“The most dangerous political operative in America” is how the author of the recently published book The Devil’s Bargain describes Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist. “Trump wouldn’t be president if it weren’t for Bannon”. “As far as political reality goes, it’s Bannon’s movie we’re now in.”
Bannon’s philosophy is apocalyptic, a world dominated by a fight between good and evil. He doesn’t see the world in terms of partisan politics as much as a cage-match clash of civilizations. Fuelled by anger, he talks in shock and awe terms, and constantly uses martial analogies. “Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That’s power,” he told the Hollywood Reporter last year. Ever intent on destroying ‘the establishment’ whether in Hollywood where he failed to make his mark, or crony capitalism after his stint with Goldman Sachs, or in politics to which he graduated via the Tea Party, and a serendipitous tie up with the wealthy Mercers (see post June 28 2017) and Breitbart. He drew inspiration from what he called the “monster power” of “rootless white males” who frequented websites about the massive online game World of Warcraft, and “began to wonder if those forces could be harnessed and, if so, how he might exploit them.” He knows how to work a crowd and whip up fury, and is an admirer of the films of the Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl, especially her technique of instilling fear.
Then he found Trump, who like him intuited the electorate’s discontent with the status quo, homing in on the white working-class antipathy toward immigration, Islam and liberal identity politics. One review of the book says, ‘Most of all, Bannon was intellectually curious – while Trump lacked a “political philosophy” and cared about little. Bannon emerges as an iconoclast and would-be revolutionary, Trump the moneyed vandal from Queens who expected to be seated at the best table at Manhattan’s toniest restaurants.’
Recently media commentator, Joe Scarborough, said that Bannon was effectively running the country and briefing against the president’s son-in law, Jared Kushner, claiming Bannon was the source of embarrassing leaks about Kushner’s alleged Russia ties.
Interesting background and context for the astrology.
Bannon has Mars and Neptune in Libra on the focal point of a Cardinal T Square to Uranus opposition North Node in Capricorn. Such a Mars tends to meet life in a head-on collision, openly attacking whatever gets in the way, is overly impulsive and disruptive, and lacks staying power. A focal point Neptune tends to be impractical, aims for shortcuts, promises more than can deliver and again is too impatient to stay the course to put dreams put into action. Uranus squaring Neptune can be fanatical. The Capricorn North Node is interesting since it hints at a search for a strong masculine role model, an ideal father – which will be why he vents his spleen at all the Saturnine authority figures (the establishment) he’s come across who don’t live up to his ideals and have to be destroyed. Isn’t that just Mars, ruler of Aries? Ares in mythology was the god of war, who killed his father when he blocked his path.
Bannon’s Jupiter in Gemini is in a high-finance, head-in-the-clouds trine to Neptune, sextiling onto a Pluto (Moon) in Leo focal point – controlling, stubborn, doesn’t break down easily, tends to attract hostility.
His Pluto and perhaps his Moon will pick up the conjunction to the August Eclipse, which could give a boost to his power-hungry tendencies and waken his dark side; if mishandled it leads to stagnation and decay. Tr Pluto is also square his afflicted Mars from early September till late October, which rather suggests the latter – enraged, frustrated, boxed in.
Into 2018 tr Pluto to two of his Mars midpoints hints at plans failing, devastation, low energy and more blocks.
His relationship with Trump – despite an uplifting conjunction between Bannon’s Jupiter and Trump’s Sun and Bannon’s Mars and Trump’s Jupiter – has major difficulties. Bannon’s wannabe-in-total-control Pluto is conjunct Trump’s Mars, which has the potential to end up in a destructive battle; and Bannon’s Uranus is conjunct Trump’s Saturn which suggests wildly different objectives; with Bannon’s ideological Neptune throwing suspicion and doubt into the mix.
Their relationship chart has a business-like though cold composite Sun Saturn Mercury which has already had tr Neptune chipping away at its foundations mid May to mid July this year; and that influence returns in March 2018, and again late in the year. Plus tr Saturn is square the composite Mars Venus exact now till mid October, which will also take the gloss off their combined enthusiasm.
Even Bannon’s relationship with his patron Robert Mercer is hitting the skids late this year, and sinking fast in 2018.
Always look forward to your insights – sometimes it goes beyond the subjects whose charts are being analysed and opens up a new world to me to look into my own natal chart. Thanking U for your work!