Mutable Newt (Gingrich, that is)

Newt Gingrich this week announced he will seek the Republican nomination to run in the 2012 presidential election. As a comparative newcomer to the USA and its political mores, I ought to block out the opinions of others, even of those with extensive knowledge and experience. It's hard to do though. The opinions of others, even the best of 'em, are coloured by their own prides and prejudices - as are mine. Astrology helps a bit, to reach conclusions. Facts from the past record of the person in question help a bit, and gut feeling helps a bit too.


NEWT GINGRICH:





When I asked my husband for his opinion, in a few words, of Newt Gingrich he said:
"He's a pompous ass, blow-hard, full of himself - this decade's equivalent of Joe McCarthy."

Well, Newt has a lot in common with many on both sides of politics these days then. Always supposing there are two sides, something it's getting ever more difficult to discern.

In March Think Progress, a left-leaning website, had a piece headed "Ten things Newt Gingrich doesn't want you to know about him"
The 10 headings, followed by brief details (see full piece) were:

1. DESPITE BATTLING THE “SECULAR SOCIALIST” AGENDA, GINGRICH CHEATED ON HIS WIVES SEVERAL TIMES

2. WHILE DEMONIZING GOVERNMENT LARGESS, GINGRICH POURED MORE FEDERAL MONEY INTO HIS DISTRICT THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER

3. IN 2007, GINGRICH BACKED CAP-AND-TRADE, THEN FLIP-FLOPPED TWO YEARS LATER

4. GINGRICH BLAMED THE MASSACRES AT COLUMBINE AND VIRGINIA TECH ON “LIBERALISM”

5. GINGRICH WANTED THE RICH TO DECIDE WHEN THEIR OWN TAX CUTS WOULD END

6. DESPITE RAILING AGAINST THE “PARTY OF FOOD STAMPS,” GINGRICH PROPOSED EXPANDING THEM

7. FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, GINGRICH HAS FRONTED FOR THE HEALTH INDUSTRY

8. GINGRICH REFERRED TO JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR AS A “LATINA WOMAN RACIST”

9. GINGRICH FLIP-FLOPPED ON THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE

10. GINGRICH SAID WE SHOULD ALLOW SOME TERRORIST ATTACKS TO REMIND US OF THE DANGER

Throughout his career, Gingrich has devoted himself to constantly changing his views on a whim and trying to position himself relative to the political climate of the moment . While he claims to have changed, the facts haven’t.....

When I saw Gingrich's chart I had to smile.



Born in Harrisburg, PA on 17 june 1943. Astrodatabank gives a birth time of 11:45 PM, but with only a DD rating, so I'll take that Aquarius rising with a good pinch of salt. Astrodatabank offers the additional information regarding birth time

Frances McEvoy quotes "a telephone call to his office gave the information that he was born just before midnight according to his mom."

Eleanor Kimmel sends a clipping that reads, "Delivered in the middle of the night...after a labor of 24 hours."

Daniel Giamoria quotes the family for 3:00 AM (3/95)

From the headings listed above, one trait of this politician stood out: his tendency to flip-flop. Isn't that classic astro-mutable behaviour? He has Sun, Mercury, Saturn and Uranus in mutable Gemini and Moon in mutable Sagittarius - with Sun opposite Moon, so any balance which might have been brought about with Moon in, for example, Fixed Scorpio, is missing. This is one reason why I doubt that (Fixed) Aquarius rising with birth time as 11:45 pm. However, it would need to be a whole hour earlier for cardinal Capricorn to have been rising - which seems more appropriate to his conservative politics. His rising sign remains in doubt.

Saturn close to his Gemini Sun reflects his conservatism, while Uranus conjunct his natal Gemini Mercury (communications planet in its own sign) reflects his rather quirkily unexpected interest in space and programs for exploration of same. Bearing that in mind, perhaps Aquarius rising wouldn't be out of the question. From Wikipedia:

Another subject of interest to Gingrich is space exploration, originating in a fascination with the United States/Soviet Union space race during his teenage years. Gingrich has stated that he would like to see the U.S. aggressively pursue new achievements in space, such as sustaining civilizations beyond Earth, and he advocates relying more on the private sector and less on to drive progress. As of 2010 Gingrich serves on the National Space Society Board of Governors

Overall, it's the mutability in his chart which defines him.

I don't see anything current/future transits offering hints as to how his presidential bid might be received by the public this time around. Transiting Saturn will oppose his natal Mars in Aries, from Libra this September. That could put a spoke in the wheel of any progress he might have made by then.

This candidate doesn't appeal to me in the least. A simple rule of thumb I apply: if any politician, pundit or candidate offers the opinion that "Obama is a radical socialist" (or words to that effect), as Gingrich has, I know at once that the guy or gal is an idiot or a downright liar. If only Prez Obama lived up to their twisted rhetoric!

I almost always like Gemini-types and Sagittarius-types I meet, so it's odd that I can't dredge up a smidgin of approval for Newt Gingrich, in spite of his political leaning. Perhaps, for my taste, Gingrich suffers from having "too much of a good thing", as in Sarah Palin's case, bearing in mind her multi-Aquarius chart. A pinch of salt or sugar can be just the right thing make a dish delightful - an overdose of either renders it inedible.