Alastair Campbell, the controversial aide and campaign director for Tony Blair, much-criticised for the Iraq ‘dirty dossier, has since exiting No 10 made a career out of mental health activism. He talks widely in the media about his own depression, breakdown, alcoholism, suicidal impulses, self-harm and has a new book out: “Living Better: How I Learned to Survive Depression,” which has an afterword by his wife of 40 years Fiona Millar on how she coped.
He writes about when his low moods hit: “The dynamo I normally feel 24/7 whirring inside me is switched off – a power cut. Energy gone. Power gone. Desire gone. Motivation gone. Everything gone, gone, all gone.”
His wife Fiona Millar, also a journalist, describes their marriage as ““Bloody difficult . . . but never boring”. Though her other comments made me wonder quite how much of herself she’s had to sacrifice to keep the family together after he refused psychiatric treatment when he had his breakdown aged 28.
“I came to realise these high control needs, the constant urge to influence and make a difference, were an essential part of keeping himself on an even psychological keel.”
“To this day he is keen to exclaim “I won” if he has slept longer, walked further, swum longer in the freezing outdoor pool we frequent, or if the dog has run to him rather than me.”
“It was a hurtful puzzle that Alastair could get up for work and function seemingly normally, be affectionate and engaged with the children, but reserve his silent, black-dog moods for me.”
“As usual I took the blame.”
He was finally persuaded 20 years later to go for professional help. She says the psychiatrist explained to her “that Alastair’s high need for control effectively meant that at times he saw me as an extension of himself, almost like an extra limb, and if he couldn’t get me to behave the way he wanted, it caused him real pain. If this intervention had happened 20 years earlier, I wonder how different our lives might have been?”
He was born 25 May 1957, no birth time sadly, with a schizophrenic brother and depression running in the wider family as well. He has a Gemini Sun and Venus opposition Saturn in Sagittarius, which in a minor way could dent his self-esteem. More significantly he has a Yod of Saturn in self-righteous Sagittarius inconjunct Mars in excitable Cancer sextile Mercury in Taurus – all of which would induce anxiety, uncertainty and a high degree of frustration; though it can also lead to a singular path in life which is followed with dogged determination. He has another quincunx of Neptune to his Sun with Neptune also in a highly-strung square to Uranus.
A birth time would help but it’s not an easy chart since a Saturnine yod requires maturity to bring out the best in it otherwise it backfires. And indeed his strongest harmonic is the rise-and-fall, can-be-self-defeating 10H.
His wife Fiona, 2 January 1958, has a Capricorn Sun which opposes his Mars so it will be an argumentative interface. With her Mars in Sagittarius square Pluto in Virgo colliding with his Saturn and Sun. She does have an Air sign Venus in Aquarius to match his Air sign Venus in Gemini; and her Moon may be Gemini conjunct his Sun which would make sense. But it’s still quite an odd mix. With Mars Pluto in her own chart she’d be used to having to be compliant from early on.
Their relationship chart has a superficially amiable composite Venus opposition Jupiter, which is the driving rod of a Grand Trine of Venus to Uranus to Saturn – which would help, since Jupiter smooths rough edges and keeps hope alive. But there’s also a one-sided and aggravating composite Sun opposition Mars square Saturn – that usually indicates one partner having to give up a chunk of their identity and needs to make it work.
I’m not a believer in using astrology as a diagnostic tool for psychological conditions. But reading his wife’s comments and reminiscences I’m not sure I’d have described him just as a depressive. His behaviour sounds quite manic and narcissistic as well.