A committed anti-feminist who mobilised an army of fellow homemakers fifty years ago to campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment that would have offered women protection from discrimination has been dramatised in a Cate Blanchett FX mini-series – Mrs America. Phyllis Schlafly was no sock-knitting, apple-pie baking, stay-at-home mom, but a frustrated defence and nuclear policy expert, a mother to six children with an unsuccessful bid for Congress under her belt, who fell on the happy notion of using ‘feminine’ issues to further her political ambitions.
She had all the usual hair-raising right wing views – anti-abortion, anti-same-sex marriage, didn’t think marital rape existed, was anti-arms control with the USSR, against WTO and globalization, criticized a Supreme Court judge for making the casting vote to abolish the death penalty for minors.
She was born 15 August 1924 11.25pm St Louis, Missouri, and had a 4th house Sun, Neptune and leadership North Node all in Leo. Her ambitious 10th house Mars in Pisces was conjunct her Moon; with Uranus in Pisces on the focal point of a wide-ish Yod to Neptune Sun sextile Saturn. Such a Uranian Yod is self-willed and fated to play a trail-blazing role as a catalyst – in this case against rather than for change. But she was definitely a power in the land.
She had Jupiter in the 7th and clearly a supportive marriage. Though what is odd is that her Sun/Moon midpoint which is the marriage significator was square her Mars – so she was hardly the submissive type, more a raging lioness.
Her husband Fred, 30 August 1909, was a Sun and Jupiter in Virgo – and their relationship chart had an argumentative composite Mercury opposition Mars; a needs-space Uranus opposition Venus and an affectionate Sun Venus conjunction. But nothing that remotely suggests a doormat wife.
She clearly hoisted her flag up the flagpole to see what would fly – and what ensued was a piece of political opportunism which turned her into a hardened ideologue. Trump attended her funeral in 2016.
Dear Marjorie, Many thanks for the interesting ‘take’ on America’s Conservative Republican, Mrs. Phyllis Schiafly. Most American’s never understood where Phyllis was really coming from. She must have ruled the roost because in her hay-day it seemed she was never held back. A movie on Miss Schiafly’s “Never Give Up Spirit” would be most inspiring for many young women of today who feel their Passion, Spirit & Creativity is constantly being held down.
She liked the approval if men at the expense if much needed rights for women.
I always viewed her as a hypocrite. She had a college degree and a wealthy husband but didn’t want other women to achieve anything.
Thank you for this take! She certainly was a fascinating character. The series seems to be putting forward an idea that she became interested in anti-ERA battle after being repeatedly rejected as a National Security specialist by her party. I think that might be true, given her 4th/10th house, Sun giving her a 4th house housewife identity, but 10th house Moon meaning her emotional satisfaction came from public life. Something I’ve noticed, as well, is that Sun Leos and Pisces Moons tend to have/develop issues with rejection, for different reasons. And when it comes to Venus, it also indicates interests, and her Cancer Venus/Pluto is in the 2nd house, conjunct US Sun. In another time, she probably could have been a Nat Sec adviser or work in Finance, and chanel her Venus/Pluto very differently.
‘a frustrated defence and nuclear policy expert’ – Venus/ Pluto in Cancer in her 2nd house of values and talents reinforced by the wide conjunction of Moon and Uranus in a wide trine to the Venus Pluto conjunction (Uranus Pluto could indicate the interest in nuclear power). Is not Uranus/ Neptune also associated with off the wall fanaticism and irrational beliefs ( just remembering a previous post).
Sagittarius and lots of Fire seems to pop up quite frequently in those on the right of the political spectrum (eg Farage, Trump etc) – it is as if they cannot be bear to be hemmed in or constrained by anything that resembles structure from without – hence the visceral reaction to structures like the EU, the WHO, a national health service, the wearing of masks in public etc. In this case it was fighting against the Equal Rights Amendment – it’s seems like it is the imposition on individual ‘free will’ that makes it so offensive especially to a chart heavy in Fire (with Sagittarius making yet another appearance).