Some days pack more punch than
others, and Friday, January 25th was certainly one of them for the
denizens of Washington, D.C. and for
Federal workers, who finally received
some respite from a 35-day partial government shutdown.
As for the chief D.C. denizen, Donald Trump, the day literally dawned with his
former campaign advisor and long-time associate Roger Stone being arrested in
Ft. Lauderdale by a heavily armed FBI squad. The FBI was acting on what had
been to that point a sealed, 7-count indictment issued by the Mueller
investigation—charges range from lying to Congress, to witness tampering and
obstruction of justice. Conspiracy charges were conspicuously absent, but many
observers believe that those will follow.
Stone is a colorful, self-described
political “dirty trickster” who, if we can believe Netflix’s documentary
entitled Get Me Roger Stone, seems to
follow Machiavelli’s playbook pretty closely. Winning is all that matters. It’s
better to be infamous (or feared) than to not be famous at all. His approach to
getting himself out of tight spots is reportedly “deny everything, defend
nothing, and attack, attack, attack.”
And, while Stone claims that he
takes his dirty tactics just up to the
legal line and no further, what he regards as the “line” could be deeply
subjective and self-serving. Certainly not
in keeping with the statutes the grand jury now says he has violated. For a
much closer look at today’s charges against Roger Stone, see here;
for the text of the 24-page indictment itself, see here.
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| One of Roger Stone's many outlandish "looks." |
The
astrology
I won’t even attempt to unravel all
the legal issues at stake in Stone’s arrest—and, unless our system of justice
has been fatally wounded by the last two years, he remains not guilty until proven guilty by the facts in a court of law. With
that said, we know from his own characterizations (not to mention a long paper
trail of texts and emails) that he’s willing to push the limits. This
combination makes for an interesting analysis, so we will take a look at his
noon chart (no time is known, information from Wikipedia.com) with all this in mind.
But first, let’s briefly consider the arrest chart for just past 6
a.m. this morning. It speaks volumes!
Chart
#1: FBI arrests Roger Stone, January 25, 2019, 6:05 a.m. ST, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL. Tropical Equal Houses,
True Node.
Saturn and Pluto rise, straddling the
Capricorn Ascendant. What better reflection of the facts on the ground
could there have been this morning? The FBI (Saturn-Pluto) showed up
at Stone’s doorstep roughly an hour before dawn (note the
Sun
has yet to reach the horizon), and they weren’t asking him to “pretty
please come with us”—they were armed with heavy weapons and prepared for
push-back.
In fact, Mars (Aries) squares both Saturn and Pluto, indicating the
heavily armed nature of their law enforcement encounter. The shocking nature of
it all was also covered in this chart—Uranus (Aries) widely squares Pluto
as well as squaring the Pluto/Mercury midpoint and South Node (both
at 26°+Capricorn).
The
news coverage was swift, heavy, and potentially devastating, from Stone’s (and
probably Trump’s) point-of-view. Michael Munkasey cites “breakdowns” in
networks and communications and “high security communications and intelligence
activities”[1]
for the Pluto/Mercury midpoint—aside from the clear connection this has
to the FBI arresting Stone, how appropriate is this midpoint on a day in which
the other news involved a government
shutdown causing airline cancellations and delays!
Trump is no neutral observer in this FBI saga, of
course—the growing parade of former campaign officials and advisors under
indictment bears witness to that, but it also shows in the fact that his
security-conscious natal Saturn-Venus conjunction (23°+-25°+Cancer, chart not shown) ties very snugly into
this event chart. So, despite press secretary Sanders’ statement to the
contrary, Stone’s legal problems certainly do
concern Trump in one way or another. Exactly how is likely to come clear over the next year: both Saturn
and Pluto will continue opposing Trump’s Cancer points for the
entire year ahead and into 2020.
Considering Trump’s Venus is under pressure here, it’s
fair to guess that his finances, friends (Stone?) and other relationships will
be heavily scrutinized. In his earlier life he depended very heavily on his father (Saturn)
for his financial stature (Venus); now we have to wonder how
questionable banking
institutions (Venus-Saturn) have picked up where Fred Trump left off, keeping
Donald afloat with sketchy loans and possible money laundering activities (hear
more about these lines of inquiry here).
Cardinal Grand Cross: Uranus (Aries) opposes
Pallas (Libra); this axis squares Pluto-So. Node (Capricorn) opposite No. Node
(Cancer). Pallas couldn’t be more clearly situated here: elevated in
the chart and shocking the waking world this morning by demanding justice.
Later in the day, outside the courtroom where he was arraigned, Stone signaled
his defiance by ostentatiously flashing the cynical “Victory” sign that Richard
Nixon immortalized when exiting the presidency in 1974: Pallas fell at 27°+Capricorn that day (August
9, 1974), just a degree beyond today’s
No. Node. What goes around does appear to be coming around, indeed.
 |
| Stone's "dirty trickster" reputation has sound roots. |
In fact, if the Trump saga and the role Stone is accused
of playing in it remind us of Watergate and Nixon, there’s a reason—not only was Stone there (he apparently sports a Nixon tattoo on his back, as well), but Saturn
and Pluto played key roles in their waning 3Q (in cardinal signs) during Nixon's years, too. These potent energies helped reveal and aggressively prosecute the corruption then,
and they’re doing so again.
Jupiter conjoins Venus (both Sagittarius)
and both trine Mars (Aries); Venus trines Eris (Aries). Jupiter is
feeling its oats these days in Sagittarius, and its ambitious goals have the
support of a self-assured Venus, as well. The fiery trines
with a dignified Aries Mars suggest that all systems were go today for some
important priority; Mars also assures that those with helpful connections to these
points enjoy intense focus. It’s hard to look at this configuration and not see Madame Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in
fact—her quiet, dignified demeanor often seems to mask some real passion and
one-pointedness.
These aspects also reflect a connection between the
Stone arrest and Trump’s decision to cave in to Democratic proposals for
reopening the government today. Re-opening the government today did crowd the Stone arrest out of the news for awhile, and with
all the intense Capricorn energies assailing his Cancer points, Trump may have
finally reached his breaking point. He may never admit to feeling the
negativity surrounding the shutdown or about today’s high-profile arrest, but his
chart says he’s more sensitive than he seems.
So why not take advantage of the nice Sagittarius
energies that are moving in on his natal Moon (21°+ Sagittarius; chart not shown)? What an
emotional relief they would provide if the stand-off was just over. We may not have seen the last of
this shutdown drama, but if the Stone arrest was a catalyst for some relief,
we’re making progress!
 |
| KTSA.com writes "Roger Stone thinks he's being persecuted." |
Stone
in the soup
It’s not like Stone’s questionable
ethics and tactics have been a mystery—he
refers to himself as a “dirty trickster,” and a “provocateur,” while also
denying that he ever broke the law. He
also seems to have little regard for
the law, however—he’s often referred to it and the institutions that define and
enforce it as the “Deep State,” a term that’s been bandied about a lot during
the Trump campaign and presidency. This term seems designed to paint everything
the government does with a corrupt, shady, conspiratorial brush, and this of
course becomes a self-serving justification for those who plan to push the
legal limits.
This becomes a “Looking Glass”
situation that provides what some seem to think is the perfect defense and offense: how could I have violated a law when the law itself is either illegitimate,
shady, or corrupt? Remember the Trump mantra, “Drain the Swamp?” Neptune and Pluto are enjoying a chuckle.
It’s difficult to have any sympathy
for this “Deep State” cynicism when we’ve just endured 35 days of only partial government services, witnessing thousands of Federal law enforcement and
Homeland Security officials work without
pay (yes, the FBI officers who arrested Stone before dawn did so while
being unpaid). But I digress…this is about Stone and how his arrest in the
pre-dawn hours of January 25th played against his natal chart.
Biwheel
#1: (inner wheel) Natal, Roger Stone, August 27,
1952, 12:00 p.m. DST (noon chart, no exact time known); (outer wheel) FBI arrest
R Stone, January 25, 2019, 6:05 a.m. ST (news cited “just after 6 a.m.”), Ft.
Lauderdale, FL. Tropical Equal Houses,
True Node.
Interchart
Grand cross: Arrest Saturn-ASC-Pluto (Capricorn)
oppose Stone Uranus (Cancer); this axis squares Stone Saturn/Neptune (midpoint,
Libra) opposite Arrest Mars (Aries). Stone’s immediate reaction to
being arrested was to deny any responsibility and to loudly proclaim that he
will not testify against Trump, no
matter what, because he would have to “bear false witness” to do so. Apart from
the gag factor and the sketchy “victimization” claim here, Stone has to know
from watching his former colleague Paul Manafort’s case that he can’t take a
presidential pardon for granted—he may get a “thank you, hang in there” tweet,
but if a pardon can be construed to implicate Trump in any way, it probably won’t
happen.
Munkasey characterizes Pluto aspects to the Saturn/Neptune
midpoint as “Punishment for those who have allowed decay and decadence
to persist; the rejection of responsibility and denial of guilt from
responsible people…”[2]
Add another square from Saturn
and Pluto, not to mention an opposition from militant Arrest
Mars (Aries), and it appears that Stone could be in serious jeopardy.
He was arraigned, posted a hefty bail and was released yesterday, but the story
is far from over.
Deceptive, delusionary leadership
and corrupt practices in businesses and government are all fair game with the Saturn/Neptune
midpoint—the fact that Stone’s Uranus is involved suggests that the
shock value of his arrest isn’t lost on this “provocateur”—a characterization
that’s supported by his natal Uranus-Saturn/Neptune square. The
Mueller team apparently requested a totally sealed indictment until after the arrest because they felt Stone
would be a flight risk—that’s probably quite true, considering his Uranus
placement.
Interchart
T-Square: Arrest Neptune (Pisces) opposes
Stone Sun/Venus (midpoint, Virgo); this axis squares Arrest Jupiter-Venus
(Sagittarius). The midpoint in question here speaks to many things,
including a person’s personality traits, values and priorities, however one
stands out: “Developing a flawed charisma because you lack honesty and
sincerity in your appreciation of others…qualified love.”[3]
Stone has built an entire political consultant/lobbyist career on his unique
brand of charisma, being outrageous and daring, and never shrinking from
controversy as long as those who hired him are elected or otherwise achieve
their aims. He apparently thinks it’s enough to simply “deny everything” when
he crosses over legal lines, and that delusion has served him well over his
40-some year career.
Neptune’s role by transit here,
however, seems to be to dis-illusion Stone—in
other words, to erode the armor those delusions have provided over the years. It’s
likely that Stone will not agree to
be a cooperating witness, if Mueller asks: that would require revealing a life
time of “dirty tricks” that may or may not have been strictly legal, so he may
be “damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.”
Whatever delusions Stone has been
harboring may have been skewered by the exuberant Arrest Jupiter-Venus
(Sagittarius) in this configuration. Of course, with his fixed Leo Mercury
mindset, Stone isn’t likely to admit as much, and he will have his
defenders, too—we can see that in the following.
Interchart
Grand Fire Trine: Arrest Mars (Aries)
trines Stone Mercury-So. Node-Pluto (all Leo), which
trines Arrest Jupiter-Venus trine. It’s fair to say that yesterday’s
arrest will set off a pretty volatile chain reaction of events for Stone,
however grand trines can also be supportive. Even so, the way the Arrest Mars-Saturn square plays
into this doesn’t suggest an easy time for Stone. Stone’s Mercury disposes his Virgo
Sun,
so he has some powerful “tricks up his sleeve,” which may find some support. This same Sagittarian
energy quincunxes his beleaguered Cancer Uranus, however, so his
attempts to frame the narrative in his favor may ultimately fall flat. The long
arm of the Law (Capricorn Saturn and Pluto) may not be as easily swayed as the
social media world is. Personality and “spin” only count for so much.
Of course, Stone does have friends
in powerful places (also suggested by the Grand Trine), and even if Trump
doesn’t overtly dangle a pardon, he could find other ways to facilitate Stone’s
defense (like tearing down or compromising the Justice Dept. at every chance—nothing
new). Again, Arrest Mars—which is followed closely by Arrest Eris and Uranus (all
Aries) may signal an aggressive, volatile fight: “with friends like
that, who needs enemies?”
Arrest Jupiter-Venus also inconjoin
his natal Taurus Jupiter here, yet Arrest Saturn and Pluto trine this
same point: while he’s undoubtedly a wealthy man, Stone may find his legal
expenses become quite damaging. Will he get “help” that could end up
compromising his case or steering his testimony in some way? That sort of deal
would only happen behind the scenes and may be reflected in Arrest
Neptune
opposing his natal Venus, which in turn disposes his natal
Taurus
Jupiter.
Finally, it will be interesting to
see what role Stone’s natal Mars (Scorpio) plays as his case
begins to take shape in the courts. His Mars may or may not conjoin his Moon (it
transited between 17°+Scorpio
and 0°+Sagittarius that
day), but it is inconjoined by Arrest Uranus here and that’s
uncomfortable enough. This has been true for quite some time already, of course—he’s
been called into Congress to testify, been called in to talk to the Mueller
team—his actions during the 2016 campaign, his history with Trump and possible relationship with Wikileaks have been under scrutiny for
most of this past year.
This Mars sports a potentially ruthless, not to mention unscrupulous
edge, and it's certainly a “power center” in Stone’s chart, even though it only
widely opposes his Jupiter. Again, it’ll be interesting to see how the power
playing unfolds in court and beyond.
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| Stone seems to purposely evoke the Nixon years with this defiant gesture. |
Final
thoughts
Another story lurks behind this one
that would help us put Stone’s arrest into a much larger historical context, of
course. It’s not every day that an operative who cut his political teeth during
the corrupt Nixon administration resurfaces in the way Roger Stone has. Most
Nixon administration officials went on to establish careers that helped them
move on from that 1970s experience in constructive ways, Stone has remained the
“dirty trickster.” Wikipedia documents
several examples, but this excerpt is from the Nixon years:
“Stone's political career began in earnest on the 1972 Nixon campaign,
with activities such as contributing money to a possible rival of Nixon in the
name of the Young Socialist Alliance – then slipping
the receipt to the Manchester Union-Leader. He also hired
a spy in the Hubert Humphrey campaign who became Humphrey's
driver. According to Stone, during the day he was officially a scheduler in the
Nixon campaign, but "By night, I'm trafficking in the black arts. Nixon's
people were obsessed with intelligence."[40]
Stone maintains he never did anything illegal during Watergate.[39]
After Nixon won the 1972 presidential election,
Stone worked for the administration in the Office of Economic Opportunity.
After Nixon resigned, Stone went to work for Bob Dole,
but was later fired after columnist Jack Anderson publicly identified Stone
as a Nixon 'dirty trickster'.[41]”
Clearly, Stone has lived up to his
potent Scorpio Mars—weaponizing “intelligence” in ways designed to undermine the
candidates he decided to target. From his own words it seems that he embraces these
“dark” goals—his attacks don’t happen inadvertently, or without intent. Are
they truly “legal?” That’s another story—the past couple years have certainly
made us choose whether we’re okay with the truth being malleable, if not
entirely irrelevant, and I’m glad to see many
signs in everyday life that the importance of truth and facts and science has
largely won out.
And yes, Stone was correct to label his
skill for manipulating the facts for the sake of gain a “dark art;” unfortunately,
with Pluto calling the shots, the
consequences of doing so can be dire and even life-threatening. So, is his long
history of dealing in all this just catching up with him, after all these years?
Several planetary cycles are starting fresh between now and December, 2020, so
between now and then we will see a lot of old, tired, corrupt energy cleared
out. Unfortunately, that tired, outworn stuff has to surface before it can be
cleared, so stay tuned!
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. A graduate of
the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane,
collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs,
culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as
education and health. Several of her articles on these topics have been
featured in The Mountain Astrologer, The Astrological Journal, and other
publications over the years.
She is
also available to read individual charts—for information about chart report
options, contact her at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2019. All
rights reserved.
