A rollicking political diary described as “a merciless memoir“ has been slicing through the pervading gloom as a former minister’s wife took payback for being ignored by the Cameron clique. Sasha Swire, heretofore unknown to all but few, is now a household word for indiscretion and betrayal. One reviewer said her “diaries are treacherous, socially contemptible, rude – and gripping.”
David Cameron is portrayed as honourable but lewd (obsessed with penis size) and essentially shallow.
George Osborne is amusing but vengeful. She relates he rushed off to beat then Deputy PM Nick Clegg to the grace and favour house of Dorneywood and plant his toothbrush there, as if it is a flag. (Petty and pathetic.)
Boris Johnson is “desperately lonely and unhappy on the inside”. ‘Yes, he’s an alley cat but he has a greatness of soul, a generosity of spirit, a desire to believe the best in people, a lack of pettiness and envy which is pretty uncommon in politics and, best of all, a wonderfully comic vision of the human condition.’
Michael Gove is “slightly bonkers”, and dishonest about his ambition. “He’s always lied about that. I think he’s quite dangerous.”
Dominic Cummings is “stark raving mad”. “It will all go tits up with him, it always does,” she says. “He’ll explode.”
Theresa May “didn’t have an original idea in her head. And no friends, either.”
The closeness of Cameron’s circle is “unprecedented… a very particular, narrow tribe of Britain and their hangers-on”. It’s “enough to repulse the ordinary man”.
Her reflections are less about the destiny of history and more about houses, seating at state banquets, rivalries, ministerial cars and perpetual plotting. “It is modern-day Hilary Mantel.” What is all the odder is she seemed to have no clue about the likely repercussions of her musings which incensed Sarah Vine, Michael Gove’s wife and embarrassed the Camerons.
Born 18 January 1963 in London, the daughter of Sir John Nott, a former Tory Cabinet Minister, Sasha Swire has a late Capricorn Sun, a flamboyant Mars in Leo, a cool Saturn in Aquarius with her Mercury in Aquarius inconjunct Uranus, which last would make her a blurter out of the truth as she saw it. More significantly she has a pushily-confident, and by all accounts entitled, Jupiter opposition Pluto and Uranus squaring onto Venus in Sagittarius. Venus Jupiter is superficially charming; Venus Pluto manipulative – and a focal point Venus is fickle in relationships, a social butterfly, who is reluctant to commit in relationships and lacks emotional depth. Her Moon may be late Libra or early Scorpio.
Her attention-demanding Mars in Leo is heavily aspected by midpoints – opposition Sun/Jupiter, conjunct Pluto/Node, square Jupiter/Node and square Mercury Pluto. So she’s a mix of super-confident, angry and resentful and the last one Ebertin describes as “sharp critic, the desire to attack others, a blackmailer”. She’s not a blackmailer in the ordinary sense since she spread compromising and damaging information without demanding hush money. Though she did reportedly get £250,000 for her book. And there are more to follow.
Of the ones in her former friendship circle she has always grated with behind the saccharine smiles were George Osborne, Sarah Vine and Samantha Cameron. Sasha’s chilly Saturn was in a ratchety conjunction to Osborne’s Mars with her Neptune square – no love lost there. Sarah Vine’s Aries Sun opposition Mars square Jupiter clashed with Sasha’s Capricorn Sun.
Samantha Cameron’s Fixed Saturn in Taurus squared Sasha’s Mars skewering her chances of the spotlight and Sasha’s Sun was trine Samantha’s Saturn and Pluto and conjunct Samantha’s Mars – not much chance of cosy girl nights in with those crossovers. Dinner parties and holidays must have been rife with snippy comments, with barely concealed aggro running below the surface.
Michael Gove and wife Sarah Vine look distracted by her now, ramping up in angst across the New Year and through 2021, presumably with the concern she may damage his chances since he’s still in the ring. Osborne also, who is evidently keen to return to politics if he can, is similarly off balance. The Camerons strangely look concerned over this New Year and into next spring – so there may be more to come. The publishers no doubt being keen to keep on a roll when they can.
She was also suitably acerbic about Prince Andrew who she said gave an ‘excruciating’ diatribe about ‘how brilliant he was’ at an official dinner. ‘’It is clear there is a power struggle taking place between him and Prince Charles. A lot of Andrew’s embarrassing friendships with oligarchs, and his imploring anyone who will listen to bail out his wife, has strained their relationship.’ The Sasha/Andrew relationship chart is explosive through 2021.
She may turn out to be the poor man’s diarist of the age.
Ugh…..perhaps they should swap the N for a W…who wants friends like that? She has 4 retro planets, the nodes are also retro (what does THAT mean?) I think its the Moon/Neptune in Scorpio – jealousy on every single level. The face says it all – gotcha (but perhaps they’ve gotchad her as well). In the epic she looks smug but…worried. Wait and see, does she not have a real life?
Someone mentioned Jo Rowling – you do know, don’t you, that she is an astrologer herself? Many years ago (at least 20) on the Antiques Road Show they had a chart drawn up by her which she did for a friend’s child when in Edinburgh before All That……what a star! she’s clearly used it in her characters and knows what she’s talking about….q.e.d.
I just love (insider) gossipy books giving us the author’s take on political elite. Good for Ms Swire. Bit of revenge there, she likely endured slights
Thanks Marjorie. I bet most of those people never saw this coming. Sasha Swire’s “betrayal” is complex – these “friends” were, it seems, more like acquaintances. She has said she was always outside the inner circle, often ignored – not great for a Leo Mars! I notice she has a copy of Alan Clark’s diaries on her bedside table. His diaries were equally scandalous at the time, and he has Mercury in Aries conjunct Uranus in Aries (13 April, 1928).
If there’s more to come, I wonder what else she has to reveal? In particular, I’d be very curious about Prince Andrew. I imagine a legal team is standing by!
These people all sound ghastly.
Hear hear
What is it with all these Mars in Leo’s these past couple of years? They are everywhere in the public eye at the moment. Especially related to politics. And a lot of their stories tend to have a vengeful trait or petulant demand for attention. I’m going to assume when Mars in Leo is not focused positively it becomes a classic narcissists signature?
I’ve not had a good experience with Mars in Leos. I think they clash with my Scorpio stellium which isn’t at ease with loud, attention-seeking types. Also, they take over, they sulk when they’re not the centre of attention – I knew one who did this at a funeral because the focus was naturally on the grieving family! Of course, as with all astrological placements, there’s a light side to them – courageous, loyal, etc. I notice Mars in Leo is frequently found in the charts of politicians – for example it should come as no surprise that our dear friend in the White House has this placement.
That Mars in Leo person at the funeral sounds like a horror show, VF. How dare a family grieve when the attention should be on them! What self-absorbed delusions! Crikey.
At school I was the only Virgo who hung out with 4-5 Leos. I had that serious streak that Virgo’s are famous for and I loved their easy-going natures with the flare for the dramatics. They brought me out of my shell. I never found them draining or demanding. However, I did go to an all-girls school, so maybe Leo girls were easier to get on with? Especially in a culture back then when showy or cocky girls were berated for showing off but cockiness in boys was seen as confidence. So they kind of never went too far overboard? I don’t know.
But these days, people who go out of their way to step on others in a desperate bid for attention really brings out my Virgoan critical ire! I can’t bear it! The idea of a quiet life devoid of dramas actually send many folks demented. They crave this nasty emotional resistence in their lives which is far better than being ignored. It’s my idea of a nightmare – I’d rather be bloody ignored! I also have a Cancerian moon (and funnily enough draw in or are drawn to others with strong cancerian or pisces placements), so with that Virgo sun/Cancer conjunct Saturn moon combo I was never really going to be the extrovert life and soul of a party, to be honest!
By the way, why are you called virgoflake? Didn’t you mention that you were a Sun Libra? My brother is a Libran sun too with a packed 8th house stellium in Scorpio. He can be very extrovert when the mood strikes but he needs his down time quite often where he can shut the world off from himself to regenerate. Plus he’s into all the deep and esoteric stuff and can be pretty intense. But he’s also very funny and charming as well! He’s more the ambivert of the family and I the extreme introvert.
I have Virgo rising with Pluto conjunct my Ascendant plus Venus in Virgo, so am quite Virgoan, forever seeking the futility of perfection with a tendency to obsessiveness, hence Virgoflake. I hate attention too – as a kid I used to cry when people sang happy birthday to me, such was the agony of being centre stage.
Scorpionic types like to hide. They do need to recharge which for me means literally sitting in a darkened room, relaxing, listening to music.
I do attract Leo’s too and do quite enjoy their warmth, loyalty and entertainment skills, plus, as a Virgo Venus am happy to sit back and let them take centre stage. As you say, they can be encouraging, bright folk.
The funeral individual also had Venus in Leo along with that Mars and was the kind of person who loves drama and is hopeless with solitude, needing constant dramatic supply, also hugely competitive – this I think can be one of the more negative Leo expression. It has to be said, Scorpio can also be dramatic, but in a much less overt and obvious way.
I’ve noticed that Leo personal planets – and those in other Sun signs – often seem to express themselves more “typically” when the Sun itself is in another sign. Witness, if we must, Gemini D. Trump with his Leo Mars gilding every building he puts up with his name in Leo’s colour, gold. His Cancerian Venus seems to express through his so-called dynasty and the way he keeps his children around him. Even his hair is some kind of insane, lacquered lion’s mane in a wind tunnel.
On the other hand, there are many quiet Leo writers, and other personalities, who do not seek the limelight. They may well have Mercury and Venus in Cancer or Virgo. Not to say that these quieter cats don’t enjoy attention, but they don’t seem to need to shout it from the rooftops.
Jane on Trump – “Even his hair is some kind of insane, lacquered lion’s mane in a wind tunnel.” – That had me in giggles for a full two minutes and so very true! One specific Leo writer comes to mind with strong Virgoan planets and that is J.K. Rowling, so I can see that.
VirgoFlake – Snap! I’m a virgo rising, sun, and venus. Plus 9 out of 10 planets are all on the left-hand lower side of my chart funnelling through my lone Jupiter in pisces. I read left-hand chart folk don’t need interaction with people much compared to those right-hand planet folks. That they are quite happy to do their own thing alone. So I can attest to that. Maybe my 12th house virgo venus enhances my need for a solitary existence as well.
Yes, when a Leo is full of fun, humour, affection and more inlcined to be positive and wear their hearts on their sleeve, I really enjoy their company. I’m quite happy to sit back and enjoy their energy. However. if I were a Mars Leo I imagine I’d be fighting to compete for the limelight. Like the world needs another one of those types!
I imagine your funeral character is having an absolute meltdown during this pandemic! All that external stimulation they can’t get their hands on right now! It’s times like this that I appreciate my quiet, reflective introvert nature. This pandemic hasn’t really made much of a difference to the way I live my life. It’s been a breeze for the most part. I just love the fact I have my own sanctuary in which I can find a myriad things to do or just stay still appreciating there is no one to bug me. It’s lovely. Especially when sharing with pets!
Me too Jo. Most of my chart is below the horizon. I haven’t suffered as much as my more outgoing friends, who do find it hard to be at home. But I am lucky to have a lovely community neighbourhood here, so there’s always someone around not far away.
Interesting you mention JKRowling, I think there was a discussion on here a while ago about her. There’s a whole bunch of Leo women writers, that includes PLTravers who created a real Virgo hero in Mary Poppins – the books really, not the movies. Beatrix Potter, too, was Leo with Mercury and Venus in Virgo.
Oh no, I have Mars in Leo, I’ll get my coat 😀
It’s the apex of a t-square too, square my ascendant in Taurus and Venus/Uranus Descendant in Scorpio. But…. I also hate being the centre of attention, even though I often find myself there! Maybe because I also have Saturn in the 5th, albeit at 00 Virgo. I even eloped, putting marriage off for ages because I knew it would turn into such a circus with my family. I am also quite small and feisty and this seems to amuse people, not least my father who has his Pluto in the same spot! It’s not really my intention to be entertaining when I kick off about something, though. Most of the time I can barely string a sentence together, but I become very articulate and creative when I’m pissed off about something. Oh well 🙂
Another one here with all my planets below the ascendant, other than Pluto and Uranus, North Node and BM Lilith in the 12th all conjunct and who found the lockdown didn’t alter her lifestyle.
Jane what a searingly accurate description of Trump’s hair!
Tara, partner and I also didn’t marry for the same reasons – it took 18 years for us to finally pluck up the courage. I also have a 5th house Saturn.
I never married but when I thought about it it always gave me agony to think I would stand in front of people. I aired my thoughts to my family saying if I ever married I would do it privately away from others. Cue utter narcissistic outrage. I was called selfish, cold, cruel, etc for thinking about myself! I didn’t realise a wedding is a limelight spot for others! I wasn’t even in a relationship! Bloody narcissists.
Just checked my chart again; 9 planets to left, 1 to right but 3 planets, Moon/Saturn are in 10th house and Venus in 12th. But it’s still a below the ascendent chart. My 12th house is in Leo too. Dark Pixie’s site says about 12H Leo, ‘When you feel comfortable, out of the spotlight, you thrive. You can avoid attention, be shy and quiet publicly, and are more powerful than you seem.” Check. Even reading out in front of class, being picked for a team, or debating at school was torture for me. I went through a phase of playing truant for a long time just to avoid all of this.
I think when you ask people’s ideas about being famous you can probably tell the below ascendent types. The idea of being in the spotlight to me is like having a mental disease that destroys your life with nowhere to hide, it’s too exposing. However, a writers life; creative, solitary, write under a pen name, have great success, have enough money to live as you wish and yet nobody knows who the hell you are when walking down the street ticks all my boxes! My brother who has all his planets above the ascendent thinks if you can’t put your face out there to your fame there is no point being famous! It’s quite a limited view of success really.