Infidelity & Integrity, Personal & Political.

During the 2008 election-go-round Democrat and presidential candidate John Edwards' infidelity had news media and blogosphere all agog. The 2012 campaign cycle started early. Long before the primaries we have been reading of the misadventures of (now former) Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.

As history appears to be rhyming yet again, I decided to bring forward part of a post from 2008 on the topic of fidelity and integrity.

I've been pondering just two matters from what is a multi-multi-faceted subject with many grey areas:

#1 Does infidelity to a spouse automatically mean lack of integrity in other areas - in one's career/professional life, for example ?

#2 Is there an astrological signature which would be likely to produce a marital infidel ?

Re: 1 My own opinion is that it's impossible to generalise. Individual circumstances have to be taken into account, but if asked for a blanket answer I'd have to say: yes.

Disloyalty in one area of life shows character weakness, which could spill into other areas. This doesn't, though, have any bearing on skills, talent or competence in the professional sphere. A person can be a cheating spouse but still be a brilliant architect, teacher, politician, plumber, builder, farmer........the crunch might come if an issue of loyalty were to arise in the workplace - to an employer or client, or to a constituent or constituency - then his/her weakness could well come to the fore.

Re: #2 I'm no expert, as I often point out, but I do have books. One I turn to first in matters such as this is Encyclopedia of Astrological Psychology by C.E.O. Carter. It's and oldie but goodie. There's no section on marital infidelity as such, but under "Loyalty" the astrologer says, among other things, that "the very mental horoscope is probably the least loyal by nature, and where the synthesis also shows much mutability.....we get something of a time-server and turncoat". The "mental horoscope" must refer to the Air signs, Gemini, Aquarius and Libra. Mutability = the mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces. The sign found under both headings is our communicative, flexible, Mercurial friend ~ Gemini.
John Edwards has Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Mars all in Gemini. Chart can be seen here. Now that's a really simple, clear example. The planetary configuration of an unfathful partner could easily be far more complex.

Herman Cain has Sun, Mercury and Venus all in mutable Sagittarius, with Uranus in Gemini opposing the Sagittarius cluster. Moon's Nodal axis = Sagittarius/Gemini too - which all adds up to a goodly dose of mutability.

In some of the most famous instances of politicians being caught with their proverbial pants down, Bill Clinton and JFK for example, or, for a British counterpart, John Profumo, chart indications are certainly more complex than a simple mutable majority.

Two other personality traits feed in and support any potentiality to unfaithfulness: narcissism: love of oneself to the detriment of others; and a hankering for power. Astrological signatures for these have to be factored in.

Another important ingredient shouldn't be overlooked: opportunity. Why do we hear of so many pop stars, movie stars and famous politicians being unfaithful to their spouses? Opportunity! Adoring throngs are drawn to these people, it's seemingly an inbuilt trait of human nature.

I ought to add that not every person, male or female, with a surfeit of Gemini or any other mutable sign, in their natal chart is going to be a bad bet on the marriage front. As lawyers say, "all the circumstances of the case" must be taken into consideration.

The compounding of infidelity by lying about it, once found out, means the infidel's general integrity is also in doubt. Not all who stray lie about it when discovered, which doesn't excuse them, but it does hint at a tad more strength of character.

"We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty."
( G. K. Chesterton )

From my 2008 post I'm copying a few comments from my then, and happily still, blog-buddies: Wisewebwoman and R.J. Adams, which I think add a certain something to the post's content, I've copied my responses also. There are a few more comments at the original post.

RJ Adams~Ah, the reasoning of a woman! It tickles me how the focus of condemnation is aimed squarely on Edwards. No-one points accusingly at the woman who (maybe) enticed him to her bed.

The truth is these liaisons occur constantly, particularly when men and women are away from their home environment for prolonged periods and thrown together in unusual intimacy. In France it would scarcely raise a whisper. In the great moralistic hypocrite that is America, the media blossoms into yet another cracked and tuneless aria.

This is a sad matter to be worked out between Mr and Mrs. None of the rest of us should be involved. I believe it has more to do with hormones than character defects.

Twilight~"The reasoning of a woman", you say, condemnation aimed squarely on Edwards? Not here.

No, no, RJ. I was trying to approach this from a wider angle with a broad brush - the issue of loyalty, rather than speaking about an individual case, which as it happens is currently in the news, and happens to be a good example, astrologically.

You say these liaisons occur constantly. Maybe so, but not among those with loyalty etched deep into their psyche I'd wager!

France does not impress me much, whatever they whisper about.

The Edwards affair is indeed a sad matter, but he is a public figure, discussion is inevitable.

Hormones schmormones! If everyone is led by hormones alone the rest of our grey matter turns out to be superfluous then?


Wisewebwoman ~I think it all boils down to respect, T. Did he respect his wife? Not to judge anyone else (for Maude knows I've succumbed to temptation myself)but it appears not. I bring this up because of her cancer.
Would he respect the electorate? Hard to say.
It takes 2 to tango for sure. And wily, wilful paramours capitalize on their sexual prowess.
He succumbed to his primeval desires.
What drives me consistently MAD in all of this hypocritcal posturing is the fact that most of these affairs never come to light. I am reminded of Bush-the-Brighter and his long term mistress. Winston Churchill too, etc


Twilight ~ This is such a complex subject. I deleted a paragraph in my post where I'd said I felt as though I was skating rather badly over thin ice beneath which lay fathoms of stinky murky stuff.

It's hard not to be judgmental of those in public life when things like the Edwards affair arise. We ought not to be, but on the other hand, if they rise to great power, they have potential to be subject to blackmail, as well as further scandals, which do the country's reputation no good at all.

Politicians (of either sex) know that they skate on thin ice if they engage in affairs - one would expect them to be aware of it 24/7, but many seem to ignore the fact. I suspect that their vision of their own powerfulness blinds them to the dangers.


Wisewebwoman ~ Maybe I wasn't clear on what I was trying to say, T.
Men in power of all stripes have always had affairs, it appears to be part of the perks.
Very few have been exposed. And when they are,(Ken Starr & Clinton) the ravening frenzy of media hypocrisy takes over while they turn a blind eye to the peccadilloes of the others in power, Eisenhower, John Major, the Kennedys, Roosevelt, etc. to add a few more. I have always been puzzled by this and wonder about the back scratching between politicians and the press.

PS And I've seen some rather nasty pics of Edwards which show a completely different kind of hee-haw side to the man than what his previous persona appeared to be.


Twilight ~ Your first comment was clear, but I managed to waffle in response...lol!

Yes, in a way infidelities can be seen as a perk of the job, as you say. It's a similar situation to when The Lord of the Manor, in centuries past had his pick of the serving wenches whenever the urge took him - often by all accounts!
UGH!!!! That thought pains my socialist soul no end.

There are so many examples of the baddies in this respect, some surprising ones such as John Major. There surely have been some good boys too. I'm not well enough informed to know who they are/were.

If someone tells me that Dennis Kucinich cheated on his wife, I think I'll lose all faith! And my all-time hero in Britain, Tony Benn - never, never, never! :-)

INTEGRITY and the Planets

A couple of linked articles earlier this week attracted my attention. Both by Russell Bishop:
Is there any integrity or honesty out there?
And Could impeccability be the missing key to integrity?

Wikipedia defines integrity, when applied to human character:

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy.

How is integrity, personality-wise, indicated astrologically?

In his Encyclopaedia of Psychological Astrology, C.E.O. Carter didn't list integrity or impeccability. His book advises "for honesty see dishonesty". Not an optimistic start! I tried "truthfulness" - yes that's there ! After all one can't exhibit integrity, impeccability or honesty without truthfulness.

TRUTHFULNESS

The regard for truth as an instinct and an ideal is Aquarian and to a certain extent Scorpionic and Uranian, in that both Scorpio and Uranus try to get to the bottom of things and have a contempt for shams. In this latter respect one can associate Aries with them. From these characteristics arise the uncompromising candour and freedom from conventional restraint that are found in Uranus and Aquarius. Libra and Sagittarius are normally truthful, except that the latter easily exaggerates, as does Aries. Saturn in a good position always tends to truth and keeps the native down to hard fact......For deliberate unthruthfulness see Deception. (Not today thank you, we'll stay positive and.... enough copy typing for now!)

Among the comments following one of the linked articles was one that made me ponder. The commenter asked, if one came to a mandatory four way stop in the middle of wheat fields in Kansas and could see for miles in all directions would one nonetheless stop, or just blast through? The commenter asked why would it be right stop. Not to be angelic, he/she thought, but because of good habits. If one ignored the stop sign once, they'd do it again and some day that bad habit's gonna get them killed - the commenter's conclusion.

Interesting thoughts, and the described circumstance has happened to us on more than one occasion, in Kansas and elsewhere. My husband always stops. Always. (Aries Sun, Saturn conjunct Mercury in Pisces), the most law-abiding citizen I've met anywhere. I don't drive, but if I did I probably wouldn't stop in those given circumstances - I'd slow down to a crawl though. But although this is an interesting concept it really isn't a test of integrity - standing alone. It's simply a test of obeying the law. As it happens, my husband does have integrity too, I hasten to add.

What I think the commenter had in mind in the Kansas crossroads example was the idea of "doing the right thing even when nobody's looking" - one proof of having integrity.... and nobody knows this for sure but you!

Here's the thing though - having one's name on a Goody-Two-Shoes list should not automatically imply that "this is a person of integrity". Joseph Wambaugh, American author of several best-sellers, a former police officer has said,"As a cop, I dealt with every kind of bum and criminal. They all have more integrity than some Hollywood people." (I bet he'd willingly add to that "and politicians").

Personally, I doubt that astrology can accurately pinpoint the existence of integrity, or hypocrisy, in someone's character from their natal chart. Integrity is more likely to be something learned from teachers, parents - or experience. The potential for one or other could show astrologically - but I wouldn't rely upon it. Anyone can behave with integrity when it's relatively easy - it's when someone else offers to buy it out that the crunch comes......and

The possession of unlimited power will make a despot of almost any man. There is a possible Nero in the gentlest human creature that walks.Thomas Bailey Aldrich

A glaring example from yesterday's news of how integrity is a hard-to-come-by commodity: "Most of the oil "spilled" in the Gulf of Mexico is gone". Please. Do they think we are completely clueless? Best comment I've seen on the matter - a quote from Jaws:

"I'm pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Amity, as you know, means 'friendship.'"--Mayor Larry Vaughn, Jaws.

I read the news today - Oh Boy!

Loyalty, Infidelity, Integrity.

With John Edwards' admission of his infidelity claiming large chunks of news and blogosphere, I've been pondering just two matters from what is a multi-multi-faceted subject with many grey areas:
#1 Does infidelity to a spouse automatically mean lack of integrity in other areas - in one's career/professional life, for example ?
#2 Is there an astrological signature which would be likely to produce a marital infidel ?

#1 My own opinion is that it's impossible to generalise. Individual circumstances have to be taken into account, but if asked for a blanket answer I'd have to say: yes. Disloyalty in one area of life shows character weakness, which could spill into other areas. This doesn't, though, have any bearing on skills, talent or competence in the professional sphere. A person can be a cheating spouse but still be a brilliant architect, teacher, politician, plumber, builder, farmer........the crunch might come if an issue of loyalty were to arise in the workplace - to an employer or client, then the weakness might come to the fore. My reply, by the way, is steered by my own Fixed Sun/Cardinal Moon and ascendant, and a modality balance which is just about equal, but with Fixed slightly ahead.

#2 I'm no expert, as I often point out, but I do have books. One I turn to first in matters such as this is "Encyclopedia of Astrological Psychology" by C.E.O. Carter. It's and oldie but goodie. There's no section on marital infidelity as such, but under "Loyalty" the astrologer says, among other things, that "the very mental horoscope is probably the least loyal by nature, and where the synthesis also shows much mutability.....we get something of a time-server and turncoat". So the "mental horoscope" must refer to the Air signs, Gemini, Aquarius and Libra. Mutability = the mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces. The sign found under both headings is our communicative, flexible, Mercurial friend Gemini.

Of note here: John Edwards has Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Mars all in Gemini. Chart can be seen here. Now that's a really simple example. In the charts of other politicians caught with their proverbial pants down, Bill Clinton and JFK spring to mind, or, for a British counterpart, John Profumo, the planetary mix could well be far more complex.

Two other personality traits could feed in and support any potentiality to unfaithfulness: narcissism - love of oneself to the detriment of others, and a hankering for power. Astrological signatures for these have to be factored in too. There's also another very big ingredient: opportunity. Why do we hear of so many pop stars, movie stars and famous politicians being unfaithful to their spouses? Opportunity. Adoring throngs are drawn to these people, it's human nature.

I ought to add here, that not every person, male or female, with a surfeit of Gemini in their natal chart is going to be a bad bet on the marriage front. I suspect mutability will always play a part though. Additionally environment, family background, and the traits mentioned above need to be considered: whether the person in question is narcissitic, a power seeker, and whether they have many opportunities for infidelity.

The compounding of a wrong by lying about infidelity, once found out, adds another layer. Not all who stray lie about it when discovered, which doesn't excuse them but it does hint at a tad more integrity and strength of character.

"We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty." ( G. K. Chesterton )