Dianne Feinstein – a trailblazer who walked her own path

Dianne Feinstein, the oldest serving American senator whose ‘historic career began in tragedy and ended in controversy’ has died. She became San Francisco mayor after a 1978 assassination but recently was criticized for hanging on through prolonged bouts of ill health. She was renowned as a tenacious trailblazer, and a stalwart centrist, at times upsetting both extremes. She refused to ally herself with women’s rights groups, supported programs to fight the Aids epidemic, but vetoed domestic partnership legislation, frustrating LGBTQ+ rights activists. She was an ardent gun control advocate; and supported the death penalty.   After 9/11 she investigated CIA torture as head of the  powerful Senate intelligence committee and memorably faced off against the then CIA director, John Brennan.

“She was a political giant,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom.

  Born 22 June 1933 12.44am San Francisco, she had a quick-witted 3^rd house Cancer Sun alongside a Gemini Moon. Her Moon squared Mars in hard working Virgo in her 6^th – in part a legacy of her abusive mother. She had an unconventional and innovative Uranus in her 1^st house square a 4^th house Venus, Pluto, Mercury in Cancer in her domestic 4^th. Her childhood was described as tumultuous and she had three marriages.

  What stands out is a Saturnine yod of Venus sextile Jupiter in Virgo inconjunct Saturn in Aquarius in her 11^th. That demands maturity, self-discipline and responsibility to get the best of it.

  Her chart keys into the USA chart with her Cancer Sun and her Pluto Mercury in Cancer connecting with the USA Mercury in Cancer opposition Pluto. It would not always be an easy relationship but she made a difference.