Leo Varadkar, who became a surprisingly progressive Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland, has announced his resignation. He was the first openly gay Irish leader, and the first of half-Indian heritage. He saw through a referendum overturning Ireland’s abortion ban, and helped steer the country out of the pandemic to a healthy budget surplus. On the downside he suffered a humiliating loss recently with a referendum on family life and leaves with a housing crisis, a divisive debate over immigration, and his party Fine Gael facing defeat in a general election with Sinn Fein in the ascendant.
In Brexit negotiations, he won acclaim at home and resentment in London by mobilising the EU behind the border backstop that rebalanced Ireland’s historically subservient relationship with Britain. It paved Johnson’s path to Downing Street and the Northern Ireland protocol that appalled unionists by putting a trade border in the Irish Sea.
A commentator said: ‘Varadkar’s critics felt he was essentially a political lightweight without deep convictions, driven by fashion and the urge to show Ireland as a determinedly progressive little country.’
Born 18 January 1979 5.30am (from memory) Dublin, he has an ambitious Sun Mars conjunct in Capricorn trine a Virgo Moon and sextile Uranus – hard-working, money-minded, a reformer and with Pluto in his 10th influential.
It will have been an uphill struggle for him recently with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun Mars in 2022/23 and a major setback from SA Saturn square his Mars also in 2023. Plus he has tr Saturn moving through the middle of his 1st quadrant, making him question whether he was doing what best suited his essential self. At the moment he has the approaching April Solar Eclipse opposition his 10th house Pluto exactly which will have put pressure on him to change.
His Solar Arc Sun is also exactly opposition his Saturn for a separation from the past. And his midlife crisis is in play with his tr Uranus opposition his natal Uranus, starting last year and with a final aspect exactly now. There is an urge to change over the midlife crisis with old unfulfilled ambitions becoming urgent. At the same time he looks relieved and keen for a new start. His Progressed Moon and tr Uranus moving through his 6th may also have given him pause for thought on the health front.
His initial term as Taoiseach, 14 June 2017 3.30pm Dublin, also has the Solar Eclipse square the Pluto and Midheaven and opposition the Ascendant, for a wrench away from the past.
He was a surprising political leader for a country still enmeshed in its religious past but his Sun Mars was conjunct the Ireland Moon and opposition Neptune so he would clear away some of the old confusion. His Uranus in the Ireland 4th would create a minor domestic revolution and his Jupiter conjunct the Ireland South Node made for a partnership that moulded social trends.
Whatever his political failings, he was an astonishing leader in troubled times. There is a great deal ahead for him on the career front whatever he chooses to do. At present he says he intends to stay in the Ireland parliament.
His partner, another doctor, Matthew Barrett has preferred to stay low key. He possibly has the same birthday or thereabouts in 1987. If accurate that would make both Sun Capricorns, both have Venus in Sagittarius and both have a Virgo Moon.
On a similar topic, I see Simon Harris is the new possible successor leo. He is a Libra and was born on a lunar eclipse so his sun was conjunct the solar eclipse last October, and his natal moon is conjunct the upcoming solar eclipse in Aries. He also has transit Saturn on his Jupiter, and transit Pluto approaching his mars in Aquarius.
Transit Saturn is also conjunct his progressed sun in Pisces and squaring his ascendant / Venus in sag. And as Marjorie’s pointed out, progressed sun opposite natal Saturn. It’s 7 years since he started in government which really ties in with saturns 7 year cycles!
Sinn Fein will likely win GE. Mary Lou McDonald will be next PM.
Neptune in the 1st could signify he could read the room by entering it. He’d get the immediate feel of the atmosphere.
Saturn in the 9th could mean he hated his university professors.
Ruler of the 2nd in the 9th, I read on Astrofix, could denote a person who earns money (2nd) by being a spiritual guru (9th), travel agent, as a professor or a priest, or just by dealing with foreign countries and people. It could also denote a person who imposes personal values on people of other cultures, finds security by travelling or expanding his or her worldview and by looking at the world of higher education and academia. It could also mean a person spending money on travel and a person accumulating degrees.
Funnily, he has a mirrored position: ruler of the 9th (Sun) in the 2nd.