George HW Bush has died aged 94, less than eight months after Barbara, his wife for almost 75 years. He once described himself as ‘not a very articulate emotionalist’ which is a fair description of a Gemini Sun in an Air Grand Trine to Moon Saturn in Libra trine Mars in Aquarius; formed into a talented Kite by Mars opposition a leadership Leo North Node and Neptune.
He was born 12 June 1924 10.30am Milton, Massachusetts, into a WASP family of East Coast achievers with a banker/Senator father and married the daughter of the Chairman of MacMillan’s Publishing. He volunteered at 18 in 1942 to become a navy pilot, was badly shot up and returned a war hero, eventually taking a Yale economics degree and then moving into the oil business. He tried unsuccessfully to move into politics and was eventually made US Ambassador to the UN by Nixon. On his return he skated round Watergate; and went as liaison to China, returning to head the CIA with a remit to clean up its dirty tricks ethos. He became VP under Reagan, managed to steer clear of the Iran-Contra scandal; and stood successfully for President in 1988 on a ‘no-tax rise’ ticket. He oversaw the end of the Cold War, liberated Kuwait from Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War and prudently refused to invade Iraq but was knee-capped politically by the tax increases he was forced to put in place, losing out to Clinton in 1992.
His Mercury in steady Taurus was in his 10th square Mars and square his Ascendant, so he would be stubborn though his mental endurance would be marked especially in long term planning and organizational matters.
He had an extraordinarily varied career with more extensive foreign experience than most; and a fair few political failures and setbacks. His Gemini Sun would give him a wide range of interests and his Fixed T Square the staying power to keep on going. His Venus Pluto square Moon and 4th house Jupiter inclined him towards a strong wife and a stable home life, though his marriage to Barbara would not always be easy. See post April 16 2018.
His get-it-together 5th Harmonic was tough-minded; his ‘perfectionist’ 7th Harmonic determined and unyielding; even more so his ‘obsessive’ 11H. His global-figure 22H was confidently successful as well.
His Term chart as President, 20 January 1989, started on the tumultuous triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune – and Venus – in Capricorn in the 9th so was always going to be a significant time especially for foreign policy. Mars was trine Uranus Saturn and square the Sun for two military excursions, one against Panama to depose Noriega and the other in the Middle East.
George W Bush, who carried on the dynasty, shared his Libra Moon and Leo Ascendant, but was a different type altogether – with a 12th house Cancer Sun and 12th house Saturn – which slightly suggests lack of a good male role model in his childhood. George, the younger, leant more towards his mother, the formidable Barbara.
Update: Isaac Starkman has rectified a from-memory birth time to 11.31 am (chart above). Makes more sense for him to have a Virgo Ascendant and an emphasised Mercury in the 9th, given his interest in foreign policy and time spent abroad. [Thanks Morris for the info]
He may have been close to Barbara, but George Jnr just looked devastated to lose his Dad, could not control his tears.
is that an appropriate observation?
Oh yes, I too definitely see Virgo Rising for Bush Sr. Many orbitraries cited his incredible unease in taking credit for his successes – it was always a team effort. This is definitely a Virgo Rising characteristic, even my most egocentric Leo Stellium, much of it in 11th house, acquiantance had a beautiful way of making “his team”, rather than just himself, look good, because he was absolutely certain of people seeing his contribution, anyway.
The Analysis is right, but the first image is of his George W Bush, rather than George HW Bush. What sticks out is that both Bush Presidents have a Libra Moon, Bush 41 conjunct his Saturn and Bush 43 conjunct his Jupiter. It’s telling they were both very well liked by permanent WH Staff, and older Bushes even adored. Same goes for Secret Service detail – they loved to work for Bushes.
There are literally dozens of anecdotes on HW’s kind gestures. For instance, he befriended Finnish President Mauno Koivisto while VP for Reagan. Both were WWII Veterans and had behind Enemy Lines experience (Koivisto was in recon unit led by a future US SF legend). They were around the same age and although Koivisto was a Socialdemocrat, had similar views on need of democracy in Eastern Europe, although they kept a very cautious front. Former Minister of Defence and UN Envoy Elisabet Rehn met Elder Bushes in 2003 in Gothenburg at a conference she was patlrticipating. And Bush Sr wanted to hear about his friend Mauno. Rehn told him about Koivisto’s forthcoming birthday, and Bush Sr realized he should give a present. So, he just took his tieholder and wrote a note on some piece of paper for Rehn to deliver it.
Thanks. Have changed chart.
Interesting to note how most of our recent presidents going back 30 years have prominent placements in Leo. Probably highlights the need to be a showman in today’s media environment.