The rise of 20th century fascism is credited to Italian ‘Il Duce’ Benito Mussolini, who is noted as an inspiration behind Adolf Hitler’s plans for Germany with the Nazi Party. Mussolini is the subject of an 8 part television drama starting tonight based on Antonio Scurati’s bestselling novel following his path from the founding of Fasci Italiani in 1919, to prime minister from 1922 to 1925, before becoming a fascist dictator. His rule ended in 1943 and he was executed in 1945.
He regarded himself as an intellectual and after he moved away from an early Marxist socialist approach he studied Friedrich Nietzsche amongst others, becoming convinced that ‘overthrowing decadent liberal democracy and capitalism by the use of violence’ was necessary. He admired Plato’s The Republic, which promoted ideas such as rule by an elite promoting the state as the ultimate end, opposition to democracy, protecting the class system, rejection of egalitarianism, promoting the militarisation of a nation by creating a class of warriors. Biological racism was less prominent in Italian Fascism than in National Socialism, though it had a strong racist undercurrent.
Born 29 July 1883 2pm Predappio, Italy, the son of a militant socialist blacksmith father and named Benito after a Mexican revolutionary, he had a knowledgeable and ‘visionary’ 9th house Leo Sun and Mercury with a sociable Venus conjunct Jupiter in Cancer also in his 9th. His freedom-loving, rebellious Uranus in his 10th was in an innovative trine to Neptune in Taurus in his 7th. His 7th house was packed with a tough minded, argumentative and volatile Pluto, Chiron, Saturn, Moon and Mars there so he would have a powerful effect on other people.
He is described as having ‘an imposing physicality and rhetorical power’ speaking directly to the populace in his rallies making them feel heard. Like a true Leo he was a consummate actor turning the political arena into a theatre and casting himself as its star. In 1922 his take-over of the Italian government was a blatant bluff when he and his thuggish private militia confronted the king and government without any electoral support or the military strength to defeat the army. He chanced his arm and won.
His chart is not as overtly brutal as Hitler’s who had an unpleasant Venus Mars in Taurus square Saturn, but Mussolini’s ‘serial killer’ 18th harmonic was strong.
Mussolini’s superficially charming Jupiter Venus in Cancer was conjunct the Italy 17 March 1861 12 am Turin, South Node with his formidable collection of Pluto, Saturn, Moon, Mars falling in the Italy 7th conjunct the Italy revolutionary Uranus. When he became PM in 1922 tr Neptune in Leo was conjunct the Italy Jupiter for a moment of delusional optimism. Tr Pluto was half way through Cancer which was the most destructive of the early 20th century influences starting as WW1 began and extending to the late 1930s.
Mussolini’s Leo Sun was conjunct Hitler’s Midheaven so he would be a shining light for him in what came afterwards. Though they were hardly temperamentally compatible with a composite Neptune Mars Pluto trine Uranus in their relationship chart – ego-clashing, hostile, argumentative.
When Mussolini was executed in 1945 tr Pluto in Leo was just across the conjunction to his Sun with tr Pluto conjunct his Solar Arc Moon Saturn which was also crossing his Sun for a savage moment in his destiny.
Who said ? – “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
ADD ON: Of other 20th Century dictators of whom there were an unholy bunch – three like Hitler came out of the Neptune Pluto in Gemini conjunction of the late 19th century – Mao Tse Tung, General Franco and Tito of Yugoslavia.
Historically Neptune Pluto is associated with megalomaniacs and brutal dictators from Attila the Hun onwards.
Joseph Stalin, 18 December 1878, no birth time, was born just before when Neptune and Pluto were both in Taurus; with his Pluto exactly conjunct Algol in a ruthless opposition to vengeful Mars in Scorpio. His Sagittarius Sun Venus were square Saturn and Scheat in Pisces; and his Libra Moon may have been conjunct Vindemiatrix (the widowmaker). Fire Earth – a bulldozer.
Mao Tse Tung, 26 December 1893 7.30am Siangtan, China had his Neptune Pluto in Gemini in a yod sextile North Node inconjunct – a reformer, lawless, defiant, a wrecker of the past, intolerant. He had a 12th house Capricorn Sun with a Fixed Grand Cross of Mars in Scorpio opposition Jupiter square Venus opposition a Leo Moon.
Josip Tito of Yugoslavia, 7 May 1892 10 am Croatia – a Sun Taurus with Neptune Pluto in Gemini trine Mars in Aquarius with Mars square Uranus.
General Franco of Spain, 4 December 1892 12.30am – a Sagittarius Sun opposition Pluto, Neptune, Moon in Gemini square Mars in Pisces.
N.B. The birth dates above may be iffy.
One of my predictions for Pluto in Aquarius is the rise of fascism. But not fascism as it is commonly understood (and used as a term of abuse), but economic and social fascism.
Fascism focussed on the collective over the individual. Thus companies were merged into larger conglomerates, trade unions were merged into larger trade unions, etc. Notably, fascism as it was originally was not racist. Fascism had come to power in Italy in about 1922, about 10 years before Hitler in Germany, but did not have anti-Semitic laws until forced to do so by Hitler in 1938. There is a longish article on Fascist Italy on Wikipedia that is worth a read. Improbably I had asked a Jewish professor (preeminent in his field) for guidance on books to read on economic fascism and he has kindly given me a list of books to read (which I haven’t done yet).
I suspect that we will see the rise of the collective in the next 20 years and the concomitant decline of individual rights. Rights and duties will be ascribed to collectives/groups of people, not to individuals.
Self-identification, whether of gender or of beliefs, will be out and likely rather than finely targeted policies, laws and policies will be more broad-stroke and apply across swathes of people.
As an aside, I think self-identification of gender will almost certainly be out during Pluto in Aquarius. Aquarius is all about scientifically provable facts, cold-hard science. Feelings can be left by the wayside. Biological sex can be physically ascertained, self-identification of fluid gender less so. And I think the former will take precedence over the latter for the next couple of decades.
Of course, all the above will be areas where there will be a lot of strife, debate and possibly violence, as Pluto will cause the collective to die and then be reborn, just as we saw Pluto in Capricorn cause the death *and then the rebirth* of the oligarchy.
If this site is around in 20 years, we’ll see how accurate this prediction of mine is.
Should have used the word “plutocracy” in place of “oligarchy” in the second-last sentence. It would have been more apt.
“As an aside, I think self-identification of gender will almost certainly be out during Pluto in Aquarius. Aquarius is all about scientifically provable facts, cold-hard science.”
I disagree with you here: Aquarius isn’t a particularly “scientific” sign. Yes, it can occasionally lead to some electrifying findings, but generally speaking, it doesn’t work well with rigorous methodology behind the science. Therefore, to me, Aquarius is more specifically “an Alchemist”. In its’ previous Pluto cycles, it has led to abandoning some of the previously established scientific facts and rise of some really weird social ideals.
And, talking specifically about gender, I’d like to point out that there were movements that had what we now would call “progressive” on gender identity both during the 16th century Reformation era and the late 18th century and early 19th century French Revolution. For instance, many of the early Reformation movements that got crushed by the establishment churches had female leaders. After the French Revolution, “Merveilleuses” would cut their hair short and assumed masculine roles.
Can you give us the list?
Could we say that the Duce is now in the masses Marjorie? I heard someone describe the young generation the other day as, “The Retro Aristocracy”. She said they are self-obsessed, narcissistic and deluded like the aristocracy of old. So the old cult figure idea is there but now reveresed into a self-obsessed SMART phone public? I jest not, a young person showed me 5000 photos of theselves on a gallery on their phone in various costumes and pouts and poses – What does one do with so many photos of oneself when a lot of them do the same and have no interest in anything but their own photos? Is it like when the audience are all up on the stage in the theatre but nobody is in the audience to clap? Is this a phenomena of Age of Aquarius with hang over of 20th Century self-obsessed leaders? Just an observation, anyway?
“General Franco of Spain, 4 December 1892 12.30am – a Sagittarius Sun opposition Pluto, Neptune, Moon in Gemini square Mars in Pisces.
N.B. The birth dates above may be iffy.”
I think this Franco one is verified from his father’s diary or correspondence. His father also was a classic liberal who abandoned his first family and was never very impressed with his son. This seems to be a common theme with Sadgittarius/Gemini or Gemini/Sadgittarius Full Moon boys in politics. Likely also in other fields of life (my previous boss was an Aquarius Sun/Leo Moon Full Moon, and his family dynamics was, well, something…) but this might actually turn them to politics.
I was taught in school that the US was founded on being a constitutional republic. I guess things changed somewhere in the night.
That was the hype to sell to the hoi polloi. The reality was that it was based on the Roman type of democracy. The electoral college was there to fix things in case the hoi polloi voted wrongly. That was their function. And I was told this by my youngest brother who studied Ancient History and Civics and earned his Master’s degree at Tufts.
Mussolini was originally involved in socialist and syndicalist politics. He was in Switzerland in 1902 and may have met Lenin at that time. Italian Fascism definitely had a strong intellectual basis with the “Idealist/Actualist” philosopher Giovanni Gentile (born 30 May 1875) being its leading thinker. The roots of the ideology lay mainly in the German Neo Hegelian school that included Karl Marx. Like the Bolsheviks the Italian Fascists were essentially a vanguardist revolutionary party who seized power via a coup d’etat rather than a populist movement. In this respect it differed from the Nazis under Hitler who subverted the democratic process via the ballot box. Mussolini and Lenin are prime examples of how both right and left wing ideologies can lead to totalitarian outcomes.
Mussolini’s Moon and Saturn are within orb of Aldebaran. Saturn also sits on his Pluto/Mars midpoint. Aldebaran is very much associated with raising individuals to the heights of power before casting them down to destruction.
“Aldebaran is very much associated with raising individuals to the heights of power before casting them down to destruction.”
Thank you, I now recall I had read about his Aldebran before. Good you brought up Gentile, he really was a major influence, as was the poet and playwright Gabriele d’Annunzio, March 12th 1863. d’Annunzio was infinitely more interesting character than Mussolini, and partly an antagonist, but managed to live to 74 in Fascist Italy. Astrologically, very interesting in that he was an early Neptune in Aries birth from that cycle.
Hi Hugh, ‘ Aldebaran is very much associated with raising individuals to the heights of power before casting them down to destruction.’ do you have a source or article I can read because what little I know of these major fixed stars I always thought Alderbaran had a prosperous and good reputation, sure it’s connected to Mars like energy but still… It is Algol and Scheat that people always say are maligned, not that I fully agree with that appraisal either lol
Maligned till one decides to end them…or take flight ..
Bad ones r to make us stronger ..just the method is tough
Rahul..in indian or eastern astrology. Undithered without obstacles …smooth easy very quick acession to top…power and wealth…but then as his myth ..decapitated….fall to tatters in a second..never to get up again…Humpty Dumpty poem..
Hence, easy paths r to b seen cautiously ..
As expected pm imran khan of Pakistan said once,”when God wants to destroy someone he gives him all his wishes
*Rahu….north node in astrology..
Ketu his body separated from head after decapitation….south node
It was Winston Churchill was said : “Democracy is the worst form of government ..etc:”
I believe the exact quote is “Democracy is the worst form of government until you consider all the others” but the meaning is the same.
An appropriate subject given now we have Il Trumpolini in Washington who clearly has designs on becoming an autocrat/dictator. Both men’s charts have most of their planets in Gemini, Cancer and Leo.
Thank you for the post. I’m very much looking forward to seeing this series at least some Italian critics I trust seem to feel is very good TV on such a controversial character.
Having lived in Italy in my early 20’s, after studying, among other things, Cultural History, I feel I was blessed to meet and talk to people who’d lived through that period. I think that being an outsider with a “sweet face”, but with a good command of the language, made many older people to confide in me more they wouldn’t otherwise. I knew people who were raised in full Fascist regime from the 1920’s to the War years, some even older. What really surprised me was that while many obviously still abided to some teachings of their Fascist childhood, Mussolini seemed almost a side character. I would think it had to do with how long and chaotic the end of regime was. While Germany ultimately folded in just a couple of months, it took almost two years of Allied offensive to get hold of the peninsula. I heard many harrowing stories with the common theme being people just trying to live another day for those years, especially from the town my Ex’s parents were from and was liberated in Operation Slapstick among the first ones at the mainland.
Is there something on Mussolini’s chart that’s indicative of a long downfall rather than a sudden one?
Saturn Pluto has a hang-on-in-there quality. Does not let go easily.
I believe that it was Mark Twain, American humorist, who said that democracy is a fine form o government–for dogs. Or something of the sort.
Someone else, I can’t discover who, quipped that “Democracy was great…..until it fell into the wrong hands.”
Both the above dictators have heavily aspected seventh houses. I have never looked at the seventh house has being a rulership house, or political. Yet what struck me in the above two rulers; is the seventh house – the house of relationships. A relatable quality in persuasion? Almost personalising their leadership to others? Hitler was a great orator His Sun/Mars/ Venus could be seductive, especially with Mercury on his Descendant. He was a chancellor- his argument was originally about money – Taurus. In the above Marjorie states Mussolini was able to speak directly to the crowds. A heavily directed mercurial mind would be able to relate. Although Hitler also had a tenth house Saturn commanding exact ruling. I find it interesting that both these men grew in stature by their ability to speak to the crowd , forging their personal “partnership” with them. It may be a simplistic look at a chart. Although, I think I will look at the seventh house ruled by Libra – weighing the scales – in a different light.
Helen, could it be that in the case of these leaders the 7th, which is also the house of open enemies means that the individual is likely to see the enemy as the other, the outsider, whether that be another nation or another race?