literary analyst, as journalist Joe Klein. It's a semi-fictional satirical story of a presidential candidate in the USA. The tale manages to integrate the complexity and ethics, or lack of them, involved in politics generally. By the movie's conclusion the viewer is left wondering whether, in politics, the ends do sometimes justify the means.


John Travolta and Emma Thompson play the parts of presidential candidate and wife, Jack and Susan Stanton - very thinly veiled caricatures of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the plot gently satirizes their adventures in the 1990s. Travolta did a wonderful job, I thought. I've been a fan of his since "Saturday Night Fever" - how he has evolved since those days! We happen to share Aquarius Sun with Pluto in first house opposing Sun in 8th, with Cancer rising. Similarities end there!

One key element in the "Primary Colors" plot was, not surprisingly, Jack Stanton's philanderings. Coincidentally, today 22 February, is the birthday of Christine Keeler, who was closely involved in the philanderings of a high level politician in Britain, in the early 1960s. Christine Keeler, the leading player in what is now known as the Profumo Affair.

The Secretary of State for War, John Profumo entered into an affair with high-class prostitute, Christine Keeler, not realising that she was also sleeping with (among others) a naval attache at the embassy of the Soviet Union(Russia), and this was during the Cold War, don't forget! The affair resulted in John Profumo eventually resigning his government post. I think I'm right in saying that those who lived through the "Profumo Affair" in Britain have never forgotten it, it almost brought down the whole government.



Christine Keeler's 12 noon chart reveals some Taurus planets on each side of, and close to, Fixed Star Algol (25 Taurus)traditionally thought to be the most malefic of all stars. Algol certainly turned out to be an ill omen for Keeler's reputation and those connected with her. There's a Grand Trine linking Uranus, Neptune and (out of sign) Venus in her natal chart, which could be seen to describe her effect on her clients -illusion of love leading to delusion and some unexpected results.

Robin Williams has said "God gave us all a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time". Yes indeed!.

2 comments:

  1. Ah, Christine Keeler - now there's nostalgia! And she had a friend, as I remember, Mandy Rice-Davies - another high-society call girl who had an affinity for politicians. I needed to refresh my memory, so consulted Wikipedia. They offer rather a nice story:

    At the height of the Profumo scandal, the first prime minister of independent Malaya (now Malaysia) Tunku Abdul Rahman arrived in London for a visit. At a reception party at London Airport when asked what he wanted to do first, he replied "I want Mandi" which shocked the reception party because they did not know that "Mandi" means "take a bath" in Malay.

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  2. LOL! Mandy Rice-Davies was an equally notorious name at the time, I remember it well, RJ.
    Her upper-crust sounding double-barrelled surname seemed to add to the incongruity of it all in those days. :-)

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