The fight-to-the-death battle between Alex Salmond and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is coming to a head. He has now accused Sturgeon’s husband of attempting to have him ‘imprisoned’ as part of conspiracy at the top of the SNP. Observers now think his long-cherished political aim of Scottish independence is taking second place to destroying Sturgeon.
A confusion of claims and counterclaims over the recent past is too tedious to linger on, starting with accusations of sexual assault against Salmond by several women. See previous post January 13 2021 for details. Salmond, now due to give evidence in Holyrood, thinks his testimony will prove that Sturgeon lied to the Scottish Parliament over what she knew. If she did break the ministerial code in this regard then she will have to resign. All of which cheers those who are against Scottish independence, though Sturgeon is still expected to win at the May election since there is no credible opposition, despite the SNP’s abysmal record over their terms in office in education, police and more recently the covid crisis.
Peter Murrell, Sturgeon’s husband is leader of the SNP, 8 December 1964 and is a volatile Sagittarius Sun square Uranus, Mars, Pluto in Virgo. His Sun squares Salmond’s 10th house Mars in Pisces and his Pluto Mars Uranus sit in Salmond’s 4th house opposition his Mars – so no surprises they don’t get on, with Murrell being an aggravating and unsettling influence on Salmond’s career. Murrell’s Neptune is also conjunct Salmond’s Saturn in Scorpio on one leg of his Water Grand Trine which will also sow doubt and lead to fears of conspiracies. Their relationship is, not surprisingly, sinking into a mire in coming two years with tr Neptune eroding good feelings.
More significantly Salmond’s relationship with Sturgeon has four distinct strands – one is a friendly, sensible Sun Venus sextile Saturn. Then there is a power-couple composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction, which, while co-operation lasts, can move mountains but at some point usually turns into a struggle for the upper hand. There is also a hope-for-a-better-society Saturn square Neptune which again has an underside of doubt and suspicion. And last and most intriguing from an astro-view is a composite Mars conjunct the destructive Fixed Star Algol on the focal point of a T square to a volatile/no-compromise Uranus opposition Moon. That was always going to blow sky high – and tr Pluto is now on the trine to the composite Mars.
Salmond isn’t looking remotely cheerful or successful in the next three years with tr Neptune conjunct his 10th house Mars now and then across his Mars/Moon midpoint and Moon till late 2023 leading to a sense of panicky failure.
Sturgeon has the challenging tr Pluto opposition her Cancer Sun from late this month across the May election, and on and off till late 2022; and is also facing devastating circumstances with tr Pluto square her Neptune/Pluto midpoint at the same time. She’ll face career losses in March and won’t be delirious before or after the election; but she does have minor uplift from a Jupiter midpoint in early May, so she may just squeak through though she’s panicked and downhill thereafter, running into a total dead halt and major frustration in 2022/23 from tr Pluto square her Mars to which she will respond with her customary undentable confidence.
Add ON: The heat is rising fast with more twists and turns. Andrew Neil in the Mail gives a reasonable precis of the convoluted story line under the headline:
“Censorship, bullying, threats of jail… how Nicola Sturgeon’s storm troops turned Scotland into a banana republic without the bananas.”
The Telegraph pronounces: “The useless and authoritarian SNP is turning Scotland into a failed state.” And the Guardian’s Martin Kettle remarks: “The SNP has certainly always had its cult-like qualities. Public argument is almost as rare in the SNP as it is in Sinn Féin. But the familiar internal discipline has been breaking down. [Sturgeon’s] supporters were reported this week to think Salmond has now “gone the full Donald Trump”.
The Scotland 25 March 1005 chart has a hard-edged, short-fused Mars in Aries square Saturn in Cancer, which will give both military prowess and a tendency to take grievances to heart. Tr Pluto is exactly square the Mars now and throughout this year, moving to oppose the Saturn in 2022/23 – which will be a discouraging slog. Both Salmond and Sturgeon slot into this chart astrologically with her Cancer Sun square Jupiter on the same degrees; and Salmond’s Jupiter Uranus in Cancer also in close aspect. But both their relationship charts with Scotland are under sinking stars this year and next.
The SNP amalgamation chart of 14 December 1933 is also sagging badly this year with tr Neptune square the Sagittarius Sun on and off till January 2023; and there’ll be much pushing and pulling and jolting from tr Saturn conjunct and tr Uranus square the Saturn.