Australia is catching up belatedly to cases of sexual harassment in the workplace with the political arena in the spotlight after several serious allegations, including a historical one against a cabinet minister (denied). PM Scott Morrison said: “I think we’ve got a problem in the parliament and the workplace culture that we have to work on.” The furore has reignited wider questions about Australian political culture, including long-held debates about sexism and misogyny.
The Australia chart 1 January 1901, does have a Sun Saturn in Capricorn trine Mars which will lean towards the masculine – Capricorn being the sign of the patriarch.
The AU Parliament opened for business on 9 May 1901 and has a Jupiter Saturn conjunction in Capricorn as well as Moon trine Mercury, Sun, Venus in Taurus – ambition and indulgence will be to the fore.
It’s unfair to blame Scott Morrison for this bout of allegations since it’s clearly been endemic, but for what it’s worth his initial PM chart, 24 August 2018 6.15pm has much the same traits with a do-or-die-determined Mars Pluto in Capricorn as well as Saturn in Capricorn trine a Virgo Sun trine Uranus.
Not sure what this proves but it may be that tr Pluto in Capricorn is finally gaining traction in its final lap to chip away remnants of the old macho pioneer culture.
Thanks Marjorie. I think it’s interesting that this has surfaced at the same time as the ongoing news of mining companies destroying ancient, sacred Aboriginal sites. Notably, Rio Tinto at the Juukan Gorge caves. Hundreds of these sites have already been destroyed or damaged. Australia’s Saturn trine Mars in Capricorn and Virgo suggests mining quite well. Mars in the speculative 5th house too…. And now Uranus in Taurus completes the grand trine. Perhaps this brings a new perspective and hopefully, more respect. Eventually tr Saturn will square that money-making Moon in Taurus, and Uranus will conjunct it. Perhaps Pluto has already weakened the foundations underpinning the old ways of doing things – a sense of entitlement that pervades so much, from sexual harassment to the destruction of indigenous treasures. In some ways the Moon in Taurus could represent both.
Transit nodal axis is about to conjunct the Australia chart’s 8th house Uranus/Venus in Sagittarius opposition 2nd house Pluto. This could reflect forces at work affecting Australia’s economy but may also herald more progressive attitudes towards women in politics. The misogyny directed at Julia Gillard looked ugly and backward from outside looking in and I found it pretty shocking to see a first world country behaving like that towards a woman.
Yes, I agree with you VF. Interesting about the nodes again too, both as timers and as representatives of groups of people – perhaps both women, and indigenous people and their sacred spaces. Australia has some catching up to do it seems.
As for misogyny in politics, sigh, it is still simply everywhere isn’t it? Sometimes in a more veiled form, but it doesn’t take much for the most retro criticisms to surface. Whatever you think about Carrie Symonds,for instance, I have found some of the ways she has been described are quite unbelievable – “geisha” and “Lady Macbeth” for example. She is either seen as a brainless and fluffy little thing, or a dark hearted manipulator. Really, she can’t be both! Or, indeed, either.
Yes, I agree Jane. And I don’t want to give the impression it’s just Australian politics that has this problem, but the Julia Gillard antagonism was certainly unbelievable in the 21sr century (whipped up by the loathsome Tony Abbot). To be criticised for the fact you are childless and unmarried and be called ‘deliberately barren’ – just gobsmacking!
re Carrie Simmons, I suspect that there’s some dirty work going on behind the scenes and since this story originated at the Mail, it leads to the slithery Michael Gove and his Mail columnist wife, Sarah Vine. She wrote a horrible article on Ed Miliband’s wife too, some years ago.
Yes, almost medieval really. I recall the horrible remarks about Theresa May not having any children, from one of her own party – Andrea Leadsom. We do have a way to go…..