Monday, November 12, 2012

Another One Bit the Dust

Recent resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, a four-star general who led U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and was, in some circles, thought to be a potential candidate for president, came as quite a surprise. An extra-marital affair with his biographer brought the toppling of this, the latest in a long line of power-merchants who, while wielding power over lives and deaths of The Great Unwashed of the world, seem unable to wield power over their own desires. These individuals may have dubiously valuable talents and skills the rest of us lack, but they are also prey to the same weaknesses. However weak in one department the General has been, I'd have expected him to have exerted a wee bit of restraint when it came to conducting e-mail correspondence with his lover. Ye gods! He was in charge of the CIA - didn't he realise how dangerous leaving an e-mail trail might prove to be? Even if we abandon all hope of these power-hungry bozos possessing some level of integrity, we might still reasonably expect them to possess the power of good judgment. Petraeus earns nothing better than a D minus in this regard!

Most bloggers and commentary on line indicate suspicion of "something else" going on here. It's easy to think up several theories to match circumstances and timing of his resignation - but whatever else is or might be involved here - it wouldn't have been able to happen had he not been conducting an extra-marital affair.

I wrote about Gen. Petraeus in May: USA's Man on Horseback ? In that post, from his natal chart (set for 12 noon as no time of birth is known) I deduced this - was I mistaken?

A quick note about the man himself: well-integrated, nicely balanced personality; as far as I can tell he's no megalomaniac, though Scorpio Sun indicates a passionate and determined individual. There are several planetary configurations, one standing out clearly for me is known by astrologers as a Mystic Rectangle (though not mystic, just evidence of fine integration). This links Sun/Mars/Jupiter/Uranus in a configuration involving harmonious trines and sextiles together with 2 balancing oppositions. Planets involved relate to self(Sun), energy/dynamism/war (Mars), philosophy/expansion/excess (Jupiter), and rebellion/revolt/change (Uranus).



If I now had to identify a possible astrological culprit in light of the current situation - the element in this chart capable of leading such a man off the straight and narrow, I'd point to Scorpio Sun opposite Jupiter in Taurus. I Googled the name of the female said to have been involved, his biographer Paula Broadwell - Wikipedia has her birth date as 9 November 1972. Hmmmm....2 Sun Scorpio characters, he with Jupiter opposing his Sun from Taurus. Recipe for a rumble? I'll abstain from delving into her chart because she's really not (yet) a public figure.


Jupiter planet of excess was in Taurus natally for Petraeus, the sign is ruled by Venus, planet of love. Jupiter is usually thought the most benign of planets. I've questioned this before. From my 2009 post Jupiter the Jovial Juggernaut:
No doubt Jupiter's huge size, when compared with sizes of the innermost planets, seemed to signify excess, generosity, exaggeration, and all manner of things springing therefrom, such as travel far & wide, and publication - sending out information to the masses.

Some regularity has been discerned in the distances between planets in our solar system. Bode's Law is a rule devised centuries ago by astronomers to demonstrate the regularity, it's a rough rule but an interesting one. If Mercury is 4 units of distance from the Sun, the Venus is 4+3, the Earth 4+6, Mars 4+12. Then there's a gap - Jupiter is 4+48, and Saturn more roughly 4+96. That huge gap between Mars and Jupiter, breaking a pattern, and leaving a gap where otherwise another planet might have been expected to form, is thought to have remained empty because Jupiter's gravity prevented another planet from forming in that area. Another theory is that several smaller planets were formed and they collided with one another; or that a single planet was formed but was then destroyed by Jupiter's greater gravitational field.

Bearing these theories in mind, it's odd that Jupiter hasn't gathered a rather more negative reputation in astrology. Astrologers were quick to attribute eccentricity and the unexpected to Uranus because of its eccentric orbit, so why not attribute something like ruthlessness, eradication, a tendency to bully, and/or destruction to that juggernaut of a planet: Jupiter? I know there's no answer to that, but thought I'd ask anyway.

Any other thoughts?

15 comments:

Sonny G said...

I will leave it to your astrological expertise to see the charts and just say this from a strickly Human perspective. I mean no offence by my statement . One look at the General and his spouse was all it took for me to know, they came to a life style deal long ago..we can talk all we want about vows and faithfulness and such but that wont take care of the difference between Loving and Desiring. I may love and appreciate my volvo but when a bright shiny corvette , well maintained Corvette rolls by, it crosses my mind to take it for a test drive and on several occasions, I have.. Granted I enjoy my time in the corvette and then I park it and go home to my volvo.. I hope that analogy confers my thoughts on this issue.
I wish all of them well and I hope this fiasco doesnt interfere with the countries business which it sorely needs to get about.

DC said...

I think venus in Sagittarius doomed him....and along with the expansion.....and sense of roaming and idealism this creates...desires (Scorpio and the home Cancer)well the writing is on the wall. Especially with another Scorpio. Just a thought.
Funny also that it all "came to roost" during the sun in Scorpio right before a solar eclipse. Just another thought.
Too many desires...too many feelings....for a man with Jupiter in such a steady earth sign such as Taurus. With his watery (emotional) indicators pointing towards home and desires....security and the feminine...it just puzzles me to think a man of such strength (apparent) could go in such a wrong direction. Maybe it was the flood of attention that prompted him to make such a moronic move. Ego maybe. who knows....maybe...and just another thought....the Cancer moon mars opposition could have a bit to do with his contradictions of sound judgements and feelings....especially where it mattered...on the home front. His actions undermined his mome so to speak. Venus in Sag could also be an indicator of traveling to "far away places" to find his displaced sense of comfort...maybe.

DC said...

His actions undermined his mome..should be..His actions undermined his home...sorry

Twilight said...

Sonny ~~ That's a view that many people have likely arrived at, rightly or wrongly. It's a wee bit of a cliché though: the ageing guy whose wife of many years no longer looks as glamorous as once she may have done (neither does he, by the way, but he has picked up fame and/or power and/or wealth on his own roll through life). we can name any number of examples of this.
It happens. Shit happens.

I'm not convinced that that's all there is to Petraeus's story though. It's part of it, but just the part we're allowed to know - so far.

Twilight said...

DC ~~ Thanks for your astrological input - it's appreciated. :-)
I see what you're getting at, and agree - but still have to wonder about astrologers' interpretation of Jupiter's role. I suspect it can be destructive at times.

Having Venus in Sagittarius myself - well - LOL! I did exactly what your last sentence states - but didn't have to betray anybody to do so.

I've just read a piece at Anti-War blog - the idea of Ms Broadwell "a Honeypot" is put forward there - quite convincingly.

Link

http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2012/11/11/a-covert-affair-petraeus-caught-in-the-honeypot/

Twilight said...

DC & Sonny

Strange thing - as I was reading and responding to your comments I had a CD on my computer media player - a kd lang album. The track playing was "Hallelujah"....

You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah


Hmmm - Odd synchronicity.

mike said...

Well, since you're asking, I agree with your assessment of Sun opposed Jupiter...an over-expanded ego potential. His Jupiter and Venus are in mutual reception, as is Sun and Pluto, but Sun (ego) squares Pluto (sex). His Sun, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto all have dispositors back to Venus-Jupiter in mutual reception (assuming that Mars is co-ruler of Scorpio), but Venus is yod with Moon-Uranus and Jupiter.

I think this is a person that has a split view of women and compartmentalizes feminine love and desire (Venus) versus feminine nurturing (Moon) and is rather irrational, cold, and rebellious emotionally (Moon conj Uranus). I suspect he would enjoy long deployments while having a wife-mother-home waiting for his return.

His Venus-Jupiter side of the yod would give him potential as a womanizer. The yod's focus is Mercury-ruled Gemini, which further defines the split as an intellectualization of the role of women in his life.

His view of Paula Broadwell is as a desirable woman of equal intelligence and abilities. His view of his wife is emotionally fulfilling as a mother, nurturer, child-bearer, homemaker, particularly since his career distances himself from that.

I doubt this is new territory for Petraeus. With his dispositors back to Venus-Jupiter, his expansive desire nature to experience love and beauty is paramount to many of his inner processes...perhaps even as the good warrior's ultimate battle.

Sonny G said...

Twilight..
I think your music was interesting and maybe even prophetic.. one scorp singing about 2 others. KD Lang Nov.2,1961..

Twilight said...

mike ~~~ Oh yes! Brilliant! Thanks for this assessment. It all fits so very well.

I especially like the Yod configuration, I usually pounce on any Yod immediately, but in this case missed it in favour of what I originally saw as good integration.

I looked for any planetary transits going on last week which could be implicated specifically in his downfall, but saw nothing obviously related to his chart. However, investigations have been ongoing for some weeks, so the recent general unease in the prevailing astro-atmosphere could have found yet another victim in Petraeus.




Twilight said...

Sonny ~~~ Oh yes - well-spotted, that's right, kd does have Sun in Scorpio. :-)

mike (again) said...

It's always easy to grabs straws with astrology...so here are my straws! The disclosure to the president of his affair coincides with transiting Mars conjunct his natal Venus, November 3rd. Disclosure to the public coincides with transiting Mercury at 4 Sagittarius, turning retrograde, November 6th, but nearing conjunction with his natal Mercury, during his solar return. This probably isn't leaving the public's eye for some time. Next month, December 11-14 are interesting days, as trans Mars conj natal Mars, trans Mercury leaves its retrograde shadow nearing conj natal Mercury, and a new Moon occurs on natal Venus.

20 degrees of Gemini is the focus of his yod, opposing Petraeus' Venus, so my guess is that this started to unravel back in June, when trans Venus retrograded at 24 Gemini and conjuncted Sun at 15 Gemini...trans Mercury was with the Sun-Venus conj and trans Saturn was retro-direct conj natal Neptune and Saturn in Libra...Petraeus had just finished his Saturn return!

Twilight said...

mike ~~ Straws are good - didn't one once break the proverbial back of a cammel ;-)

Those are good points, Mike - I didn't look for anything related to the planetary fast-movers, but in this case they work, and well!

I did almost mention his Saturn return, but though it too far distant to seem relevant to current scenarios. However, as I think I once found out for myself, that sometimes uncomfortable Return can spread tentacles far and wide, before and after.

I'll keep in mind the 2 December dates you mention, or the time around then.

I, too, think this isn't going to be a hot topic for a week then disappear. More is involved than an affair. More, and undercover of Neptune, no doubt. Neptune's illusion/delusion and fog is somehow involved here....and Petraeus has Saturn conjunct Neptune.

Twilight said...

camel not cammel...

Wisewebwoman said...

Sorry to inject a soupcon of crude here, T my dear, but never underestimate the power of the sausage.
XO
WWW

Twilight said...

Wisewebwoman ~ The only appropriate answer to that, WWW is
"Stick a fork in him - he's done!"
:-D