“History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes” Mark Twain.
A new biography of Spain’s dictator for 40 years, General Franco, offers thought-provoking insights.
“In times of decline, nations often turn to authoritarians. This gives opportunities to otherwise mediocre men — toxic personalities unsuited to ordinary politics.”
“Franco personifies Spain’s final, losing battle with colonial decline.” He saw himself as a new conquistador who would rejuvenate Spain by promoting its exceptionalism, banishing the poisonous influence of outsiders. However, isolation turned Spain into an economic disaster and a pariah.
“His greatest weakness was his outsized, thin-skinned ego”. Though he had a ruthlessness and a cold-blooded talent for cruelty, using executions to terrorise the population. He confused fear with respect.
Giles Tremlett, the author, in the end concludes that “Francoism worked by conjuring up ghosts”. Franco encouraged Spaniards to share his febrile fears of Jews, Freemasons, foreign money, competent women, interesting people and sex.
Born 4 December 1892 12.30 am El Ferrol del Caudillo, Spain, he had a surprisingly Mutable (scattered) chart with a Sagittarius Sun opposition Pluto, Neptune, Moon in Gemini square Mars in Pisces. Neptune Pluto conjunct is associated with megalomaniacs from Attila the Jun onwards, as well as Hitler and Mao Tse Tung. Mars square Pluto is brutal and ruthless, with Neptune adding a perverse edge. He certainly would have a fractious, aggravated and highly confused view of women with his Moon close to Neptune Pluto and square Mars – he evidently often used rape as a military tactic.
His Saturn in Libra opposed Jupiter in Aries and trined his Pluto, Neptune, Moon making him prone to highs and lows; as well as hard-edged and callous.
The early Spain chart, 19 January 1479 JC had its Mars in mid Pisces close to his and opposition Saturn in Virgo so he would tune into a cruel, destructive and military streak in the nation’s temperament. That was triggered in 1898 which was evidently a seminal moment for the young Franco when Spain lost control of Cuba to the USA. At that point tr Pluto in Gemini was square the Spain Mars opposition Saturn for a crushing blow; and square Franco’s focal point Mars as well. It was also on Spain’s Uranus Return.
Franco became Spain’s youngest general at 33 and became Head of State in 1936 when he was 44. When he took over in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, Spain was beginning to feel the effects of its Progressed Mars going retrograde which had been in place already for three years and continued until 2003.
When he died in 1975 and the monarchy was restored, the Solar Arc Pluto was square Pluto on the Spain chart for a difficult transition leaving the past behind; with tr Uranus conjunct the SA Sun for a radical change; and tr Pluto conjunct the North Node for a moment in destiny.
Franco’s own chart at his death was stark with Solar Arc Mars exactly conjunct his Pluto and nearly Neptune and tr Pluto conjunct his Saturn exactly as well.
An era ended but way long after it should have done.
Coincidentally, I am reading Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia, in which he tells the tale of his involvement in the Spanish Civil War. He could pierce through the lies on all sides, which makes him so vital today. I will soon read Sir Antony Beavor’s Battle of Spain.
Moon-Neptune-Pluto
POSITIVE: Natural intuitiveness is a source of power.
NEGATIVE: Intense emotional fantasies can be owerwhelming.
Natally, I have Moon conjunct Pluto sextile Neptune. Both your positive and negative comments are relevant.
“In times of decline, nations often turn to authoritarians” – certainly true of Russia, the US and some others. ‘Make America Great Again’ clearly signals an acknowledgement of perceived decline and Russia, following the collapse of the USSR and its eastern European empire in the 1980s/90s became virtually rudderless. Then Putin latched onto the teachings of one Lev Gumilev, which convinced him that Russia would be great again and that it was ‘written in the stars’. And we are where we are today.
The only statesman who is truly making his country great again at this time is Xi Jinping. The US and the West are in an accelerating free fall. It cannot be arrested without collective suffering.