Nicola Sturgeon’s former husband Peter Murrell has admitted embezzling £400,000 over 12 years from SNP party funds. She said she was “angry, hurt, sad and very distressed” by his admission but denied knowing anything about his actions. Critics said it was inconceivable she was unaware of what Peter Murrell was doing when they ruled the nationalists as a power couple.
After her surprise decision to stand down as first minister and party leader in February 2023, the police raided the couple’s home near Glasgow two months later. Murrell had been responsible for its day-to-day running of the party since 1999.
Murrell born 8 December 1964, Edinburgh, has a Sagittarius Sun opposition North Node in Gemini square a formidable Pluto, Mars, Uranus conjunction so more of a wild card than his boring-bank-manager image would suggest. He also has Jupiter in indulgent, acquisitive Taurus in a high-finance and scandal-prone opposition to Neptune Venus in Scorpio. At the moment his Solar Arc Sun is square his Neptune exactly and his Solar Arc Pluto conjunct – hinting at a year of devastation. Since his arrest the whole stellium of Uranus, Mars, Pluto has been tugging on his Venus Neptune opposition Jupiter.
When two chart configurations collide by Solar Arc it usually brings a life changing phase.
Nicola Sturgeon, 19 July 1970 3.16pm Irvine, Scotland, has a Sun Cancer conjunct Mars in Leo in the communicative 9th house as part of a Half Grand Sextile to Neptune in Scorpio opposition Saturn in Taurus sextile/trine Pluto and Sun Mars. She was under considerable pressure when she stood down, from criticism about failing public services to a misbegotten trans argument, as tr Pluto had been opposing her Sun and then Mars.
She is not out of the woods yet since her Solar Arc Mars will be conjunct her Pluto later 2026 into early 2027 which will be trapped and infuriating. Her Solar Arc Sun/Mars midpoint will conjunct her Pluto by 2029 and the Sun by 2031 – so a long run of blocked, scary influences. Plus this year she has had a highly strung SA Uranus conjunct her Neptune – so her entire life has been given, and will continue to get, a shake up of the negative variety. Her Progressed Moon is going into her 4th now for two years ahead so she will no doubt try to disappear into a protected space and keep her head down. Tr Uranus into her 8th within weeks and staying until the early 2030s hints at an erratic phase financially and emotionally.
The SNP, 7 April 1934 chart, is showing signs of an emotional upset this year with tr Uranus square the Venus; and their relationship with Murrell hints at intense disappointment with tr Neptune square the composite Mars Uranus opposition Venus now and for some years ahead.
The SNP relationship with Sturgeon, once hailed as she-who-could-do-no-wrong, is similarly undergoing disillusionment of considerable proportions with jolting surprises coming now and for three years ahead as well. Tr Uranus is conjunct the composite Mercury exactly now and conjunct the Sun Mars in future years; with a deeply uncertain tr Neptune conjunct the Saturn by 2028 as well.