Keir Starmer in office but not in control flip flops constantly – winter fuel, gender identity, welfare, immigration – blown hither and thither by activists in his party, seemingly incapable of defending what in certain instances are perfectly sensible policies and comments.
There is not much new to say – he was always due for an extended slide downhill through rough terrain. At the moment and in recent months he has had his Solar Arc Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune which hints at confusion and devastation. With his Solar Arc Mars moving ever closer to the conjunction to his Sun Pluto almost immediately and staying in place for the next year – which is complete dead halt and meltdown time
His relationship chart with the UK has a high-stress Mars opposition Pluto square Moon (degree not known) which is not quite as bad as the UK/Tony Blair relationship chart with composite Mercury opposition Uranus square Mars Pluto Algol. But not a lot of love in there.
The UK chart is showing continuous jolts, jangles and concerns with tr Neptune Saturn opposition the Uranus now into early 2026; followed by the upheaval of a wake-up-and-make-overdue changes tr Uranus square the UK Pluto from June 2026 onwards into 2027.
Starmer’s Government chart, 5 July 2024 12.19pm London, is is showing continued fraught and hostile arguments right through this year and the next two with the Mercury opposition Pluto under strain.
His leadership chart, 4 April 2020 10.45 pm London, which may be the more relevant since he could go before the Labour Government does, has a caring, but confused and directionless Neptune in the 10th with a pushily confident Jupiter Pluto conjunction sitting close to a prone-to-setbacks Mars conjunct Saturn in Aquarius which is being ground down right through until late 2026. With disruptions and upheavals from late March 2026 to late 2027, which could be his topple-off-perch time. Nothing will get easier with significant difficulties, uncertainties and losses right through. He may decide to throw in the towel himself at some point.
Rachel Reeves is in for a serious shock and calamity as Uranus moves into Gemini within days and that repeats into 2026. She’ll keep walking the confident talk till early this December but thereafter loses the tr Pluto opposition her Jupiter. 2026 looks like a sinkhole for her.
Angela Rayner is getting a lucky break August to early October and again in 2026 as tr Uranus squares her Jupiter. 2026 will brighten her love life with her Solar Arc Sun conjunct her Venus.
Wes Streeting will be up and down with lucky and less fortunate influences running concurrently through this year and next.
Add On: July 3 2025 – The general media consensus from sensible media commentators runs as follows:
“The UK prime minister is weak but Labour MPs are deluded about fiscal reality.”
“Starmer is blamed for the chaos, and should be. He has the intelligence and work rate of a prime minister, but not the character.”
“Starmer is too weak to enact change. Much of his party is too blinkered to even see the need for it. Of the two dysfunctions, his is the less criminal.”
“Go ahead and mock “Rachel from accounts”, but hers might be the last thumb in the dyke.”
“Paradoxically, Reeves is the best hope the country has got of managing its way through the current quagmire of challenges without descent into devastating fiscal crisis. Britain is just one step away from another fully blown bond market revolt, and Reeves is perhaps the last line of defence – a fiscal hawk who stands almost alone amid the clamour from her own ranks for ever higher spending and wealth-destroying taxation.”
“There are some images that cannot be unseen. A crying chancellor is one of them. A politician who encouraged people to style her as an iron finance chief simply cannot afford to show that kind of vulnerability.”
“Solar Arc Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune which hints at confusion and devastation. With his Solar Arc Mars moving ever closer to the conjunction to his Sun Pluto almost immediately and staying in place for the next year – which is complete dead halt and meltdown time” – Marjorie
What an interesting discussion here about control freakery! To an extent, I suspect that Pluto can ‘abduct’ the Sun in conjunction, and maybe makes it hard for an individual to express or reveal their inner self? Looking at the SA here, I noticed that Starmer’s Sun/Pluto with natal Neptune is opposing the UK’s own Mars in Taurus in the financial 8th house. Challenging. And as his SA Mars moves towards his Sun/Pluto, his rhetoric offers Martian energies, such as ‘unleash the AI’, or instructing the country to be ‘battle ready’ and prepare for war. ‘Smash the gangs’ might be another aggressive example. These seem quite incongruous to me, coming from a man who looks like a lawyer from Central Casting!
Perhaps whimsical, but if Pluto, lord of the underworld, abducts Persephone, the young woman of Virgo, they have now arrived, by Solar Arc, in Pluto’s own Scorpio domain, where Persephone will be queen. Persephone will never entirely escape, even though a deal is struck for her return to her mother and sunlight.
Adding some kind of cosmic wink to proceedings – asteroid Persephone is at 9 Pisces, opposing tr Mars at 9 Virgo today – Starmer’s Sun/Pluto. Black Moon Lilith (apogee) is 11 Scorpio – opposing UK Mars in Taurus for much tension and hidden stories, plus emphasising Starmer’s natal Neptune and SA Sun/Pluto. Is another kind of upset or scandal brewing?
Yes, his Sun has been ‘abducted’ by Pluto – subconsciously he gravitates towards whatever position gives him a feeling of being in control and power. Then add the opposition to Jupiter (Zeus) to the mix: a preference for a top down approach to leadership? A feeling of rules don’t apply hence the freebies scandal.
According to a recent media report, Starmer has quietly resumed accepting free VIP Arsenal tickets which have potentially ‘enmeshed Starmer in a web of conflicts related to the appointment of the new chair of the Independent Football Regulator, David Kogan. Kogan’s appointment is already under investigation by the commissioner for public appointments following allegations of cronyism linked to donations made by Kogan to both Starmer and culture minister Lisa Nandy.’
Can someone please explain to this increasingly sceptical commentator how it is that previous comments on Starmer have voiced real concerns about his control freak sun/pluto without mentioning the now seemingly obvious weakness and unsuitability of his sunsign? Whilst I can just about see how these traits may mesh together, this doesn’t help my creeping suspicion that we see what we want/ expect to see, or even what we are seeing now rather than step back for the whole picture. For the record, this is a genuine question about astrological interpretation of birth charts, and whether anyone else out there has the same doubts. All comments gratefully received before I give up and start studying Jung instead.
I will ponder overnight and try to untangle Pluto tomorrow. Control freaks may superficially appear strong but underneath there is a can of wriggling worms.
I know what you mean and to a degree it may depend on house positions but he is a bit of an enigma.
Mind you I would defy Genghis Khan to be standing upright with the kind of poleaxing influences Starmer has at the moment.
Thank you! I agree he is under terrible pressure, yet he’s still standing. Weak? Control freak? Hmmmm……………..
In another post I mentioned the uncanny similarities between the Starmer government of today and that of Ramsey McDonald of 1929/31. They too were under poleaxing influences that left them unable to stand upright. Consequently, I wonder whether there were astrological parallels between the era of 1929/31 and today.
I do think there is a way out of this mess just as there was in 1929/31, but it means tearing up the financial and economic shibboleths of the last 14 years just as the National government had to reverse the policies of the previous twelve years in the 1930s. I am referring or course the Barry Eichenhorn’s ‘Golden Fetters’
It is not one or the other. Anxiety, for instance, is an attribute that could be linked to Pluto and Virgo, and which a person may deal with by trying to become a ‘control freak’ as a way to manage the fear. Virgo seeks to purify, to cleanse and Pluto is associated with elimination/ deep rooted cleansing – purging even.
Purging has been used by many media reports, which can be accessed via a quick Google search, to describe the way in which Starmer removed many left leaning Labour members and candidates. From the BBC’s Chris Mason article in May 2024 : ‘Starmer left-wing purge row is not dying down’.
Interestingly there is an academic paper written in 2024 by Patrick Dunleavy titled ‘Starmer’s core executive reveals a centralisation of power’ which suggest that ‘new data on the Government’s cabinet committee system shows a dramatic centralisation of authority by Keir Starmer.’
The author compares him to Theresa May who ‘famously sought to micro-manage everything herself through No 10 and pursued a “divide and control” policy elsewhere in her cabinet.’
Both have a strongly aspected Pluto and Virgo emphasis in their charts.
Thank you Sarah and Patritius, and yes I agree, both sets of traits can co-exist. I think what I object to is scurrying around after the latest chaos on screen or in the tabloids looking for astrological confirmation without taking into account pressure from transits and the potential for how difficult aspects may give you the grit/ tools just to get through. Pluto in particular is a tricky customer who I used to regard as the Mafia boss of the zodiac. But increasing age has given me the chance to look back at my own Pluto transits and natal position, as well as that of those around me, and I can see it can be deeply and personally transformative in the end. I am not intimidated by Pluto any more. Growth and self awareness through pressure and challenge are a necessary part of life. I do not regard it merely as a malefic in the birth chart, but more of a challenge to grow. Some of us may not be brave enough to take up the challenge, so it becomes a malefic.We can’t tell from the birth chart which path a person will take – back to Marjorie’s “ unknown” idea!
The chaos last night getting the welfare vote through the Commons was interesting.
Rachel Reeves must surely be noticing the shock and disruption to her plans as Uranus approaches its move into Gemini. Liz Kendall too.
Has Starmer noticed that his enemies and rivals are circling like sharks in the sea (sounds quite neptunian) while he shows his Sun Pluto ruthlessness – saving his own skin at the cost of others.
Fascinating to watch but not a great way to run a country.
I see parallels with the 1929-31 Labour government. The predicament they are in mirrors Snowden and Bevan.
One of the main traits of Virgo I ascribe to it is the sense of discomfort these people seem to have. They never feel good in their own skin, even though they can really hide it so it is not noticeable for those who don’t know to look for it.
What is it about Starmer’s astrology which leads him to consistently fail to read the room?
He has a grand water trine which is turned into a kite by the Sun-Pluto Virgo. Marjorie has said in the past that water planets make the person live in their own world.
And I remember reading an article in Mountain Astrologer about Gemini-Virgo and how “failing to listen” is a shadow trait for those signs. Starmer has been accused of failing to listen to his MPs – who have been consistently saying over the past months they don’t agree with the welfare cuts. They’ve had to force the issue to get him to ‘listen’. Virgo is great at doing an individual task – writing a book, cleaning the bathroom, fixing the car but if it has to rely on other people; it gets frustrated when the others aren’t as invested in achieving perfection. But bear in mind, perfection is in one’s head and if that isn’t communicated, they aren’t going to understand. Starmer has consistently failed to communicate and sell his ideas – I said it in the years before the GE – what are his policies? He won the GE because Reform split the right wing vote with the Tories – not because he converted anyone to his thinking.
While his Libra moon may think/wonder about other people – that’s a 1-2-1 relational sign. I compare him to Tony Blair who had moon in Aqua which is great at reading the room. Probably the only time that failed was over Iraq which was when he had transiting Neptune passing over.
And Starmer also has Saturn in Aqua – so he probably doesn’t ever feel like part of the group unless he’s in control. Which of course means he struggles to allow others’ views to be adopted.
A Sun Virgo is probably not the person you would want leading a Party or a Nation in times of crisis as they seem to struggle to bring people together. Add Pluto to the mix and there will be a desire to control and micromanage everything.
Starmer recently stated that he could not give enough attention to welfare reform etc because he was so busy dealing with foreign affairs which perhaps hints at part of his problem that he maybe is not delegating power to his ministers properly or outlining what is expected of them. The fact he needs to intervene all the time to shift course is indicative of a government that collectively is not functioning as a team.
It should be stated that this situation is not entirely Starmer’s fault as many Labour MPs appear to be stuck in an opposition mentality of constantly fighting government policy even when it comes from their own party. It was these sorts of internal divisions that undermined the Conservative government during its final years of office with 5people holding the role of Prime Minister in the 9 years from 2015 election until 2024. This is symptomatic of a much a wider crisis of governance in the U.K. at the moment which shows that the underlying political constitution of the country needs reform.
The Water Grand Trine won’t help but I agree Virgo never seems to me a good leadership sign – and I am one. There is always an underlying sense of the cat that walks by itself – plus a streak of self-righteousness which means others’ views may not be heard.
Thanks, GD, Hugh, Marjorie. I agree Hugh that our system is in dire need of reform.
The watery theme is interesting. UK 1801 has the 19 Cancer Moon trine Neptune, 18 Scorpio. Fitting symbolism for what was a maritime island nation, where its quasi goddess Brittania ‘rules the waves’. You could add in standard British myths and legends, from mermaids to the Armada, Captain Cook, Nelson, and numerous sea shanties.
When this Labour Government arrived, Saturn in Pisces completed a Grand Trine in Water with the UK chart. The Sun and Venus in Cancer warmed up the population’s Cancer Moon, good feelings welcoming Saturn’s potential for idealistic (Pisces) or healing structure? Starmer’s own leadership chart fits in, with that dreamy Mercury and Neptune, 19 Pisces. But Saturn asked for structure, somehow. Not easy in Pisces, although Pisces Chopin managed it with his beautiful, structured music, and Gorbachev was another Piscean with huge influence, at least for a while.
Our UK chart for 1066 has a final degree Pisces Moon, square a restless Uranus in Sagittarius. This Government has Neptune, 29 Pisces. We’ll see whether the September Virgo Solar Eclipse impacts those emotional planet positions. It ushers in the last swim of Saturn and Neptune in late Pisces over that sensitive 1066 Moon. More confusion, but I wonder what may rise to the surface at the same time? I noticed that the creative rise and fall star, Scheat in Pegasus, is involved too. Triumph is possible, crashing and burning also possible……
Interesting Jane. Churchill had his ascendant and descendant at 29 Virgo and Pisces, plus a 29 degree Leo Moon and a 28 degree Aries Neptune. There’s a sense of ‘the last of’ about planets on these degrees, the ending of an era.
Thanks VF I didn’t know that about Churchill.He is also a mythic figure in some ways nowadays. His artistic, psychic and even depressive side is often ignored in popular culture, he even reported seeing a ghost and was a Druid at one time.
Intriguing to consider all the post-war changes in the world, and all the organisations that were set up then. All under review or pressure now. I agree with Hugh that we badly need reform with a lower-case ‘r’! The Treaty of Rome, too, has Venus 29 Pisces opposing Jupiter, 25 Virgo. Then Uranus 2 Leo, Moon 2 Aquarius, Neptune 1 Scorpio – also under pressure to change? A 4 Aries Sun and 4 Gemini Mars will also be calling for something new thanks to Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.
I believe Starmer is the first Virgo Sun Prime Minister since Bonar Law in 1922. Probably the most famous 20th century Premier born under the sign was HH Asquith who led a reforming Liberal government prior to the First World War but whose inadequacies were exposed by that conflict leading to his replacement by Lloyd George in 1916.
This is what has to be remembered about the law; beneath that cold, harsh, impersonal exterior beats a cold, harsh, impersonal heart. David Frost
Marjorie, you mentioned
‘At the moment and in recent months he has had his Solar Arc Sun Pluto conjunct his Neptune which hints at confusion and devastation. With his Solar Arc Mars moving ever closer to the conjunction to his Sun Pluto almost immediately and staying in place for the next year – which is complete dead halt and meltdown time’
For a long time, well before he became PM, I thought he studied and went into law so he could always fall back on the legalities of the system and quote them in place of his being able to work out a decision for himself. With SA Sun/Pluto conjunct his Neptune he will find he can no longer refer to the book of law to prop up his natal Libran Mercury/Moon, sit on fence and quiver inwardly. Those with Mars in Cancer (trine Jupiter in Pisces) have an imaginary sense of their own self importance to hide a lack of self esteem. Fall-off-perch sooner rather than later.
A general question — if someone, like Starmer and his leadership government, or anyone else of the many people profiled on this site, has truly awful planetary placements and aspects, is there anything they can do to change how they behave and reverse their luck?
Using the metaphorical bootstraps to pull themselves up? Or finding ways to harness the more positive characteristics of the negatives? Or would that be an indication that the timing of the birth chart is off?
I keep seeing how some people — thinking Trump here, of course, since he’s the most obvious, but I’m sure you knowledgeable astrologers know of others less controversial — always manage to escape dire forecasts while others fall victim to them.
Or put another way, can free will and vision overcome or mitigate negative indicators in charts?
And where are the visionary leaders we need around the world to rise to the occasion of our current turmoil? Our modern-day Churchill, Roosevelt, Lincoln? The only one I see is Zelenskyy who has the character it takes to lead in turbulent times.
Is there anything in the astrology that indicates a drought in good leadership?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Great question about free will , vision and harnessing the good in “bad” aspects. I remember we had a short conversation on this site about this a while back ( can’t think where though). I know several people with the ability to get the best out of difficult aspects and actually turn them round to really useful traits. Self awareness and consideration are common to all of them, as well as not being afraid to make a decision or choice. I don’t know what makes the difference in the birth chart though. North/ south node position and sign? An astrologer once told me they thought it was the mark of “an old soul”.
I think fire sign tend to have more self awareness which might make it easier to harness the bad aspect. Sagittarius signs are notorious for being “lucky”. But that luck might just had been more optimistic view of life than other people. Maybe just maybe the law of attraction (attracting good things in life just do work). My amateur astrology 2¢.
What I am seeing more is the 30~40 plus year old taking over the world’s political landscape. The 40 plus year old are born with Pluto in Libra (air) and the 30 plus are born with Pluto in Scorpio (water). One can only watch and learn.
I see this topic a slightly different way. The bigger astrological picture selects the soul for the role it is using. In the UK Snap election chart (the Labour win) rx Aqua Pluto was at 3° from the Asc in the 1h. Pluto is rising but looking backward and on the resistance degree of Aquarius “old adobe mission”. Keir appears to mean dark. Starmer a nickname for star. Dark Star. Pluto Rising. He is a Sun-Pluto. Starmer plays Pluto.
Marjorie has identified his personal aspects that show trouble ahead. The UK snap chart progression agrees. Pluto, with regards to the UK election chart, is rising until December 2026 when Pluto progresses into the 12h where on the UK election night the British sent the Tories. The Wilderness. Maybe Pluto’s progression into the 12h isn’t the wilderness for Starmer but that’s what that chart meant for the Tories. The Labour planet isn’t a part of that progression.
Another example is Trump and Hillary Clinton. I know a person who always gets close but never gets what he desires. My husband said he is Tantalus. Sure enough the Tantalus asteroid is connected to his chart. Due to him, I tried to think of something similiar and thought of Hillary Clinton and the presidency.
I wrote a blog article about Trump asteroid Tantalus that is only 22 minutes from Hillary’s Ascendant. The mythological Tantalus was the man who was sentenced to stand in water that rose to his chest while fruit wafted just above his head but when he stooped to drink it receded and when he lifted his head to eat the wind blew the fruit away from his mouth. Tantalized. Trump’s Tantalus is unaspected and seemingly not active in his chart. He has the Tantalus force. Hillary Clinton has Scorpio Tantalus conjunct her Chiron and quincunx her Ascendant by 2 minutes. She has the active Tantalus role.
He was the wind and water that denied her what she most desired and that came to fruition when Georgia was called on election night 2016. That was the moment everyone in the Javits Center realized the election had turned against Hillary. The Georgia called transit chart, Trump’s chart from 1946 and Hillary Clinton’s chart from 1947 all point to the pageant of election night 2016.
If you watch old video, it is so strange to realize the transit astrology is coming together with the crowd’s reactions and then the moment comes when Georgia is called (how I timed the chart) and the transit asteroid Tantalus is rising 1° from conjuncting the Ascendant of the moment. As asteroid Tantalus transits through the Ascendant, the crowd reacts to the Georgia call and it all changes.
Tantalus is powerful karma that is motivational. Hillary has a chart where she was supposed to share resources with young children. The hunt for the presidency was the motivation for her to do it. Could she have obtained the Presidency had she done something else? I think she was blocked and not just by Trump. I haven’t looked at the transit when Obama took the primary but that might be illuminating to your question about how far can individuals free will change outcomes.
People seem to readily forget that Starmer is a career lawyer, turned politician. As most people who have ever been involved in litigation will tell you, lawyers are like chameleons: this week they will tell you what a great case you have and in a few weeks time they will be urging you to cut a deal. Not an ideal background for a politician, let alone a Prime Minister.